Appalachian Outlaw Trails system breaks ground in West Virginia

BELLE, W.Va. (WOWK) – For years, land that was once a Kanawha County mine has been used by “professional trespassers” for outdoor recreation, but soon, the space will have an official name.

The Appalachian Outlaw Trails system has been in the works since 2021, but the founders finally broke ground on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

The place is extra special for founders Eric Larch and Christopher Inghram, who grew up riding the roads. Their primary goal is to create a system that future generations can enjoy, just as they did.

“This property, I’ve ridden it since I was young. It used to be a coal mine,” Inghram said. “We were in the property for a long time, and we found it was important to try to preserve the riding for the area up here. There’s many acres behind this, and we just want to make sure it stays open.”

Their plans stretch into multiple phases, including building a welcome center, camp sites, and adding more miles of off-road trails.

Sticking to a more resort style, guests will be able to stay on the property or support local businesses in the valley upon its completion.

The goal is to be open for Memorial Day Weekend in 2026.

“The groundbreaking will be followed immediately tomorrow by the construction of a 10,000 square foot welcome center and an additional 24 full-service RV sites,” Larch said. “We tried to do our best to preserve the trail system that we grew up on.”

He says putting a new name on the land will only bring more traffic to the trails, and they are excited to hit the ground running.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey joined the Kanawha County Commission and other leaders in the official groundbreaking ceremony, marking a new beginning for the project.

Both Larch and Inghram attributed their success to group work and community support.

In exchange, they want to give back to their roots in the process.

“We’re hoping what we do will create some jobs, economic impact for the area,” Inghram said. “I’d love to see the area have more jobs and things for people to do and see.”