The plan is to connect Kentucky trails to those in West Virginia, making an ATV ride a multi-state adventure.

Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo says the way to make it happen is to get Pike County involved.

The Lt. Governor was on hand in Pike County, where officials are applying for a 25-thousand dollar grant to get the adventure tourism project up and running.

“The Hatfield-McCoy trails, which is in West Virginia is a several hundred mile trail system, so we want to connect that trail system to Pike County, to the rest of the state as well, so this can become a multi-state system as well,” Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo said.

Most local officials welcome adventure tourism, and say it will help display the natural beauty to those that spend time on trails throughout eastern Kentucky.

“Really be able to show our heritage, the beauty of our land, that a lot of people have not had the opportunity to see and this will provide that for them,” Kimberly Wells of Summit Engineering said.

Lt. Governor Mongiardo says the trails will also bring the jobs this area needs, “We've been searching for jobs to come to here, to bring us manufacturing jobs for a long time and we've missed what we have right here under our noses. This will bring jobs, it will bring the type of economy that fits this area,” Lt. Governor Mongiardo said.

The Lt. Governor says the infrastructure is here, using old coal roads, logging roads, and even unused railways to link ATV riders from eastern to western Kentucky.