Atlanta TrailsbyTrailful Outdoor Co
Hiking Trails in Georgia

Bartram Trail

Hike a 35-mile stretch of the Bartram Trail in Georgia, exploring remote, temperate rainforest corridors and beautiful forest. This multi-day hike climbs to views from Rabun Bald, visits tumbling waterfalls, and descends to the ultra-scenic Chattooga River.

georgia hiking trails: 6 or more miles 70 miles
(round trip)
? Your mileage may vary! Accuracy of your GPS device, weather conditions, and stops along your route will affect your own recorded distance.
georgia hiking trails: moderate to difficultmore
difficult
?Our difficulty estimate, based on distance, terrain, elevation change, & ease of wayfinding. May vary daily due to weather, trail reroutes, downed trees, etc.
georgia hiking trails: dog-friendly Dog-
friendly
?Leashed dogs are allowed on this trail. We’ve loved hiking this route with our trail-loving Labrador Retrievers! Check out more of our favorite dog-friendly trails in Georgia for a great hike with your pup.

LOCATION:in Rabun County, GA

PACK:our Osprey day pack and our hiking gear list

OFFICIAL MAP: Nat Geo 778 Trails Illustrated Map (find it at Trailful Outdoor Co.)

Bearing the name of one of the South’s earliest explorers, our state’s stretch of the Bartram Trail explores some of Georgia’s most beautiful forests. Stretching 35 miles from our state’s northern border to the western branch of the Chattooga River, the trail offers outstanding day hikes to many of its highlights, but serves as a fantastic multi-day backpacking adventure as well.

The Bartram Trail follows the footsteps of William Bartram, an explorer and botanist who traveled this area in 1775. On his journey, he gathered and documented botanical specimens from this area’s extremely biodiverse forests, and according to history books, documented well over a hundred new species of flora and fauna.

Rabun Bald summit on the Bartram Trail in Georgia

With many campsites and seasonal water sources along the way, this route makes for an excellent backpacking adventure. The hike can be accomplished as a challenging seventy-mile round-trip. Or with a pre-arranged shuttle, the route is an easier 35-mile one-way adventure, dropping from the heights of Georgia’s second-highest peak at Rabun Bald and descending to Georgia’s state line on the Chattooga.

Hike a 35-mile stretch of the Bartram Trail in Georgia, exploring remote, temperate rainforest corridors and beautiful forest. This multi-day hike climbs to views from Rabun Bald, visits tumbling waterfalls, and descends to the ultra-scenic Chattooga River. #hiking #camping #backpacking #northgeorgia #atlanta #georgia #travel #outdoors #adventure

Bartram Trail: the hike

The trail’s northernmost point in Georgia lies near the North Carolina border, about twenty miles from Clayton, GA, along Hale Ridge Road (view maps and driving directions). Departing Clayton, travel north on US 441 to Route 246 in Sky Valley. After approximately 7 miles, take a hard right onto State Road 1625, also known as Hale Ridge Road. The route will head south, back into Georgia for three miles. Several signs for the Bartram Trail exist here, so be on the lookout for yellow trail blazes and trail signage as the road begins its descent toward Holcomb Creek Trailhead. The first sign on the right is the location for hiker drop-off, or the northern depot for the shuttle.

The trail’s southernmost point in Georgia is located at the intersection of the Western Fork of the Chattooga River and GA-28. From Clayton, follow Warwoman Road east. At just over 14 miles, Warwoman Road intersects Route 28. Make a right turn and travel another 2 miles to the southern trailhead, reaching parking on the road’s left side. (If you’re hiking southbound and using a shuttle, this is the location where you’ll need to arrange for pickup. This article is written from the perspective of a southbound hike.)

Bartram Trail in Georgia

Departing from Hale Ridge Road, the hike winds along a ridge, following the Bartram Trail’s signature yellow trail blazes. In its first two miles, the hike crosses a plethora of streams, complemented by skillfully crafted wooden bridges. The biodiversity in these first miles is incredible. The muffled rush of cascading water, in tandem with the cacophony of fauna in the canopy above, sets an even tempo for the hike. The trail follows a gentle, downward gradient toward the northern slope of Rabun Bald, the hallmark ascent of this route.

Nearing three miles, the trail passes through the backyard of several mountain properties near Beegum Gap. This signifies the beginning of the Rabun Bald summit push. After several switchbacks, and a mile later, the Bartram Trail reaches a short spur that leads to stunning views from the fire lookout tower on Rabun Bald. A number of campsites ring the summit – though for truly stellar camping, the large platform on the fire lookout tower offers a great place to pitch a sleeping pad under the stars.

Bartram Trail in Georgia

Descending from Rabun Bald, the Bartram Trail winds its way southwest over the next thirteen miles to Warwoman Dell, the first and only intersection with a paved road on this section of the trail. The trail descends steadily, passing a number of campsites and small creeks before reaching Windy Gap at just over 10 miles. The hike reaches Courthouse Gap at just over 13 miles, and passes an intersection with the green-blazed Pinnacle Knob Trail at 13.5 miles. (The view from Pinnacle Knob is outstanding, and less than two miles, roundtrip, from this intersection with the Bartram Trail.)

The miles in the forthcoming stretch leading into Warwoman Dell are full of variable, up-and-down single track, enveloped by the heights of thousands of acres of hardwood and thick, lush undergrowth. The last of these miles are dotted with excellent campsites, many within earshot of the area’s beautiful tumbling waterfalls.

The hike follows a steep descent from Courthouse Gap, crossing several small, seasonally-flowing creeks. Reaching a large campsite at just under 15 miles, the trail carves sharply northbound to reach Martin Creek Falls, crossing Martin Creek over a wooden bridge just below the waterfall.

Martin Creek Falls on the Bartram Trail in Georgia

The Bartram Trail continues to descend, passing through several campsites and an impressive slot canyon on Martin Creek. After crossing a gravel road at just over 16 miles, the hike passes Becky Branch Falls and crosses the paved Warwoman Road at just under 17 miles.

After crossing Warwoman Road, the trail drops down a steep series of switchbacks into Warwoman Dell. The dell offers a restroom and sheltered picnic areas set in a lush valley filled with springtime wildflowers and several small waterfalls. Hanging a right, and following the trail’s yellow blazes, the hike passes through a picnic area. The trail carves sharply to the east, veering toward the Chattooga River and the GA/SC border.



The trail’s next miles are generally shrouded, rolling through a densely grown forest and scrambling over fallen trees and through shallow creek crossings. After crossing the gravel Sandy Ford Road and Dicks Creek at 26 miles, the Bartram Trail reaches an intersection with the Dicks Creek Falls Trail. A short half-mile side trek on this trail leads to Dicks Creek Falls, a stunning waterfall that spills into the crystalline waters of the Chattooga River below.

Chattooga River on the Bartram Trail in Georgia

At just over 28.5 miles, the hike reaches an outstanding creekside campsite near Earl’s Ford. From here, it’s just over six miles to the southern terminus of the Bartram Trail in Georgia, so it’s a great spot to spend the night and swim in the beautiful water.

The gently-rolling hills on the periphery of the Chattooga River lend themselves to fast-paced hiking and nominal amounts of elevation gain for the rest of the adventure. The hike reaches a side trail that leads to Adeline Ford at just over 32 miles, and soon passes through an old farmstead. As the topography begins to level and take the shape of the riverbed to its right, the end of the trail is near. Rounding a final bend, and crossing a large bridge the trail reaches its Georgia end at Russell Bridge, completing the one-way adventure. If you’re not shuttling back to the trailhead, Russell Bridge is the mid-point of the hike; from here, the adventure doubles back on its outbound route, reaching the northern trailhead at just under 70 miles.


 
Leave No Trace: Atlanta Trails, Asheville Trails and Trailful are official Leave No Trace partners

Please Remember

Always leave no trace, pack out everything you pack in, and if you see trash, pick it up and pack it out.

Stay on the marked trail, tell someone where you're going, pack safety and wayfinding essentials, and don't rely on a mobile phone to find your way. Please always practice good trail etiquette. And before you go, always check the trailhead kiosk, official maps, and the park or ranger office for notices of changed routes, trail closures, safety information, and restrictions.

Bartram Trail in Georgia Map, Directions & Details

Georgia Bartram Trail Map
This map shows our approximate route while exploring this trail, but does not replace an official trail map. Please refer to the official trail map for the most current and accurate route.

Love the trail?

This trail is maintained thanks to the hard work of countless volunteers and donations from supporters of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Please support them by making a donation or joining a volunteer day. Let's work together to keep these fantastic trails maintained and open for use!

Driving Directions



Parking

Free parking is available at the trailhead.


GPS Coordinates

34.996250, -83.281717     //     N34 59.775 W83 16.903

Elevation Profile

Bartram Trail in Georgia: Elevation Profile
 

Nicholas Walsh is a adventure photojournalist from the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. The son of avid outdoorsman father and a mother with a passion for education, he sought to wander his home from an early age. With passions for snowboarding, cross-country skiing, surfing, and whitewater paddling developing before his seventh birthday, it became clear that both a personal and professional life spent outdoors and abroad would be in his future. Nick is a freelance photojournalist, based in Atlanta, Georgia with professional affiliations to several media and photographic production firms. Follow him on Instagram: @_shootnick_