OVERVIEW

Mud River Forest is a remarkable recreational property near the Mud River in scenic Lincoln County, West Virginia.  The property would make an admirable place for a permanent residence or a recreational camp.  Feel free to hike and hunt big and small game on your own property.  Nearby rivers and public recreational areas provide opportunities for other recreational activities such as fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching and much more.  ATV enthusiasts can find the Hatfield-McCoy Trails nearby which are located all throughout southern West Virginia.

ATTRIBUTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

• 90-acre recreational property with forestland and a small open area for a camp or residence.
• Water resources include a 1/4-acre pond (measured from aerial photography) and several hundred feet of stream.
• Direct access to Lower Mud River Road.
• Mud River Forest is located approximately 11 miles from Interstate 64 at the Milton Exit (Exit 28 off I-64) – approximately 15 minutes.
• Approximately 22 miles (30 minutes) from Barboursville, WV.
• Approximately 32 miles (40 minutes) from Huntington, WV – Home of Marshall University and the Thundering Herd.
• Approximately 40 miles (45 minutes) from Charleston, WV – State Capitol of West Virginia
• Approximately 8 miles (12 minutes) from Hamlin, WV – the County Seat of Lincoln County, WV
• The 1,425-acre Upper Mud River Wildlife Management is a short drive to the property.
• Mud River Forest offers interior trails for recreational activities.
• 72-mile Mud River very close to the property.
• Hatfield-McCoy Trails are nearby for miles and hours of ATV fun.
• The property offers great, easy access to Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia – West Virginia’s first and second largest cities, respectively.
• Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia offers jet service airports, multiple interstate access, hospitals, shopping, and other big city amenities.
• Hamlin, West Virginia, approximately 8 miles from the property, offers small-town shopping and amenities.
• Electricity and public water nearby with adequate cellular coverage.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates:  Road Entrance – 38.335495 (N), -82.130959 (W)
South End of Pond – 38.336187 (N), -82.131482 (W)
Address: Lower Mud River Road, West Hamlin, WV 25571.  No physical address assigned yet due to no structure on the property.
Elevation Range:  +/-640 feet to +/-1,110 feet above sea level

RECREATION

Mud River Forest offers access to fantastic hunting and hiking opportunities.  Further, the 1,425-acre Upper Mud River Wildlife Management Area provides additional hunting and fishing opportunities.

HUNTING

Mud River Forest offer the ability to hunt on your own property.  From whitetail deer and native black bear to turkey and squirrels, the game is as diverse as the mountain landscape behind it. West Virginia’s hunting seasons start early in the spring and transition throughout the fall months. If you’re looking to connect with nature through a hunt, this is the place for you.

UPPER MUD RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The 1,425-acre Upper Mud River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) ranges across steep oak and hickory forests surrounding the 306-acre Mud River Lake, an impoundment of the left and right forks of the Mud River. Wild game traditionally hunted in the management area includes deer, grouse, squirrel, rabbit, turkey, and waterfowl. The lake accommodates fishing for bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, muskellunge, and channel catfish, and has been equipped with two boat ramps.

MUD RIVER

The Mud River is a tributary of the Guyandotte River in southwestern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Guyandotte and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. The river is popular with muskellunge anglers.  The Mud River was so named on account of the muddy character of its water.  The Mud River rises in Boone County and flows generally northwestward for 72 miles through Lincoln and Cabell counties, past the towns of Hamlin and Milton. It meets the Guyandotte at the town of Barboursville.

HATFIELD-MCCOY TRAILS

The Hatfield–McCoy Trails (HMT) is a trail system popular for its recreational trails for ATVs, UTVs, and dirt bikes, but the trails are also open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horse riders. HMT is located in Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties in southwestern West Virginia. The HMT trail system is a public–private partnership between private landowners and the Hatfield–McCoy Regional Recreation Authority (HMRRA), a legislatively created quasi-state agency with paid staff and governed by a multi-county board of directors. The HMT project brings in millions of dollars to the West Virginia economy each year.

The trail system staff markets the trail system, builds, maps, and maintains the trail system.

Law enforcement officers patrol the trail to assure compliance with safety regulations. Motorized users of the trails must wear a DOT-approved helmet and are prohibited from “doubling” (having a passenger), unless their vehicle is designed for two people.

There is an HMT visitors center in Boone County.

WILDLIFE

The hardwood forest produces tons of acorns, hickory nuts and beech nuts. White tail deer, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, fox and a diversity of species including neo-tropical songbirds, butterflies, turtles, frogs, rabbits, chipmunks, dragonflies, owls, eagles and hawks make up the resident wildlife population.

In partnership with the pond and stream water resources, the forest offers areas to develop multiple food plots for not only game species, but for all wildlife that inhabit the property.

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The Mud River Forest’s predominately well-drained upland terrain has led to a resource dominated by hardwood species. Overall, the species composition is highly desirable and favors Appalachian hardwood types, consisting primarily of White Oak/Chestnut Oak, Red Oak Group, Yellow Poplar, Sugar Maple/Soft Maple and a host of associate species.

The forest is generally healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. The Emerald Ash Borer, which has inundated the entire Northeast US, is present and the Ash component will significantly decline over the next few years and 100% mortality is eventually expected in the Ash species statewide. There have been no forest fires in recent memory.

The forest floor is home to several types of mushrooms, medicinal plants, ferns and cool green mosses. One could spend a lifetime getting to know this inviting environment.

Capital Timber Value of the timber and pulpwood has not been determined at this time. Potential buyers should have an inventory done by a registered professional forester to determine the commercial value of the forest.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the US that has two separate ownership titles; those being SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. The mineral rights are not believed to be intact, but all rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be conducted by a title attorney at the same time when the surface title search is being conducted.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is being sold by the boundary and not the acre.  A metes and bounds description is found in the deed of record and the location of the property is based on a combination of the metes and bounds description and the tax maps obtained through the Lincoln County Assessor’s Office and online information. Before purchasing the property, potential buyers should consult a licensed surveyor to determine the actual location of the property and the true number of acres.

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

Frontage on Lower Mud River Road.

UTILITIES

Water: On the main Lower Mud River Road
Sewer: Will have to install septic system
Electricity: On the main Lower Mud River Road
Telephone: On the main Lower Mud River Road
Internet: On the main Lower Mud River Road
Cellphone Coverage: Adequate (AT&T service)

ZONING

All prospective buyers should consult the Lincoln County Commission and the Lincoln County Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes and installation of septic systems.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: Deed Book 326 Page 152
Acreage: 90 acres

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage:
Carroll District – Tax Map 6 Parcel 3 – Mud River 90 AC SUR
Lincoln County, West Virginia

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $593.94