Hiking the Bartram Trail
The Bartram Trail is designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Trails System Act of 1968. The trail is blazed in a yellow, vertically oriented rectangle in North Carolina and a yellow diamond in Georgia. It crosses over some of the most scenic mountains of North Carolina and Georgia, with many side trails, blazed in a blue vertically oriented rectangle, leading to views of the Blue Ridge and the Smokies.
The Bartram Trail is constructed for foot traffic only. Use of off-road vehicles, ATVs, bicycles, horses, pack animals, etc., is prohibited on the trail. The pathway, water/erosion control systems, steps, and cleared area to each side of the pathway are not appropriate for anything but foot traffic. The use of wheeled vehicles, whether human-powered or fossil-fuel-powered, is particularly damaging to the pathway.
WHAT TO PACK FOR A DAY HIKE
- Adequate amount of water.
- Rain Gear or a jacket.
- A North Carolina or Georgia Bartram Trail Map.
- Energy bars/food.
- A fully charged cell phone or communication device.
BEFORE VISITING THE TRAIL
- Let someone know where you are going.
- Check the weather to know what to expect on the trail.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Buy a Bartram Trail Map to know where you’re going.
- Consider reading Travels, (Harper’s Edition recommended) William Bartram’s account of what he discovered and encountered in the area you are traveling in.
We hope you enjoy the trail while out there hiking. Maintenance of the trail is supported by volunteers, members of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, and anyone else that wants to be a part of the experience. If you encounter any trail maintenance needs or areas that we should focus on to make the hike more enjoyable, click the button below to report any issues. We do our best to schedule out trail maintenance work days where its needed most.