[gentle music] - I kept hearing murmurings about the Ecusta Trail coming to Hendersonville.

I was like, "That's where I wanna be.

That's where I want my future self to be."

It took me about a year to find a place.

But yes, I couldn't be happier living on the trail.

[gentle music continues] - The Ecusta Trail began a thought process about 15, 20 years ago, as the railway was not utilized anymore.

It kept developing and developing into what we now have as six miles of finished Ecusta Trail, and then it will go on into Brevard, our neighboring county, with about 11 to 13 miles in total.

With the Ecusta Trail, you may start at trailhead.

Welcome Center has maps to give the whole Ecusta Trail, to give other businesses that are along, as well as what else is in Henderson County.

So there's just the vineyards, the breweries, just a multitude of different things that you can do.

- We started this brewery two years before the trail opened.

We knew the trail was coming, and that's why we called this Trailside Brewing 'cause we wanted to be right on the trail, and it was a great experience.

The trail has enhanced this experience.

It's really done a lot for us, and we love operating this.

When my wife and I started Trailside, we didn't want this just to be a brewery.

We wanted to be a community center, and it is.

Trailside Brewing is a community center first and a brewery second, and the trail has a lot to do with that.

A lot of the community that comes here is finishing a run.

They're finishing a bike.

A lot of 'em just hiked, and then they came down here, you know, finish the day with a good beer right on the trail, and we wanted this to be a community place, and it is, and we're really grateful to be a part of that.

[bike squeaking] [mellow music] - I love to hop on the bikes after working all day.

We'll come down here to Trailside, grab a quick IPA, ride our bikes back to Packa's Place, probably have another beer at Packa's Place, and then we head back up the mountain for the end of the day.

- All these businesses were waiting for this.

As soon as they heard, they popped up.

It's really a great sense of community for folks.

It's a place to meet, to join up.

We're fortunate enough that we can get to Lennox Station pretty easily.

We're in Horse Shoe pretty close to Packa's Place, so we'll come down, we'll either walk or ride the bikes in for, you know, a tasty beverage, and they have a great IPA here at Trailside.

They have a lot of rotating taps at Packa's, so in between, you know, little exercise and a little cold beer, it's always a good thing.

- My favorite things about the Ecusta Trail, I think it's a great trail, first of all.

It's really wide, which is super convenient because in town here, it tends to get a little more crowded.

It's a little less crowded out by Packa's Place, and it's just so pretty the whole way.

Runs right across a creek.

It's very quiet.

You don't have to worry too much about cars.

It just feels very peaceful.

- Other great qualities of the Ecusta Trail is, you know, it starts in downtown Hendersonville, takes you through some of the smaller communities, and then you get into the countryside, and it's just beautiful green areas, and eventually you'll be able to go all the way down to Brevard, North Carolina, which is another great community.

So it's just a great trail, great experience all around.

- I'm on it multiple times a day with my dog, Gumdrop.

I believe she was a Hurricane Helene dog, so she was astray in Asheville.

When I got her home, I realized that she loved adventure and to actually do more than just sitting around the house, and so introduced her to running and to biking, and she loves doing those activities with me.

- The Ecusta Trail gave opportunity for folks to come, stay with us, be able to walk the trail, be able to ride the trail, but it also helps the local residents be able to get out, have that health benefit of walking, walking their kids, walking their pets, and being able to be a part of a community that is in this beautiful land that we call Henderson County and Hendersonville.

- Seeing people come in and having the ability to have a safe space to walk, run, jog, walk their animals, bike is just so cool, and it really has just elevated Hendersonville as a whole to be not only a destination place but a place that people want to live and to be.

- You know, you can go 15 minutes down the road and end up at Packa's Place where they have beefalo, and the farm, and just a really relaxed outdoor atmosphere where everybody's welcome.

It's just a great time.

- The Ecusta Trail, I think, is a gift to this community and the people who visit on a number of different reasons.

You can be an avid outdoorsman, or you can be just starting.

There's a lot of great people, a lot of great businesses along the trail, a lot of great folks just to welcome you and be a part of this great community.

So if you haven't done it, come on out, see us, see everybody else, and it's gonna be a great weekend.

- I went to high school in Hendersonville, never thought I would move back here, but the trail was such a big draw that it really shaped my present, and it will shape my future.

[mellow music] - [Presenter] The Ecusta Trail spans 19.4 miles from Hendersonville to Brevard.

The trail is currently still under construction, but the first six miles are now open.

For trail updates and information about nearby businesses, visit ecustatrail.org.