The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of 18th-century naturalist William Bartram’s southern journey from March 1773 to January 1777. Bartram explored much of the territory which is now the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee.

The most established section is a hiking trail that winds about 115 miles (185 km) from the North Georgia mountains into North Carolina. It has been designated as a National Recreation Trail in Georgia and in North Carolina.

The Bartram Trail Conference, Inc., was founded in 1976 to identify and mark the route of Bartram’s southern explorations and to promote interest in developing recreational trails and botanical gardens along the route. The BTC also encourages the study, preservation and interpretation of the William Bartram heritage at both cultural and natural sites in Trail states.

The North Carolina Bartram Trail Society was organized in 1977. The Society reached an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to mark the general trail corridor within the Nantahala National Forest, and to blaze and build the trail, which was completed. They conduct meetings in the Spring and Fall each year, and organize trail work hikes.