Hendersonville – The long-anticipated Ecusta Trail is about to take a major leap forward with the official opening of the first six miles of the rail trail. Henderson County officials announced a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Friday, July 18 at 2:00 PM—a moment that’s been years in the making.
“It’s been a long time coming!” said Mike Morgan, Communications Manager for Henderson County, during a celebratory announcement at the Hendersonville Visitor Center. Morgan led the event, which drew a cheerful crowd of community members, business owners, and representatives from the Friends of the Ecusta Trail nonprofit organization.
The grand opening festivities will begin at the Trailside Pavilion, a newly renamed stage adjacent to the Visitor Center. Morgan described it as the location for “all the speechifying,” and encouraged the public to “bring your families, bring your bikes, bring your walking shoes or running shoes, whatever you got.”
Following the remarks and presentations along Main Street, attendees will move to the trailhead for an official ribbon cutting at approximately 3:00 PM. At that moment, the first public section of the Ecusta Trail—six miles stretching through Henderson County—will be open for walking, running, biking, and wheeling.
“We had close to 500 people for the groundbreaking. I’m sure we’ll have more than that for the ribbon cutting and the grand opening celebration,” said Morgan. The county will release a schedule of related events hosted by trail partners at hendersoncountync.gov/ecustatrail as the big day approaches.
The Ecusta Trail is envisioned as a 19-mile greenway that will eventually connect Hendersonville to Brevard, passing through Laurel Park, Etowah, Horseshoe, Penrose, and Pisgah Forest. This rail trail project has been in the works for over 15 years and is a rare example of collaboration between numerous local governments, nonprofits, and volunteers. Once completed, the trail is expected to become one of the premier greenway destinations in the Southeast.
Adding to the excitement of the announcement was a presentation from Oliver Wall, General Manager of the Main Street Mast General Store. Wall introduced “Blaze,” a hand-painted Bearfootin’ Bear statue that was recently installed in front of the Trailside Pavilion. Painted by a Mast General Store employee, Blaze features imagery inspired by the trail and was originally purchased nearly a decade ago in anticipation of this very moment.
“We purchased the bear about nine years ago in anticipation of eventually donating it to the trail,” Wall said. “We did not know when that would be, and there was no way we could foresee all of the bumps in the road until this point, but now we’re here.” While other locations were considered, Wall said placing the statue near the Trailhead Pavilion “became the obvious choice. It represents Main Street, it represents Mast General Store, it represents the trail.”
“I’m looking forward to all the next steps and hitting the trail soon,” he added.
Bob Williford, President of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, echoed the sense of relief and excitement. “We’re really looking forward to July 18th and the official opening of the trail. It will be nice when it’s all official and everybody can enjoy what we’ve been working on for 15 or 16 years.”
Williford also emphasized the economic potential the trail brings. “There’s a lot of excitement. There have been a lot of businesses that opened along the trail only because the trail is there and they know they’ll benefit being along the way,” he said. “The Ecusta Trail really fits into the outdoor recreation motif the community has… and it’s great for locals too.”
Michelle Owens, Executive Director of the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, highlighted the importance of the trail to both visitors and locals. “We are super excited to finally be announcing the grand opening of the trail here at the Trailhead Pavilion,” she said. “July is going to be a great day.”
Owens noted that the renovated Welcome Center and Trailside Pavilion are intended to serve as a hub between Main Street and the region’s many outdoor assets. “We really feel like this is going to be a great nexus… and with it starting here, it’s just going to really drive a lot of visitation of all sorts.”
Along with the unveiling of Blaze, more additions to the Trailside Pavilion area are in the works, including a new kiosk and a mural. “It’s going to be a great thing for locals and visitors alike,” Owens said.
Reflecting on the long road to get here, Owens pointed out the collaboration behind the project. “This is a long time in coming and I don’t think any one group can take responsibility… it’s one of those very unusual things where you have so many different people that have come together for such a long time to make an idea happen.”