Blazing Trails: From Coal Mines to ATV Tourism in Kentucky

In rural southeastern Kentucky, the hills have always provided. Timber harvesting employed thousands when it began in earnest after the Civil War. Not long after, massive mines began to define this area as “coal country.”

Until late in the twentieth century, those industries gave this part of Kentucky much of its identity and livelihood. Today, both are in decline and employ a fraction of the workforce they saw at their peak.

See a photo gallery from this story here.

But some here believe the hills may yet draw another industry to the area: tourism. In Harlan County, on the site of an abandoned coal mine, local government and businesses are trying to carve out a tourism niche by allowing motorized 4×4 enthusiasts to roar into the mountains.

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On small “four-wheelers,” on the new generation of “side-by-side” ATVs, in souped-up Jeeps and even the occasional antique military vehicle, tourists power up the Black Mountain ATV Park’s steep network of trails.

The experiment began five years ago and has not been without controversy. Some locals object to the noise and environmentalists take issue with the impact on the land and atmosphere. But for Stephen Foster, who operates a campground adjacent to the ATV park, the tourists and their rugged vehicles represent a potential boon for his hometown.

In this story, Stephen explains his hopes for his campground and the area’s nascent tourism industry. We also go for a wild ride with a group of ATV’ers from Kansas.

See for yourself:
The Black Mountain ATV Park is online at HarlanCountyTrails.com. You can find Stephen Foster’s Harlan County Campground on the web at HarlanCountyCampground.com or on the road between Harlan and Cumberland on U.S. Route 119.