The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of 18th-century naturalist

William Bartram William Bartram (April 20, 1739 – July 22, 1823) was an American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian and explorer. Bartram was the author of an acclaimed book, now known by the shortened title '' Bartram's Travels'', which chronicled ...

’s southern journey from March 1773 to January 1777. Bartram explored much of the territory which is now the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. The most established section is a

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

that winds about from the

North Georgia mountains The Georgia Mountains Region or North Georgia mountains or Northeast Georgia is an area that starts in the northeast corner of Georgia, United States, and spreads in a westerly direction. The mountains in this region are in the Blue Ridge mount ...

into

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

. It has been designated as a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

, North Carolina, and Alabama. The Bartram Trail Conference, Inc., was founded in 1976 to identify and mark the route of Bartram’s southern explorations and to promote interest in developing recreational trails and botanical gardens along the route. The BTC also encourages the study, preservation and interpretation of the William Bartram heritage at both cultural and natural sites in Trail states. The North Carolina Bartram Trail Society was organized in 1977. The Society reached an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to mark the general trail corridor within the

Nantahala National Forest The Nantahala National Forest ( /ˌnæntəˈheɪlə/), is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the country, after the ...

, and to blaze and build the trail, which was completed. They conduct meetings in the Spring and Fall each year, and organize trail work hikes.

Georgia

In Georgia, the Bartram Trail covers . After entering Georgia from North Carolina, the trail follows a ridge line to its highest point in Georgia at Rabun Bald , , the second-highest point in the state, along the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a hydrographic divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico watershed. The divide nearly span ...

. From there it passes Martin Creek Falls and Becky Branch Falls as it drops to go through Warwoman Dell. From Warwoman Dell, it climbs again before dropping to its lowest elevations along a stretch of the

Wild and Scenic The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by United States Congress, the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreat ...

Chattooga River The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant name Guinekelokee River) is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Water course The headwaters of the Chattooga River are located southwest of Cashiers, North Caroli ...

. In addition to a number of

waterfalls A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several w ...

like Martin Creek Falls and Becky Branch Falls and vistas from Rabun Bald, the Bartram Trail offers a great deal of scenic beauty. The Georgia portion of the trail is entirely in the

Chattooga River District Chattooga may refer to: *Chattooga County, Georgia *Chattooga River, a designated National Wild and Scenic River in North Carolina *Chattooga River (Alabama-Georgia), flowing from northwest Georgia into Alabama See also * Chattanooga (disambiguati ...

of the

Chattahoochee National Forest The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattah ...

and is managed by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

. The southern terminus of the Bartram Trail is at its intersection with

Georgia State Route 28 State Route 28 (SR 28) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Georgia. It exists in two distinct segments separated by the northern segment of South Carolina Highway 28 (SC 28), which connects the two segments. The southern segm ...

at the

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

state line.

South Carolina

The trail connects into South Carolina along the Chattooga Trail, joining with the

Foothills Trail The Foothills Trail is a National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, United States, for recreational hiking and backpacking. It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger Dist ...

, which is also a designated National Recreation Trail.

North Carolina

Appalachian & Bartram Trail cross at Wayah Bald, NC

In North Carolina, the Bartram Trail meanders near the mountainous towns of

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral di ...

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia * So ...

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

, Robbinsville, and Nantahala. It includes

Wayah Bald Wayah Bald is a high-altitude treeless open area in Nantahala National Forest, near Franklin, North Carolina. The Wayah Bald Observation Tower is located at the area's highest point (5,385 feet); the stone observation tower was built by the Civil ...

, which is the highest point on the trail and where it crosses the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

. There is an optional

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

section on the

Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia, into North Carolina, and then into Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It drains portions of three national ...

Florida

Th
William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway
named in honor of the botanist's travels in Florida, runs along the east side of the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in ele ...

from

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the c ...

south to northwestern

St. Johns County St. Johns County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 273,425. The county seat and largest incorporated city is St. Augustine. St. Johns County is part of the ...

on State Road 13.

Bartram Trail High School Bartram Trail High School (BTHS) is a public high school in the St. Johns County School District, located in northwest unincorporated St. Johns County, Florida (U.S.) that opened in 2000. More than a decade ago, the school was ranked number 327 b ...

St. Johns, Florida St. Johns is an unincorporated community in northwest St. Johns County, Florida, United States and a suburb of Jacksonville. The population as of the 2000 census was 18,063, though considerable growth has taken place in the past ten years. As o ...

(just south of

) is named for the scenic highway and Bartram's exploration route around the Northern St. Johns County area.

Alabama

The long Bartram Canoe Trail system of

and

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word '' qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each ...

water trail Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

s in the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta is one of the longest in the United States.Tour Alabama.org
It is operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and offers canoeists and kayakers 13 different routes to choose from, including three routes with floating campsites. Named for William Bartram, it represents a small section of Bartram's travels by boat on the Mobile, Tensaw and Tombigbee Rivers in the summer of 1775. The

William Bartram Arboretum The William Bartram Arboretum is an arboretum near Wetumpka, Alabama, in the United States. It is located off U.S. Route 231, at 2521 Fort Toulouse Road. The arboretum is named in honor of the 18th century naturalist William Bartram, who visited ...

() is located within

Fort Toulouse Fort Toulouse and Fort Jackson are two forts that shared the same site at the fork of the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River, near Wetumpka, Alabama. Fort Toulouse Fort Toulouse (Muscogee: Franca choka chula), also called Fort des Alibamons an ...

Park, near

Wetumpka, Alabama Wetumpka () is a city in and the county seat of Elmore County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,220. In the early 21st century Elmore County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The city is ...

and is named in honor of the 18th century naturalist, who visited the area in 1776.

References

External links

GeorgiaTrails profile of the Bartram Trail in GeorgiaForest Service profile of the Bartram Trail in Georgia
* ttp://www.blueridgebartram.org Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancybr>Bartram Trail in Georgia and the Bartram Trail GuidesThe Bartram Trail Conference, Inc. The Travels of William Bartram
{{Georgia (U.S. state) hiking trails Hiking trails in Alabama Hiking trails in Florida Hiking trails in Georgia (U.S. state) National Recreation Trails in North Carolina National Recreation Trails in Georgia (U.S. state) National Recreation Trails in Alabama Hiking trails in South Carolina Protected areas of Rabun County, Georgia Protected areas of Macon County, North Carolina Protected areas of Swain County, North Carolina Long-distance trails in the United States Nantahala National Forest