RIDE APPALACHIA

from Born to Ride Southeast #126 - August 2023

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HOMECOMING FESTIVAL

Coal Train 421

Just off of Exit 90 on I-75 in Richmond, KY is the beginning of one of the greatest rides or drives you will find here in Central Appalachia. This 130 Mile GPS-Enabled Trail Route in our Backroads of Appalachia Mobile Application, Appropriately Named “COAL TRAIN 421”, is an amazing journey through the heart of Eastern Kentucky and Appalachian Coal Country. This incredible ride on “The Road Less Traveled” will connect you with many of our other routes as you enjoy the scenery and curves on the roads that once hauled coal from our mountains and many of the small communities you will visit and experience along the way. Just 20 minutes from the start of “COAL TRAIN 421” is our Freedom Ridge Welcome Center in Mckee, KY, a general store atmosphere were you can rest, have a cold drink and snack, and get some great Backroads of Appalachia Merchandise as well as learn about the Civil War History of Jackson County, KY. The building itself is part of this history as it was once a Civil War Hospital and holds many pictures and relics of the era inside for you to enjoy!

On our Freedom Ridge Trail Route you will find many Civil War Skirmish sites including the Battle of Big Hill and also the Jackson County Veterans Memorial in Downtown Mckee. One of the most amazing Veterans Memorials in the State with tributes to all eras on display to honor our Nation’s Heroes. Head further south on 421 and it will connect you with many of our popular routes North including “Ridge Runner Road 587”, “Ride the River Dragon”, and “To the Holler” just to name a few. As you continue your journey you will enter Clay County and the “Land of Swinging Bridges”! The City of Manchester, is steeped in rich coal history with many great things to see and do from Swinging Bridges, to the Train Depot, to the one and only Pat’s Snack Bar which happens to have one of the Best Burgers in the whole state as ranked by Travel 7. Trust us It’s true, we have been there… Allot. If there is one thing we love here on the motorcycle side as much as we do riding it’s food! If you look closely at our mobile app you will notice that some of our routes stop or start at or near a great place to eat as we are all about supporting our small businesses. We even have a Trail Route named after a restaurant! We are Bikers after all! Speaking of great restaurants to visit on this trip, when you reach Harlan, KY and the end of line on “Coal Train 421” look up and you will see the Harlan County Beer Company, Yep you caught us! Did I mention cold beer and killer food? Around the corner you will find Sassy Trash, the coolest store you will ever go in. Harlan County is the Capital of Kentucky’s Coal Mining History and here you will find many of our most popular routes South including the trail that started it all for us, The Dragonslayer 160 and our welcome center in Lynch, KY. You will also find Portal 31, a tourable coal mine that once was the biggest in the world. There are so many great things to see and do in Harlan that we do not have enough space to tell everything but stay tuned as we continue to give you the scoop. So what are you waiting for, get on the rails and ride “Coal Train 421” from Richmond, KY to Harlan, KY Today!