Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy

History. Art. And the Great Outdoors.

trail events

Third Friday Workday

We’ll be working the Bartram and Chattooga River Trails in Georgia, meeting at the intersection of Sandy Ford and Warwoman Road, approximately eight miles east of Clayton, GA.

Please bring work gloves, good boots, plenty of water, lunch, any meds you might need and esprit de corps.

If you’re new to trail maintenance or just want to learn more, you can find more information here on our site. Don’t be shy, we’ll provide everything you need to enjoy your day while making a huge impact for future enjoyment of the Bartram Trail. The hard work of our volunteers is what keeps the 110 miles of trails open and usable all year long.

Please RSVP so we can plan the work and tool requirements.

Thank you for your volunteerism!

Walking With Bartram Section 3: Wilson Gap to Hale Ridge Road

The last section of the Bartram Trail in North Georgia before crossing into North Carolina.

For the first time, we had to split this Bartram Trail hike for section 3 between Wilson Gap and Hale Ridge Road, into two hikes. This was certainly needed for this particular hike, as the shuttling between the two trailheads is not the easiest. The other reason is that a smaller hiking group is able to interact a bit more with each other.

Walking with Bartram trail hikers stopping for a break and view.
Walking with Bartram trail hikers stopping for a break and view.

Going above and beyond as they usually do, we were so fortunate that a few of our volunteers offered to help with our shuttling needs, which made the end of the day much nicer after a long day of hiking. Special thanks to Don Reis, Keith Vickers, Phillip Rogers, and David Rothmeier for their time getting everyone to the trailhead!

Section 3 – Hike 1 – January 27th, 2023

We appreciate our hikers for being flexible for this hike. We had an overwhelming response of RSVP’s for this hike and asked that some folks consider the second date. Ultimately, this crew of 13 enjoyed very chilly temps with tons of sunshine, low winds, and an absolutely lovely day.

Bartram Trail hikers breaking to take in the view.
Bartram Trail hikers breaking to take in the view.

It was certainly a cold morning and stayed cold through the day, but as we know, putting those steps in gets the blood flowing and everyone heating up. The weather report stated temps in the 30’s as a high this day.

This group was also treated to the new stairs below Rabun Bald after a short break for lunch at the top of the tower. Fortunately, the sun was bright and the wind was light, so it was a great point to re-fuel bodies and souls.

The group passed over four blowdowns on their way from Wilson Gap to Rabun Bald. They also noted that this section could use a little tread-work when we can get a work day crew up there. There is a lot of use of this trail and the others leading to Rabun Bald, making it a pretty popular section.

Hike Participants

  • Robert Olive
  • Sharon Mandel
  • Rosemary Safranek
  • Michelle Stephens
  • MC Jenkins
  • Lyn Thompson
  • Eric Towers
  • Pat Towers
  • Kristina Moe
  • Eddie Minche
  • Laura Harris
  • Phyllis Davis
  • Brent Martin
Trailhead sign at Hale Ridge Road marking the Bartram Trail heading towards Rabun Bald
Trailhead sign at Hale Ridge Road marking the Bartram Trail heading towards Rabun Bald

Section 3 – Hike 2 – February 9th, 2023

As with the first hike of this section, we are appreciative of the Bartram Trail Conservancy members and volunteers that helped our group shuttle to Wilson Gap. This is a really long shuttle and even with everyone meeting on time at 9am, we didn’t get on the trail until after 10:30. Special thanks to Keith Vickers, Eric Towers, and Philip Rogers for their volunteerism.

The day started out chilly, but not too cold and once the sun came out, it warmed up fairly well into the 50’s. We did encounter some shadier sections along the trail that still had signs of snow sticking to the ground.

Walking With Bartram group stopping for lunch at Rabun Bald
Walking With Bartram group stopping for lunch at Rabun Bald

Mid-day, by the time we reached Rabun Bald, the winds were very still and the sky was clear and blue and clear of any haze from our point up in the tower. We took turns gazing out over North Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, identifying peaks and other landmarks.

On the hike down, we did pass through a couple of blowdowns that will need to be removed, but they were passable.

Walking With Bartram group passing over one of several bridges along the section near Hale Ridge Road
Walking With Bartram group passing over one of several bridges along the section near Hale Ridge Road

This section of the trail on the way out to Hale Ridge Road passes over several foot-bridges, the small creeks and cascades they span, and plenty of rhododendron and pine stands.

Hike Participants

  • Karen Wallace
  • Starlett Henderson
  • Jana Plemmons
  • Melanie Vickers
  • Lynne Benkis
  • David Addleton
  • Bill Hollingsworth
  • Chris Tranchina
  • Brent Martin

More photos from this trip

Bartram Trail connecting trail sign for Alex Mountain and Flint Knob at Rabun Bald
New over old Wildlife Management Area marker along the Bartram Trail
Wonderfully intricate exposed root structure along the Bartram Trail
Short rhododendron tunnel along the Bartam Trail below Rabun Bald

May 14th, 2023: Family Day on the Bartram Trail – A Hike and Craft Event

Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough folks for this event, we’ll look to reschedule another weekend.

This will be a short and fun hike from Warwoman Dell followed by some crafting that will be fun for kids and adults alike.

We will meet at Warwoman Dell in the parking lot, hike the small loop while Erin discusses animals that call the Dell their home. We will end at the picnic pavilion where we will make animal tracks!

This event will be led by our own Erin Hadjidakis who is a Board Member with the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy and a Park Ranger at Tallulah Gorge State Park.

Please plan to meet at Warwoman Dell at 2 pm. After a short hike (less than a mile), we’ll make some animal track crafts!

April 2, 2023: Sound Bowl Meditation at Osage Overlook

Please join us for a unique, immersive, sound bath meditation. Enjoy the sounds of nature as well as the soft sounds of crystal singing bowls being played. Bring something comfy to sit on such as a small blanket, towel, or yoga mat. Feel free to bring a journal, art supplies, etc., in case you feel inclined to write or artistically express yourself during meditation.

We’re looking forward to this special event that will be led by Erin Hadjidakis. Erin is a board member with the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy and a Park Ranger at Tallulah Gorge State Park.

Participants will meet at the Osage Overlook parking lot at 4pm. The session will last roughly 1 hour before folks hike back to the Overlook. This is a lovely location near Overflow Creek, thought by experts to be a location William Bartam described in his Travel’s.

Please RSVP below to assist with planning.

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