Visit Hendersonville’s Digital Trails Provide a Unique Way to Discover the Area
Fighting a case of the winter blues? Lucky for you, Hendersonville, N.C., is always in season. Hendersonville, a gateway town to the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, offers stunning natural beauty, outdoor recreation, sparkling holiday lights, dazzling fall foliage and abundant agritourism. Visitors can enjoy some of the region’s finest craft beverages, local ice cream and plentiful apple orchards.
Visit Hendersonville has made it easy to find details on the best spots to visit with its digital trails. These trails, found on the organization’s website, are delivered instantly to your phone via text or email for free, with no apps to download.
Cheers! Trail
The popular Cheers! Trail takes visitors to 11 breweries, eight wineries, three cideries, two distilleries and a meadery. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore North Carolina agritourism, with stops like Burntshirt Vineyards making the list. Burntshirt Vineyards offers award-winning wines, tours and tastings, along with apple wine made from local Henderson County apples.
The Guidon Brewing Outpost, located at the Elijah Gem Mine, is another unique stop on the Cheers! Trail. The outpost has a rustic feel and features outdoor fire pits and goat petting. Note that Guidon Brewing also has a downtown Hendersonville location that is part of the Cheers! Trail.
If you’re not quite convinced, you may be when you learn the Cheers! Trail comes with prizes. Visitors check in at each stop for 100 points. The more points earned, the more swag available, including wine stoppers, pint glasses, coasters and T-shirts.
Ice Cream Trail
All ages will delight in the sweet tastes of Visit Hendersonville’s Ice Cream Trail. The trail takes visitors to 12 ice cream shops offering the perfect treat any time of year.
McConnell Farms is a standout agritourism destination included on the trail. Owners Danny and Kathryn McConnell began making ice cream in 1999, featuring seasonal flavors from their farm. Visitors can sample ice cream with flavors ranging from strawberries to figs, honey, ginger and peaches. McConnell Farms also offers seasonal produce at its farm store and a picnic pavilion for events.
Orchard Trail
It’s never too early to start dreaming about Hendersonville’s delicious apples. Visit Hendersonville’s Orchard Trail points visitors to the best places to go. With the North Carolina mountains as a backdrop, visitors are sure to create lasting memories.
The Orchard Trail includes Coston Farm & Apple House, open September through mid-December. The orchard offers pick-your-own apples, wagon rides, pumpkins, preserves, gift items and more. If that wasn’t enough, a highlight for many visitors is the baked goods featuring Coston Farm apples. Offerings include homemade apple pie, apple fritters, apple bread and giant apple caramel cookies, all best enjoyed with a cup of fresh apple cider. Is your mouth watering?
The Orchard Trail isn’t just about apples. Pilot Mountain Pears offers a crisp alternative. The 50-acre farm boasts more than 5,000 Asian pear trees and is open from August through September. The farm also has a storefront featuring baked goods, jams, jellies and local honey.
Other Trails
After learning about Hendersonville’s abundant agritourism opportunities, we’re sure you’re already planning your trip. Depending on the time of year, Visit Hendersonville offers additional trails to help guide your experience. Year-round, visitors can explore the Ecusta Trail for walking, hiking and biking. Visit Hendersonville’s Trailhead Pass highlights the best places to stop along the way.
In the fall, visitors can enjoy the mountain views and vibrant foliage along the Leaf Lovers Trail. Then, as the holidays roll in, the Holiday Lights Trail is sure to put visitors in the festive spirit.
We can’t wait to see your trip to Hendersonville. Be sure to share it with us by tagging @VisitNCFarms on Instagram. Happy exploring!
All photos courtesy of Visit Hendersonville.