Creamy, dreamy treats await on the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail

Just in time for National Ice Cream Month, we’ve got some super sweet news: The Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail is real, and it’s spectacular.

Launched in June  2023, this dreamy, creamy trail takes folks to 13 locations serving up an array of frozen treats like custards, sundaes, and much more. 

1. Baabals Ice Cream Shoppe & Family Grille

With 36 ice cream flavors and 40 milkshake flavors, Baabals Ice Cream Shop & Family Grille boasts the largest selection of flavors on the trail. In the off chance you want something more substantial, it also offers barbecue, Brunswick stew, hot dogs, and sandwiches. 

2. The Baker’s Box

Its small but mighty offerings include six flavors of homemade ice cream daily, which — if you’re not feeling a scoop, can also be used for lively drunken milkshakes featuring Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua, or Smirnoff Caramel Kiss. You can also enjoy burgers, pitas, wraps, and salads.

3. Celtic Creamery

Specializing in small-batch, Irish-inspired ice cream, everything at Celtic Creamery is made in-house. Here, you can indulge in nearly 60 extra-thick, rotating flavors, including 14 available each week. This shop also offers eight signature sundaes.

4. Dairi-O

This NC-based chain of eateries offers 30+ flavors of hand-scooped and soft-serve ice cream. For an especially nostalgic treat, get yours dipped in a hard shell of chocolate or butterscotch. 

5. El Río Ice Cream & Paleteria

Since 2014, this spot has offered 30+ flavors of creamy, homemade ice cream and Mexican snacks like paletas (ice pops) in flavors like mango, guava, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Also on offer? Banana splits, ice cream floats, and a traditional Mexican treat called chamoyada (sweet and spicy type of shaved ice). 

6. Piggy’s Ice Cream & Harry’s Grill

This community staple, open since 1979, serves up 32 to 40 flavors of ice cream each day, which are available in cones, milkshakes, and banana splits. Harry’s Grill, on the other side of the building, offers hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbeque.

7. Karolina Kremes

While their 12 flavors of ice cream are solid, Karolina Kremes really shines with its milkshakes, which boasts more than 50 different milkshake options. For more substantial fare, you can also enjoy burgers, hot dogs, and wraps.

8. Kilwin’s

This Main Street mainstay in downtown Hendersonville regularly carries 32 flavors, with certain flavors rotating seasonally. Pro tip: Don’t ignore its signature, impossibly rich Mackinac Island fudge.

9. La Vida Loca

This family-owned shop specializes in sorbet-style frozen treats that are homemade using a technique that blends fresh fruit and water (some varieties also include dairy). Check out its rotating selection of 14 flavors like kiwi strawberry, mango, and even avocado. It also offers tamales and two types of street corn.

10. Luv Ice Cream

Here, you can enjoy 36 flavors of ice cream (recommended vessel: those made-to-order waffle cones or bowls). You can also choose boba teas, poke bowls, and ramen.

11. McConnell Farms

Since 1999, this farm has been using fruits and other items grown on the farm, like strawberries, figs, and ginger, to create classic and experimental ice cream flavors like strawberry, lemon blueberry, and fig mascarpone. Don’t leave the farm without considering bringing home some of its wares, like apples, asparagus, sunflowers, and tomatoes.

12. sweetFrog

This frozen yogurt shop offers 21 flavors daily, and options always include at least one no-sugar-added flavor, as well as gluten-free options and dairy-free sorbets. Its 40-item topping bar ensures you can customize your treats until your heart’s content. 

13. Whit’s Frozen Custard

The frozen custard is impossibly thick, rich, made fresh daily and available in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, a flavor of the day, and a flavor of the week. It also offers other frozen treats, including sundaes, cakes, pies, and custard-and-cookie sandwiches. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and low-sugar options are also available.