“We provide a place to stay and something to ride while trying out the Hatfield-McCoy trails,” says Butch Leedy, owner of Trailblazers Outfitters. The Hatfield-McCoy Trails have long drawn tourists from all over the country to the southwestern corner of West Virginia. Despite this, Williamson did not offer any specialized lodging or off-road vehicle rentals to visitors. Butch felt it was time for that to change, and opened Trailblazers Outfitters hoping to draw tourists to Williamson.
Riding and Resting
Trailblazers Outfitters offers two services: it serves as lodging for lucky visitors, and offers rentals of a variety of off-road vehicles. The lodge currently has 4 rooms available: two of them are public rooms with 8 separate beds each. Guests share these rooms with other visitors at the lodge. The other two rooms are private. Guests in these rooms only share the space with the friends they ride with.The lodge also has an indoor common area, and a front deck, so guests can relax after finishing their day on the trails. For those interested in more privacy, there is also a house available to rent.
Trailblazers Outfitters offers rentals of motorcycles, two-passenger side-by-sides, and four-passenger side-by-sides. Customers can rent vehicles for 8 hours or 24 hours, allowing them to fully experience the trails for as long as they wish.
“That’s always been my passion.”
“I’ve been involved in offroad racing all my life,” says Butch, who has also been riding motorcycles since he was 5 years old. He describes himself as “enjoying a little bit of everything,” including woods racing and motorcross. In addition to owning Trailblazers Outfitters, Butch also works on the Hatfield-McCoy trails, helping to improve them.
Trailblazers Outfitters sees visitors from all over the country-- and beyond. Butch has taken reservations from people as far away as Ottawa, Canada. Meeting the men and women who share his passion is his favorite part of the job. “I like the spirit of the people who ride,” He says. “(Trailblazers Outfitters) brings in people with the same mindset, who like the same things I do.”