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

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

William Bartram William Bartram (April 20, 1739 – July 22, 1823) was an American naturalist, writer and explorer. Bartram was the author of an acclaimed book, now known by the shortened title Bartram's ''Travels'', which chronicled his explorations of the S ...

'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 hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. " ...

that winds about from the

North Georgia mountains Northeast Georgia is a region of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia in the United States. The northern part is also in the North Georgia mountains or Georgia mountain region, while the southern part (east of metro Atlanta) is still hilly but much fla ...

into

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. 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 South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, 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 () 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 Continental US, after the Pacific Nor ...

, 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 Rabun Bald, with an elevation of , is the second-highest peak in the U.S. state of Georgia; only Brasstown Bald is higher. It is immediately southeast of Sky Valley, Georgia, and is the tallest mountain in the county. An observation tower on ...

, , the second-highest point in the state, along the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a drainage divide, hydrological divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard drainage basin, watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico wat ...

. From there it passes

Martin Creek Falls Martin Creek Falls is a series of waterfalls located in Rabun County, Georgia, with the largest drop being about 30 feet. They are located on the Bartram Trail which is a National Recreational Trail in Georgia. The falls are east of Clayton ...

and

Becky Branch Falls Becky Branch Falls is a twenty-foot waterfall located in Rabun County, Georgia. The waterfall is located on the Bartram Trail (designated as a National Scenic Trail in Georgia) in a valley called Warwoman Dell, east of Clayton, Georgia. I ...

as it drops to go through

Warwoman Dell Warwoman Dell is a wooded valley or Dell (landform), dell located east of Clayton, Georgia, Clayton, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, in Rabun County, Georgia, Rabun County. Name Warwoman Dell and the ''Warwoman Creek'', which flow ...

. From Warwoman Dell, it climbs again before dropping to its lowest elevations along a stretch of the

Wild and Scenic Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildlife, an undomesticated organism * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild ...

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 Car ...

. The Bartram Trail has a number of

waterfalls A waterfall is any 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 ...

, like Martin Creek Falls and Becky Branch Falls, and vistas from Rabun Bald. 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) The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant ...

of the

Chattahoochee National Forest The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a rela ...

and is managed by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

. 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 se ...

at the

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

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 (South Carolina), Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. It passe ...

, which is also a designated National Recreation Trail.

North Carolina

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

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

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 Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

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 Civ ...

, 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 Tra ...

. There is an optional

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, 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 paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

section on the

Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River (known locally as the Little T) 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 dra ...

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 () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...

from

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

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 most populous incorporated city is St. Augustine, although the nearby com ...

on State Road 13.

Bartram Trail High School Bartram Trail High School (BTHS) is a public school (government funded), public high school in the St. Johns County School District, located in northwest unincorporated area, unincorporated St. Johns County, Florida, St. Johns County, Florida (Un ...

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 ...

(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 The Bartram Canoe Trail is a system of canoe and kayak water trails in the Mobile–Tensaw River Delta of Alabama. Named for explorer and naturalist William Bartram, the 200-mile-long trail system is one of the longest in the United States. It ...

system of

and

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

water trail Water trails (also known as blueways) are marked routes on navigable waterway such as rivers, lakes, canals, and coastlines for recreational use. They allow access to waterways for non-motorized boats and sometimes motorized vessels, inner tube ...

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 () 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, United States. Fort Toulouse Fort Toulouse (Muscogee: Franca choka chula), also called Fort ...

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 i ...

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 Georgia

Forest Service profile of the Bartram Trail in Georgia

* ttp://www.blueridgebartram.org Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy
Bartram Trail in Georgia and the Bartram Trail Guides

The 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