South Carolina Highway 11

SC 11
	Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway
Route information
	Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	115 mi (185 km)
Existed:	Early 1920s – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-85 outside of Fair Play
	US 178; I-26 near Campobello; US 25 near Travelers Rest; I-85 in Gaffney
North end:	SC 150 in Gaffney
Highway system

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The Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway (S.C. 11) winds its way through Upstate South Carolina. Following the southernmost peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the route is surrounded with peach orchards, quaint villages, and parks. It is an alternative to Interstate 85 and has been featured by such publications as National Geographic, Rand McNally and Southern Living.^[1]

[edit] History

The current highway was once part of the "Cherokee Path" or "Keowee Path," this road was the route used by the Cherokee Indians and the English and French fur traders and stretched from Tennessee to Charleston, South Carolina. This National Scenic Byway winds its way through The Upstate and passes through some towns, such as Walhalla, Marietta, Campobello, Chesnee, and Gaffney. Echoes of the area's Cherokee heritage can still be heard in places and river names like Seneca, Savannah, Keowee, Jocassee, Enoree, Toxaway, Tugaloo, Tokena, and Eastatoee.

In the city of Gaffney, east of I-85, S.C. 11 is known as "Floyd Baker Boulevard," which is a well-known street name in The Upstate. This section of Highway 11 is a vast contrast to the rest of the route. At this point the highway becomes heavily congested and developed. Gaffney is also the biggest town along the route.