Williamsburg - The AMG and Our Tourism Partners Present The COPPERHEAD TRAIL KY 10th ANNIVERSARY EVENT! GET BIT!
The AMG and Our Tourism Partners Present The COPPERHEAD TRAIL KY 10th ANNIVERSARY EVENT! GET BIT!
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THE AMG, THE COPPERHEAD'S DEN KY, THE CITY OF WILLIAMSBURG, WHITLEY COUNTY TOURISM, McCREARY COUNTY TOURISM, AND THE WHITLEY COUNTY FISCAL COURT PRESENT THE COPPERHEAD TRAIL KY 10TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT! GET BIT! Join us for a weekend of riding, history, fellowship, and charity as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Copperhead Trail KY—the Home Trail of the Appalachian Motorcycle Group! Come ride the route where the AMG was founded over six years ago and hear the incredible story of how Copperhead Trail KY was created during the third weekend of July 2016 by Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. and Whitley County Treasurer Jeffrey Gray. This annual event is held in honor of the route's founding date and Co-Founder Jeffrey Gray, who lost his battle with cancer several years ago. Jeffrey's passion, vision, and commitment to motorcycle tourism helped change the future of Southern Kentucky and Central Appalachia forever. Following the ride, we will gather at The Copperhead's Den KY, Official Home of the Appalachian Motorcycle Group, for a special dedication ceremony honoring Jeffrey's legacy and commitment to bringing motorcycle tourism to Appalachia, followed by a good old-fashioned celebration! R.I.P. Jeffrey Gray – "Mr. Copperhead Trail KY" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ COPPERHEAD TRAIL KY TODAY Copperhead Trail KY has become one of the most successful motorcycle tourism routes in Kentucky and is now the most visited route in Southeast Kentucky, attracting more than 1 million visitors annually. The route remains the only motorcycle ride in Kentucky with dedicated state route signage marking every turn thanks to the efforts of Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. and countless local supporters. The rest is Kentucky Motorcycle History! Today, riders from across the United States travel to Southern Kentucky to experience the route that helped launch motorcycle tourism in the region alongside its sister route, Rattlesnake 192 – Brake On The Snake. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ AMG RIDE HIGHLIGHTS • KY Splash Waterpark & Campground – Williamsburg, KY • The Dairy Bar – Whitley City, KY • Daniel Boone National Forest • Cumberland Falls State Resort Park – "The Niagara of the South" • The Copperhead's Den KY – Official Home of the Appalachian Motorcycle Group
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The idea for Copperhead Trail KY was born during the third weekend of July 2016.
One morning, Pat White Jr. walked into Jeffrey Gray's office and said:
"I have an idea for a great motorcycle route."
The two realized riders were traveling hundreds of miles to famous motorcycle destinations such as the Tail of the Dragon while overlooking the incredible roads right here in Southern Kentucky.
Together they answered a simple question:
"How can we bring motorcycle tourism dollars to our small Appalachian communities?"
The answer became Copperhead Trail KY.
Their vision created a scenic 60-mile motorcycle route through Whitley and McCreary Counties featuring the Daniel Boone National Forest, the historic Dairy Bar in Whitley City, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, and some of the most beautiful roads in Kentucky.
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THE FIGHT FOR STATE RECOGNITION
In 2017, Kentucky legislators introduced House Joint Resolution 117 to officially designate portions of roadway as the "Copperhead Trail."
The effort initially encountered a setback when Governor Matt Bevin vetoed the measure, creating statewide headlines and sparking debate after another motorcycle route had already received recognition elsewhere in Kentucky. That route was Rattlesnake 192 in Pulaski County.
Despite the setback, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. and local officials continued pushing forward.
Their efforts ultimately succeeded, and Copperhead Trail KY became Kentucky's second officially recognized motorcycle tourism route and remains the only route in the Commonwealth with dedicated motorcycle-route signage marking every turn along the ride.
Copperhead Trail KY quickly became the foundation for motorcycle tourism growth throughout Southern Kentucky and later played a major role in the development of the regional trail system promoted by riders throughout Central Appalachia.
Its success proved that motorcycle tourism could help support small businesses, restaurants, hotels, attractions, and communities throughout the region.
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THE TRAIL THAT STARTED A MOVEMENT – THE AMG
In 2020, a small group of local riders founded the Whitley County Motorcycle Group on this very trail.
The mission was simple: bring local riders together into a true community effort and show riders from around the world that the Old Coal Belt has "THE BEST RIDING IN THE U.S.! PERIOD!" while also supporting charity and natural disasters.
The goal was to bring economic development through motorcycle tourism to Whitley and McCreary Counties and eventually the entire Central Appalachian region.
That organization quickly expanded across the mountains to create and promote a regional trail system spanning four states. Following completion of that system in 2025, the WCMG officially became the Appalachian Motorcycle Group.
Today, the AMG is one of the largest all-volunteer charity motorcycle communities on the East Coast. Riders from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and even around the globe have become part of the movement.
The AMG is unique by design and remains the only motorcycle community in America that truly RIDES FOR A REGION.
Without Copperhead Trail KY, there would be no Appalachian Motorcycle Group.
People Over Profit. Community Over Club. Riders For A Region.
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THIS RIDE BENEFITS A CHILD FIGHTING PEDIATRIC CANCER TBA
Join us as we celebrate 10 years of Copperhead Trail KY, honor Jeffrey Gray's legacy, and help a child in need on one of the trail routes that started it all!
11:00 AM - Kicks Stands Up from KY SPLASH Waterpark and Campground!
Stay tuned as the event continues to grow with LIVE Music, Free Copperhead Trail KY Swag, special events at The Copperhead's Den KY, giveaways at every stop, and much more!
Copperhead Trail KY — Home Trail of the Appalachian Motorcycle Group and The Copperhead's Den KY Souvenir Shop!
Let's Ride Copperhead Trail KY on it's 10th Anniversary Appalachia!
