Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy

History. Art. And the Great Outdoors.

Boating With Bartram

August 15th Boating with Bartram through Cowee Valley

UPDATED 7/24: We’ve reach capacity at this time and will start a waiting list. Please email us directly if you would like to be on the list in case of cancelations.

Join us for another Boating With Bartram trip down the Little Tennessee River. This time, we’ll find our way down the river through Cowee Valley.

We’ll put in at “redneck beach” at the corner of Hwy 28 (Bryson City Rd) and Sanderstown Road, and float through Cowee town, Bartram’s destination to meet his guide to the Overhill towns and the capital of the Middle Town Cherokees. Bartram described the landscape on this section as “one of the most charming mountain landscapes perhaps anywhere to be seen.” 

We’ll plan to meet at 10am to arrange shuttling. More details to follow.

Spots for this trip will be limited. You’re welcome to bring your own boat or you can rent everything you need from Alarka Expeditions, who will provide shuttling as well. If you will need a boat, please indicate so in your RSVP and Angela will follow up ahead of the event.

Boating with Bartram on the Little Tennessee

UPDATE 4/1/2023: RSVP is closed for this event

We’ve reached the mid-way point on our Walking With Bartram section hikes right in time for spring! Once again, we’re going to switch things up and take to the water, assuming the weather plays nice. Join us as we kayak down the Little Tennessee River from the Hickory Knoll Road Trailhead to Tassee Shelter on the Greenway.

This is a lovely 4-5 hour float on the Little Tennessee, even closer to the path William Bartram is believed to take as he arrived in what is not the Town of Franklin. The river is calm and smooth sailing for this section and we should be treated to all the spring blooms and trees filling in along the banks.

Attendance for this will be limited to 14 folks for the sake of shuttling and boats. You are welcome to bring your own boat. Alaraka Expeditions will provide boats to rent if needed. Please contact Angela at blueyodel32@gmail.com to arrange your boat rental.

We will stop for lunch along the way and likely be ahead of schedule, but adding some time for shuttling and loading/unloading boats.

Please let us know if you have any questions about this river trip. In the case of inclement weather, we will look to reschedule and possibly switch this trip up with an abbreviated “road-walk” into town along the new path all the way to the Lazy Hiker. Either way, this will be a great day.

Please RSVP below to help with planning. We’ll cut off RSVPs when we reach 14 folks.

See you on the river!

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