New Castle OHV Area

The Hidden Valley OHV Area is a mountain OHV trail system in the Warm Springs Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Bath County, Virginia, approximately 3 miles north of the historic spa town of Warm Springs in the Allegheny Highlands — a section of western Virginia known for the thermal springs, the Garth Newel Music Center, and the genuinely remote character of Bath County, the least-populated county east of the Mississippi River. The trail system runs from 2,000 to 3,400 feet elevation across wooded mountain ridges in the Allegheny Mountain physiographic province, providing two primary riding loops totaling approximately 20 miles rated from beginner to difficult terrain. The high elevation range and Bath County's position in the Allegheny Mountains give Hidden Valley terrain that is more rugged and more technical than the New Castle system to the south: the ridge traverses are exposed and demanding, and the lower-elevation bottomland sections near the Warm Springs area produce the wet crossings and rooted soil conditions typical of this wet mountain corridor. Motorcycles and ATVs up to 50 inches wide are the permitted machine classes. The area is recognized by experienced riders as offering more technical terrain than the New Castle system. A day-use OHV permit is required through Recreation.gov or at the trailhead self-pay station. The Warm Springs Ranger District office provides current trail conditions for both the Warm Springs and Hot Springs areas (540-839-2521).

The South Pedlar ATV Trail System is a 19-mile off-highway vehicle network in the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District of George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, accessed from the South Pedlar trailhead on VA-607 near Natural Bridge Station in Rockbridge County, Virginia — approximately 20 miles south of Lexington and 15 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The system consists of seven interconnecting bidirectional loop trails rather than a single one-way circuit, allowing riders to customize route length and difficulty on each visit. Trail surfaces alternate between compact gravel forest roads and narrower earthen paths through oak-hickory hardwood forest typical of the central Virginia Blue Ridge. Moderate terrain with rolling elevation change; creek crossings are seasonal and typically passable. ATVs and UTVs are permitted; full-size 4x4 trucks are not. No day-use fee required; National Forest system. Primitive camping is available at the trailhead and at dispersed sites in the surrounding forest. The Pedlar Ranger District office in Buena Vista (540-291-2188) handles current condition reports. South Pedlar serves as a convenient OHV option for riders from the Roanoke and Charlottesville metro areas seeking national forest riding without the drive to East Tennessee.

Spearhead Trails — Coal Canyon covers 127 miles of designated trail in Dickenson County, Virginia, in the rugged mountains surrounding the towns of Haysi, Clintwood, and Clinchco along the Clinch River drainage — approximately 30 miles north of the Virginia-Kentucky border and 50 miles west of the Spearhead Pocahontas trailhead. This is the wildest and most remote segment of the Spearhead Trails network, traversing high-ridge terrain above 3,000 feet with dramatic valley views and extensive sections of old mine bench roads that have weathered back to a natural trail surface. Trail connectors link Coal Canyon to the Grundy and Vansant welcome centers to the east, enabling multi-day point-to-point rides across the Spearhead network. ATV, UTV, and motorcycle riders are welcome on the full 127-mile system. Trail passes are required and sold at local welcome centers. Dispersed primitive camping is available throughout the riding area. Dickenson County's remote geography — deep in the Appalachian coalfields, with limited commercial services — gives Coal Canyon a backcountry feel uncommon among eastern trail systems. Cell coverage is limited on high-ridge sections; plan routes and fuel accordingly.

Spearhead Trails — Pocahontas is a 94-mile trail system in Tazewell County, Virginia centered on the former Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine site and the surrounding mountains of the Cumberland Plateau near the town of Pocahontas, approximately 25 miles west of Bluefield. Spearhead Trails is Virginia's answer to West Virginia's Hatfield-McCoy system — a multi-county network of reclaimed coalfield trails that opens former mine haul roads and ridgeline access routes to ATV, UTV, and motorcycle riders. The Pocahontas section connects directly to the Hatfield-McCoy Pocahontas Trail system across the WV state line, enabling true cross-state riding without a trailer. Trail character reflects the coalfield setting: wide bench-cut mountain roads with commanding ridge views, technical descents through hollow drainages, and sections of recovered surface-mine terrain transitioning back to forest. Day fees apply; trail passes are sold at local welcome centers and online. Primitive camping is available at the Pocahontas Trailhead, with additional options at area campgrounds. The trail system is managed by the Coalfields Expressway Authority in partnership with local counties.