Bartram Trail

About the route

The Bartram Trail is a National Recreation Trail that follows the naturalist William Bartram's route through the southern mountains. It starts in Georgia on the Chattooga River, at the Georgia end of the Russell Bridge on Highway 28, crosses the Chattahoochee National Forest into the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, and ends with a steep climb out of the Nantahala Gorge to Cheoah Bald. The Forest Service gives the whole trail as 112 miles, about 80 of them in North Carolina. The Georgia Bartram Trail Group gives the Georgia part as 36.5 miles. The Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, which maintains the trail, is registering an extension of about 12 miles from Cheoah Bald to Joanna Bald. That extension has not been maintained regularly. The trail is marked with yellow rectangle blazes. The trail crosses two national forests, and each has its own rules. In Georgia, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest says most non-commercial activities need no permit unless 75 or more people take part or a fee is charged. Camping there is limited to 14 days in any 30-day period. The Nantahala has the same 14-day limit. Someone must stay at a new campsite the first night, and gear may not be left unattended for more than 24 hours. Camping, fires and camp stoves are all prohibited on the Wayah Bald observation and picnic areas. The North Carolina forests ask you to camp at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. If your stays would add up to more than 14 days in 30, a new campsite there has to be at least 10 miles from the last one. In Georgia's national forest, fires may be limited or banned at times, so obey any restrictions. The Georgia Bartram Trail Group says its trails are for hiking only, with no horses, bikes or motor vehicles. The Conservancy says dogs are allowed on personal hikes but must be leashed. In Georgia's national forests, pets must be leashed in developed recreation sites. The Conservancy calls spring and fall the most pleasant seasons. The high elevations are cooler, and summer rain can chill an unprepared hiker to the point of hypothermia. Winter can swing from warm days to subfreezing temperatures, snow and ice. This is a high-rainfall area, and more than 100 inches in a year is not uncommon. Wayah Bald Road (FS 69) closes every year from January 1 to April 1. Many sections are easier north to south, because the trail loses elevation going south, especially in Georgia. Rabun Bald, Georgia's second-highest mountain, is 4,696 feet. One of the toughest sections climbs from Wallace Branch at 2,240 feet to Wayah Bald at 5,342 feet. From Wayah Bald the Bartram shares 1.8 miles with the Appalachian Trail, and the two meet again near Cheoah Bald. The final climb up Ledbetter Creek to Cheoah Bald gains almost 3,000 feet. Between Hickory Knoll Road and Wallace Branch, the route is a 15.2-mile walk on back roads, the Franklin Greenway and the streets of downtown Franklin. The Conservancy suggests paddling the Little Tennessee River as an alternative, and its 2022 North Carolina map shows alternate options for the road walk through Franklin. The section from Appletree Campground to Beechertown is the longest with no road access, and the most remote, though it is a relatively easy grade. A gated Forest Service road parallels its first five miles and can give emergency access, and it ends at the Duke Energy power station parking area on Wayah Road. Expect stream crossings, steep climbs and descents, rocky tread, little water in places, and fast-changing weather. Hurricane Helene left hazard trees across the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, so the Forest Service says not to camp where trees could fall. Be ready to wade, and remember that streams rise fast after rain. Below Lake Nantahala, after a short walk on Wayah Road and a gravel road past vacation homes, the trail crosses the Nantahala River at a shallow ford. The Forest Service warns that a flash flood can come even when the rain falls upstream, so do not camp in dry streambeds or near water. It also warns that people are seriously hurt or killed at Georgia waterfalls every year. The Appletree to Beechertown section has many wild hogs. The Conservancy tells hikers to be aware of hunting season, and says some trailheads are popular for hunting with hounds. In Georgia's national forests, state law and the Department of Natural Resources hunting regulations apply. For North Carolina seasons, check the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Purify all drinking water. Warwoman Dell and Wayah Bald have none. Between Sandy Ford and Warwoman Dell, campsites and water are sparse, though there is camping on Rainy Mountain. On the climb to Wayah Bald, water is scarce past Trimont Ridge. The Conservancy lists an intermittent spring at the first Locust Gap and a reliable spring near the Appalachian Trail junction. The Appletree to Beechertown section has good water and camping. The Cheoah Bald climb has plenty of water until the last mile, so fill up if you plan to camp on the summit. For bears, the Chattahoochee-Oconee strongly encourages bear-resistant containers and requires them in some parts of the forest. The North Carolina forests say to hang food and scented items or keep them in a bear-proof canister, and to hang a bear bag at least 100 feet from your site. The trail walks through Franklin. The Grove Hostel there is 0.3 miles from the route, accepts resupply boxes, and offers courtesy shuttles to the Hickory Knoll and Wallace Branch trailheads. The Nantahala Outdoor Center's outfitter store on US 19 holds hiker mail drops; mark the package "Hold for AT Hiker". To reach the southern end, drive 14 miles east from Clayton on Warwoman Road to Highway 28, then 2 miles south to the Russell Bridge Trailhead. Warwoman Dell, 3 miles east of Clayton, allows some overnight parking for Bartram Trail campers, and Georgia trail parking has no fee. The old parking spot at the Dicks Creek ford on Sandy Ford Road is now posted as private property. Wilson Gap can be driven to only in a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. The trail ends on Cheoah Bald. Climb to it from the Winding Stairs parking area, a mile down US 19 from Wayah Road, or, when Nolton Ridge Road (FS 259) is open, drive to within about a mile of the summit after checking with the Forest Service. The Conservancy lists Mapless Shuttles, Sunsets Shuttles, Sherpa Shuttles and White Blaze Shuttle Services. Most major North Carolina access points have information kiosks. Across the Russell Bridge, the South Carolina Chattooga River Trail connects to the Foothills Trail. The Conservancy sells a whole-trail guidebook by Brent Martin and waterproof maps of the Georgia and North Carolina sections, and the Georgia Bartram Trail Group sells detailed Georgia and North Carolina trail guides. Tell someone at home where you are going and when you expect to be back. Before you go, check the Forest Service websites for road closures, and the Conservancy's website for trail conditions.

Permits

The trail crosses two national forests with their own rules. In Georgia, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest says most non-commercial activities need no permit unless 75 or more people take part or a fee is charged, and camping is limited to 14 days in any 30-day period. In the Nantahala National Forest the limit is also 14 days in 30, someone must stay at a new campsite the first night, and gear may not be left unattended for more than 24 hours. Camping, fires and camp stoves are prohibited on the Wayah Bald observation and picnic areas. Bear-resistant containers are required in some parts of the Chattahoochee-Oconee. Warwoman Dell allows some overnight parking for Bartram Trail campers. Parts of the route follow roads past private property and through Franklin.

• Permit information and applications↗ (opens in new tab)
• Wayah Bald prohibitions (no camping, fires or stoves)↗ (opens in new tab)USDA Forest Service
• Chattahoochee-Oconee rules for visitors↗ (opens in new tab)USDA Forest Service
• Chattahoochee-Oconee 14-day camping limit↗ (opens in new tab)USDA Forest Service
• Chattahoochee-Oconee bear-resistant container guidance↗ (opens in new tab)USDA Forest Service
• National Forests in North Carolina: 14-day camping limit and campsite rules↗ (opens in new tab)USDA Forest Service
• Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy↗ (opens in new tab)

Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current application windows and requirements with the issuing agency.

Termini