The Bartram Trail is a National Recreational Trail that follows the route of the Naturalist William Bartram during his visit in 1773 thru 1777.  About 80 miles of the trail is located in North Carolina, but only a short section, from the Nantahala River up to Cheaoh Bald, is located within the Cheoah Ranger District.  Water is available at the river, and camping is available on the top of Cheoah Bald, which is also traversed by the Appalachian Trail.  This trail is a 3,000 foot climb from the river to Cheoah Bald.

The Trail leaves Route 19/74 in the Nantahala Gorge, west of the Ferebee Memorial rest area at a small parking lot.  From there, the trail crosses Route 19/74 and enters the woods.  The trail begins a steep but steady climb to the top of Cheoah Bald.  The Bartram Trail currently ends at the top of Cheoah Bald.

The Fish Hawk reroute begins at Doubletop Fields on the south side of a private withholding. This is located at the intersection of the Buckeye trail connector trail. This section of the Bartram connects to the Bartram Trail on  Hickory Knoll road. The District is working with Mainspring Conservation Trust and the NC state wildlife commission to have a parking lot for the trail head and Wildlife commission constructed on Game lands by Mid-summer 2019.

This reroute will provide the trail with a more scenic route along the ridgetops through Pinnacle Knob and Cedar Cliff, this will eliminate the use of several miles of State Road. This includes approximately six miles of new trail. The project was completed with the help of the Bartram Trail Club and state Recreation and Trails Program grants.

Trail Length: 6.6 Miles

Difficulty: Strenuous

Usage: Light.

Average Hiking Times: 5-6 hours round trip

At a Glance