![]() ![]() ![]() To do this, though, state and local leaders must invest in a “new state-of-the-art Heart of Appalachia Welcome Center at Exit 8 to help travelers know they arrived someplace truly special.”Ī new premier welcome center, accessible from both east and westbound traffic, marks the area as the northern entry point for tourism in Southern West Virginia and would guide visitors to recreation opportunities along the AHH, including Heritage Farm and Museum, Rustic Ravines, and the ever-growing Hatfield McCoy Trail System. But to make this development work, we need to drive visitors to the area, and one major development needed is a new welcome center.Īccording to Perry, the capturing of just 1% of the more than 45,000 vehicles per day that travel past I-64 Exit 8 could result in $30 M in new annual revenues for the area. The new Appalachian Backyard Adventure is part of an exciting new multi-million-dollar development for Heritage Farm, which seeks to bring more recreation and adventure-style elements to the farm, including a canopy-ropes challenge course and much expanded wild-life park. “ added many family-focused opportunities like Critter Corner, the MakerSpace, Six Simple Machines Discovery Zone Playground, wagon rides, and a brand-new Appalachian Backyard Adventure which includes a West Virginia Nature Center and Treehouse Trek,” said Perry. Audy Perry, Executive Director of this proud family enterprise and community non-profit organization, continues to bring more high-quality attractions to the farm. Most impressively, Heritage Farm has no plans of slowing down. The facility now includes more than 30 structures, with seven individual museums and was recently named West Virginia's first Smithsonian Affiliate Institution. Located just minutes from I-64 in northern Wayne County, the farm has grown its attraction list to include a petting zoo, general store, sawmill, working forge for smithing, an artisanal center, and numerous other activities. In 2006, Heritage Farm officially opened its gates as an attraction where visitors could learn about early pioneer life and Appalachian frontier farming practices. Momentum around tourism and outdoor recreation in the corridor has been building for years, beginning with Heritage Farm and Museum. The plan, which was funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and administered by Region II Planning and Development Council, concludes that a new welcome center, known as the Gateway to Appalachia Welcome Center, located off of I-64 near Huntington, West Virginia, is essential to spur tourism development in the area and to reach 750,000 annual visits to the corridor per year, a 7% annual growth rate. Tourism-related attractions along the corridor include Heritage Farm and Museum, beautiful Beech Fork State Park, East Lynn Lake Recreation Area, two championship-quality golf courses, premier cabin rentals at Rustic Ravines, and the extremely popular Hatfield McCoy Trail System. In 2020 a federally funded planning initiative was completed to establish and enhance recreation assets along the corridor and drive tourism into Southern West Virginia. The AHH or Appalachian Heartland Highway is a planned tourism and recreation corridor along West Virginia 152. If Boffo and the other major investors in this area realize their vision, the impacts on the region will be incredible. “We see the AHH 152 Tourism Corridor as the new Gatlinburg,” said Boffo, referring to West Virginia RT 152, a main north-south transportation artery through Wayne County. Boffo is one of several key stakeholders and business owners investing big dollars along an expanding recreation corridor in Southern West Virginia. ![]() ![]() At least that’s what Joe Boffo, owner and operator of Rustic Ravines, a premier cabin and ATV-rental facility in southern Wayne County, West Virginia, believes. When you think of Southern West Virginia, you should think of tourism and recreation. Tourism Corridor Could Mean Big Business for Wayne County ![]()
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