Straight Up and Down But Worth It!

Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: November - 2022

My hiking companion (soon-to-be husband) commented, after about a half-mile hike on the Lake Nantahala to Sawmill Gap section of the Bartram Trail, “I guess William Bartram didn’t believe in switchbacks.” 

The beautiful, late-fall excursion involved a clearly marked path on the Bartram Trail map. However, we did not prepare for and pay attention to the elevation gain, from a starting point of 3,250 to an ending point of 4,750.  

Still, the section is one that we wanted to mark off the map, with the goal of completing the entire 110 miles section of the Bartram Trail that extends from Russel Bridge in North Georgia to the top of Cheoah Bald in North Carolina. And although the trail can be reached by parking at Sawmill Gap, at Forest Road 711 off Wayah Road, to head northeast on the trail instead of southwest, a small Bartram Trail sign visible when driving on Wayah Road toward Lake Nantahala has always beckoned. 

So we set out, and up. 

For anyone wanting, or needing, to reach daily stair-step goals, this is the appropriate hike. While the path does level out in a few spots and does include a handful of switchbacks, it is mostly an upward climb. Yet, like most arduous hikes, the journey is certainly worth the challenge, the views, the scenery, and more.

With an Underwood Geographics waterproof detailed map in hand, the yellow-blazed Bartram Trail is clearly discernable. Plus, the map indicates blue-blazed side trails, crossings of the Appalachian Trail, all topographic features, GPS coordinates (which can be followed via the downloaded Gaia GPS app) as well as areas of interest: scenic vistas, waterfalls, historic markers, picnic areas, and camp spots. 

In fact, on this 7-plus mile round-trip trail from Lake Nantahala to Sawmill Gap and back, there is a designated overnight camp spot indicated; the site offers a fire pit and expansive views. At Jarrett Bald, the highest point on the trail at 4,900 feet, the area is replete with moss-covered rocks and – in the spring through fall – a dense covering of ferns. A treasured trail discovery is the old historic Cherokee marker, a manipulated poplar tree to signify directions to past Cherokee people. 

Another trail option to complete an even greater section of the Bartram Trail is to hike past Sawmill Gap to overnight at the mid-way point to Wayah Bald (around McDonald Ridge, where a camp spot is indicated on the map) and then continue the next day to Wayah Bald, where a vehicle can be left or a pickup arranged. 

To learn all about the 18th century explorer, William Bartram, for whom the Bartram Trail is named, visit the site of The Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, located in Franklin: www.blueridgebartram.org. Regular events, group hikes, and trail maintenance opportunities are available.