After an exhausting 27-month process, it is the recommendation of the Blue Ridge Consortium that the mountain range be renamed. A new name has yet to be determined, but is expected within the next year.
Karen Snozzberger, who moved to area 12 years ago from the New Jersey area, spearheaded this effort. “When we first moved here, everyone was always talking about the ‘blue ridge’ mountains. Well, they aren’t really blue, are they? They’re more purple than anything. And when you get up into the mountains it’s just all green. It really is misleading.”
Ms. Snozzberger formed the Blue Ridge Consortium, which brought together homeowners associations, local businesses, and municipalities to address this issue. She has orchestrated bi-monthly meetings which has lead to garnering thousands of signatures in favor of the name change.
Rick Johnson, who represents municipalities in the Blue Ridge Consortium, says, “Ever since COVID, we’ve seen a significant drop in tourists. We’re losing visitors to places with catchier names, like ‘The Smokey Mountains’ and ‘The Adirondack Mountains.’ We need something with a stronger appeal. We feel this will really help our communities and local businesses. We’ve hired a consulting group and will have proposed names by April of next year.”
One of the best ways to see Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina is to follow the path of an ancient Cherokee trail that provides majestic views for more than 100 miles. South Carolina Highway 11, also known as the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway, is a great alternative to traveling Interstate 85 from North Carolina to Georgia.
Editor’s note: The previous paragraph is completely true, but the renaming of one the oldest mountain ranges in the world is something only an April Fool would want to do.