Wednesday, March 16, 2005
To anyone who knows? I'm planning on hiking this trail during the summer, and as of now I can't find any detailed maps showing geographical features. Does anyone know of any books published with maps and extra information? Thanks. bigo556@aol.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
ANyone have any information about the Augusta, GA side of this trail? Mail me. ciaran@anryst.net
Sunday, April 4, 2004
my dad and i hiked it a while ago. great trail and planning another hike on it this week.
Wednesday, January 7, 2004
Did a 3 day from Hale's Ridge Road to Warwoman Dell on the Bartram. Wonderful trail with little usage. The climb to the top of Rabun Bald could be considered strenuous, but most climbs were not too steep.
Monday, August 25, 2003
About to hike the trail this September. Would like to know how crowded it is during this time of year. Please respond back to my e-mail address godiers@netzero.com. Thanx!
Sunday, August 3, 2003
I hiked the Georgia Bartram Trail starting from the West Fork NFS campground on 7/23/03 going south on hwy 28 to Russell Bridge. I got back to my car on 7/27 after taking the Three Forks Trail from Rabun Bald to Hale Ridge and then coming back down Overflow Creek Rd. The trail was well maintained, well marked with lots of new blazes. There were new wooden bridges over most of the water crossings. I had a copy of J. Ray's and M. Skove's Bartram Trail guide book in hand most of the way. It is a great guide. I highly recommend it. Incredibly, I had the good fortune of meeting these two gents one evening on the trail just past Bob Gap. Quite a coincidence it was. The trail was beautiful. I enjoyed the many streams, creeks, waterfalls, and the walk along the Chattooga River. In addition to Rabun Bald, Pinnacle Knob is also a must see. Overall, the trail was a bit difficult, especially for this Florida flatlander. But it was a great trip.
Friday, April 18, 2003
I hiked the section from Hale Ridge to Warwoman Rd last November. The fall colors were gorgeous and the crisp cool moutain breezes were refreshing. I took along Ray & Skove's guidebook and found it to be a valuable asset. There were a few times when I lost the trail because the fall leaves had blanketed the ground uniformly hiding the trail and I was in between markers, but the attention to detail that the guidebook offered was what kept me moving in the right direction. If you hike this trail in the fall, be careful of the leaves. I almost fell a few times because the leaves were so slick. There were a few downed trees, but nothing disasterous. I did run across a local walking their dog w/out a leash, but aside from those points of concern, it was great. I look forward to being back on the trail soon.
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
I hiked the Bartram trail (NC and GA sections) last year (2001). Trail is overgrown in some sections, but Ray and Skove have done an excellent job in blazing the trail (at least the GA section). Their guide is good too; I loved the part about the "fractal nature of the trail." As you can probably guess, these guys are retired Clemson physicists. Big problem in finding people to hike with, so had to retrace steps to get back to car. Also, trailheads are a bit difficult to find. I recently took my bike on the Wilson Gap to Warwoman Dell (downhill!) section and found that FS-155 is closed (looks to be permanent) about a mile and a half away from the Wilson Gap trailhead. That should be a pain for hikers. Hunting is a danger on the trail (esp. in NC), as I could hear loud gunshots climbing from Natahala lake to Wayah Bald. Also, I met several bear hunters on the trail too, so watch out! My favorite view is the last section of the trail at the top of Cheoah Bald. It was snowing there in early October. This is one of the intersections with the AT. There was an AT thru-hiker there whose camelback lines had frozen overnight. All in all, a great hiking experience. I have just finished the foothills trail (and its many spurs) and I must say Bartram is far superior! Does anyone know about the SC section of the Bartram trail? One last thing: be sure to take the spur to Pinnacle Knob on the Warwoman Dell to Wilson Gap hike! It's a steep climb but well worth the view!
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
Anyone have any info on the section of the Bartram around Clarks Hill Reservoir. Especially around West Dam and Lake Springs Rec areas?
Saturday, September 8, 2001
My brothers and I hike the Hale Ridge Road to Warwomen Dell section of the trail on August 24-26. We found the trail in excellent condition with the markers easy to find. I had been in contact with John Ray whom authored the excellent trail guides for the Ga. and N.C. Sections of the trail. He pointed out some special spots along the way. We enjoyed our hike especially the Rabun bald tower and the Martin creek falls area. When we arrived at the Dell,we drove back to the Forest service camping area on Finney Creek Road to camp at the beautiful sites on the creek. Water was easy to find if you had a pump style filter. Some of the sources were just seeps so it made it easier to be able to pump the water. Overall it is an beautiful trail with nice views and good campsites. I would highly recommend the latest trail guide available through the "Bookstore" on this web site. It has loads of information and make travel and planning easy. I would rate all but the ascent to Rabun Bald a Moderate hike. Well worth the effort.
Saturday, August 11, 2001
I just completed a one night backpacking trip on the Bartram Trail. WE hiked section 1 in Ga from the Russell Bridge trailhead towards Warwoman Rd. The hike wasnt bad, I wouldnt have rated it moderate at that point. More apropriate would be an easy rating except the fact the bridges were in a bad need of repair/replacement and there were several downed trees and the trail itself appeared to be poorly maintained. Still made for a great short trip though.
Wednesday, June 13, 2001
This is just to report a "new" Bartrams' Trail currently under construction. While reading Bartram's Travels, recently, I realized the usefulness of a "Bartrams' Trail for Mississippi State's Crosby Arboretum in Picayune Mississippi. The curator of the collections there, Bob Brzuszek, agreed and has now received approval and is hacking it out. Bartram describes plants in the Pearl River Drainage area and the Crosby Arboretum features native plants in the same watershed!
Sunday, March 25, 2001
hembree again, i can be reached at jhembree@westga.edu
Sunday, March 25, 2001
my three sons and i are planning to do the bartram as follows; first night in north carolina, next three nights in georgia, and the last night in south carolina. we have hiked many trails but not the bartram. does anyone care to suggest a reasonable trail head in north carolina that is relatively near to georgia and a destination point in south carolina that is also not so far from georgia. great expectations!!!!
Monday, October 30, 2000
October 30, 2000 Hiked from Hale Ridge to Rabun Bald today and encountered trail maintenance crews clearing brush and resetting dams/steps. Thanks! The leaves are down for the year already, but that means there are great views through the tree trunks!
Tuesday, October 17, 2000
I am a senior from Robbinsville High School in Robbinsville, NC. I hiked the trail last spring break for my senior project. I loved the trail, it was pretty difficult, but the views were awesome. It took me and a friend just three and a half days to complete the entire 84 mile trail.
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Boy Scout Troop 30 from Crestview, Florida hiked from Beegum Gap to Warwoman Dell on Jan. 16 and 17,2000. We had 7 scouts and 2 leaders. Three scouts had never been on a backpacking trip before. Two have the backpacking fever now; one will become a canoe man. We left Beegum at 7:15 - 7:30 a.m. time frame, and reached Rabun Bald at 9 a.m. That clime is very tough, especially for Florida boys. The climb is very similar to the southern 5 miles of the Odom Scout Trail, if you start at the southern end of Odom and go north. THe trail from the top of Rabun Bald can be hard to find. If you come down the steps off the observation tower, keep going straight, and you will be on the correct trail. The trail has a steep decline. We went from Rabun Bald at 9:15, to Flint Gap at 9:50. Got to near Saltrock about 10:30. Found water at GPS coordinates N 34 56 54, W 83 18 57, elevation 3787. Arrived at jeep trail near Wilson Gap at 1:15 - follow the jeep trail about .5-.6 miles. You are 5 miles from Rabun Bald. Wilson Gap at 1:40. Water on trail about 1/2 mile south of jeep trail. N 34 56 00, W 83 20 27, elevation 3411. Arrived at Wilson Gap at 1:40, as mentioned, took a long break - 10-15 minutes, maybe more. Arrived at Windy Gap at 2:40- as other places on the trail - the name is carved into stone so you know you are there. Left Windy Gap and headed for Raven knob, and got past Raven Knob and within 30-45 minutes of Courthouse Gap when we made camp at 4:30 because darkness was setting in. We were able to use a cell phone and call our base camp. There is water after the switchbacks north of Raven Knob. I lost my pen on this section and thus our trail notes here are not as good. We left our campsite at 7:30 am and hiked past Courthouse Gap and hiked to Warwoman Dell, arriving at 10:20. This was a tough section. The entire trail is difficult, especially the Rabun Bald climb. This hike would be harder from North to South in our estimation. The USGS quad, Rabun Bald, shows the trail very well from Beegum to Courthouse, after that you are on your own. The trail generally follows the boundary markers which are easy to see. The Yellow Blazes are very hard to see. The waterfalls at the end of the hike are as good as you will get anywhere. We liked that part best of all. Lots of ice on trail, bad holes in trail, esp. the last part from Raven Knob to Warwoman. Good CCC stuff at Warwoman. This trail has more than its share of blow downs. Watch out. Our Troop has been to Philmont, the Boundary Waters, the Odom and many other palces. We liked this hike and it compares well with other places. We did our "pre-game" meal at the Dillard House and our post hike meal at the Pizza Hut in Clayton. We were happy campers. Next time we return we will bring our bow saws and yellow spray paint.
Wednesday, January 5, 2000
I hike portions of the trail in both Georgia and North Carolina every summer. What I like the most, is the solitute. On weekdays I rarely meet other hikers. The trail to the south of Rabun Bald is not well maintained, but is very well maintained in North Carolina. My favorite trip is to Jones Knob and the White Rock Mountain overlook. The view to the west is fantastic.Some of us in Sky Valley are in the process of opening a trail between Bartram to the south of Rabun Bald to the east loop of the Darnell Creek road. This will allow for a year round pick-up point about half way between the state line and Warwoman Road. If you hike during hunting season, be careful. The locals are known to have a gun in one hand and a beer in the other. Have fun. Chaz Dendy
Wednesday, December 8, 1999
on 12/4/99 12 from Centennial High School hiked up the 4.2 miles of the Bartram trail in 2 hr. It was a sunny 60 day and well worth the trip. View was the best we've seen in Ga
Saturday, October 9, 1999
Trail blazes all but worn-off, current hiking books not well writen on this trail. Great camping, good work-out! Hiked 10/2,3,4/99
Tuesday, October 5, 1999
there's an 8 mile stretch of Bartram trail that runs from auburn south, its pretty flat and used mostly by mountain bikers. Does anyone knoe where it goes from here? this stretch is well maintained with wooden walkways and some benches overlooking a creek.
Friday, October 1, 1999
I hiked the trail from Hale's Ridge Road to Hwy 28, Russell Bridge from 9/03/99- 09/06/99, and camped at the top of Rabun Bald on Friday evening. That's a sight that's worth the climb!!! The trail virtually disappears on the descent of Rabun, for about 1/8 mile in waist-high scrub, which makes things interesting. I crossed Warwoman Road on Sunday, and the clause about 'moderate ups and downs ' after Warwoman Road is not very accurate. From WWR to Sandy Ford Road, it's up 4.5 miles, then down 4.5 miles!!! One interesting thought...I saw a black bear on that stretch, which made things VERY interesting!!! That's the first black bear I've seen in the wild (Great Smokey Mountains Nat'l Park doesn't count...that place is like a zoo), and it was impressive. The stretch along the Chattooga is a relief. Overall it's a great trail, just watch out for lack of water, because there are several 6 mile stretches where there is no water to be found. -JSC
Monday, July 19, 1999
I have hiked this trail from several different starting points,and find the trail moderate, with the exeption of the 2.9 miles from Hale Ridge Road. It definately is strenuous! The view from the top of Rabun Bald is worth every painful step. I hardly ever hike the same trail more than two times, but Rabun Bald is an exception. After over 100 miles of hiking in Georgia,the Bartrum Trail is one of my favorites.
Trail Length:37.0 miles
Location: Rabun County
Features:falls, scenic, stream, camping.
Last hiked:07/05/1999 | Type of trail:Point-to-point
Our rating:Difficult
Your rating:Moderate (97)
Date added:01/01/1995
Trail Usage:Light
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