Bartram Trail

The Bartram Trail is a long-distance hiking route in the southern Appalachians, traced in large part along the path followed by 18th-century naturalist William Bartram.

This route runs roughly 115 miles total and is commonly completed as a 6–10 day backpacking trip. It’s graded moderate for sustained multi-day travel rather than technical difficulty.

The trail is managed through U.S. Forest Service involvement along with conservation groups and a regional trail society supporting the route in Georgia and North Carolina.

Blazing is a key navigation piece on the Bartram Trail: it’s marked with yellow blazes and relies on them most heavily off road-walks, where marking can be less obvious.

The highest point on the Bartram Trail is Wayah Bald (about 5,385 ft), where the route also meets the Appalachian Trail; the lowest point is along the Chattooga River (about 1,500 ft).

Route character is built around repeated climbs and descents through ridge and mountaintop terrain, including higher sections in Georgia and rugged terrain in North Carolina, with long days of elevation change typical of Appalachian long-distance hiking.

Planning-wise, maps and section-by-section guidance matter for water and campsite decisions; camping is generally within the federal forest system for most off-road sections but road-walk segments require extra attention to where overnighting is allowed.

More information: Conditions, Wikipedia, The Bartram Trail: 112 Miles of Southern Appalachian Solitude