Bluemont designated an Appalachian Trail Community | Winchester Star

BERRYVILLE — The village of Bluemont, along the boundary of Clarke and Loudoun counties, has been designated by the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) as one of five new Appalachian Trail Communities.

Bluemont, which is unincorporated, is one of five “towns” in Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts to recently earn the designation. That brings the total number of recognized places along the approximately 2,200-mile hiking trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine, to 56.

The Appalachian Trail Community program recognizes localities promoting the trail as part of outdoor recreation and tourism development efforts, all the while striving to preserve and protect it. The localities make available food, supplies, information, and recreational and volunteer opportunities to trail visitors.

Bluemont, once known as Snickersville, technically is in Loudoun County. However, portions of Clarke County and Jefferson County, West Virginia, share Bluemont’s 20135 ZIP Code.

The Bluemont Historical District and the Bear’s Den Rural Historic District in the Bluemont area are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Twenty-two miles of the trail run through Clarke County.

According to ATC Director of Landscape Conversation Katie Allen, Bluemont has demonstrated its commitment to the trail in various ways. They include:

• Supporting special events — such as fairs and festivals — attracting people to the trail and areas surrounding it.

• Spurring volunteer service projects in cooperation with the ATC and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.

• Protecting the environment surrounding the trail through land-use planning.

Appalachian Trail Communities “realize the multiple economic development benefits that relate to maintaining an attractive, recreation-rich quality of life,” Allen told The Winchester Star in an email.

That “keeps residents contributing to their local economies and (communities) attracting visitors to enjoy their amenities,” she said.

“These towns are critical access points for the A.T. (trail) and are vital in ensuring the trail remains a premier destination for hikers, families and outdoor enthusiasts across the country,” ATC President and CEO Sandi Marra said in a news release.

The four other towns recently designated as Appalachian Trail Communities are Hillsboro, Virginia; Boonsboro, Maryland; Brunswick, Maryland; and Lee, Massachusetts.