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Town of Beech Mountain to Hold Celebratory Reopening of Emerald Outback Trails June 6-7

Beech Mountain Recreation Center is proud to announce a celebration for the grand re-opening of the Emerald Outback Trail System the weekend of June 6-7, from 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Positioned at the summit of Beech Mountain, each of the Emerald Outback Trail System’s seven multi-purpose trails has been redesigned by professional landscapers and trail builders. In addition to grooming the foliage and adding new signs and widened paths, each scenic trail has been fashioned to comfortably accommodate hikers and bikers together.

8188603_staThe family friendly festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. each day and feature an impressive array of activities and prize giveaways. Prizes include top quality helmets and biking jackets, a raffle drawing for a bike rack and a $150 gift card from Suspension Experts in Asheville.

In addition to the activities, the experienced riders at Boone Bike and Magic Cycles will bring bikes from their shops for the public to try out and ride. The celebration will be perfect for hiking and biking enthusiasts and anyone who is curious to learn the joys of bike riding in the near future.

On Saturday evening, June 6, an after party will follow the event at Fast Eddie’s Bar & Restaurant at 5:00 p.m. Food, drink specials and entertainment will be offered to the public as part of the celebration, as well as a live performance from musician George Rabb, the talented “man of a thousand voices,” from 6 – 9:00 p.m.

Sean Royall, the recreation coordinator for Beech Mountain Recreation Center, is looking forward to celebrating the reopening of the trails after much hard work.

“We are super excited to have this trail system,” he said. “Hopefully, it will grow our biking community and bring more people to our mountain.”

Much of the goal behind the overhaul of the Emerald Outback Trail System was to not only provide spectacular areas to hike, but to also implement panoramic trails that can be enjoyed by everyone and can be easily accessed by hikers and bikers alike, regardless of age or skill level.

“Ultimately, we want to get more children and families outside to enjoy the beautiful trails we’ve worked so hard on,” Royall said. “Our focus is to provide a recreational resource and a trail system catered for anybody. We wanted to make it easier and more enjoyable by having the trail professionally designed. The mountain biking population in the High Country is growing, and hopefully we can contribute to that growth.”

Made up of a mixture of grassy and dirt/gravel roads ranging from 4,700-5,400 feet in elevation, the picturesque trails are free and open to the public all year. The Emerald Outback Trail System is shaping up to be one of the best locations in the Southeast for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and anyone who simply loves being immersed into the breathtaking scenery of Appalachia.

To learn more, please visit www.beechrecreation.org or call 828-387-3003. The celebratory grand reopening of the Emerald Outback Trails will be held at Beech Mountain Recreation Center, located at 1330 Pine Ridge Rd, in Beech Mountain.

For more information about the after party on Saturday evening, June 6, call 828-387-3647 to contact Eddie of Fast Eddie’s Bar & Restaurant, located at 1005 Beech Mountain Parkway, in Beech Mountain.