Introduction

I'm doing this guide a little differently than others. Since this is one relatively short trail rather than a whole trail system I'm going to review the trail all on one page. The trail is in the center of Alabama, in the Tuskegee National Forest, near Auburn. The forest was created in 1959 from land purchased in the 30's under the Submarginal Land Program. The name of the program should give a hint about what kind of land it was, basically land that was in bad shape due to human impact, mostly over-farming and bad land management practices. The forest therefore is new, it has grown since the 30's and you will see few trees older than 40 or 50 years. You will also see the effects of erosion on this very sandy soil. It takes place very quickly a small stream can create a deep chasm. The trail is named after William Bartram, a native of Philadelphia (very close to where I grew up) and the King's botanist. He studied the flora and fauna of the South during the Revolutionary War for the King of England.

Starting from the east trailhead the trail goes up and down short hills for 4 1/2 miles before reaching 186. The grade is never very steep and the ups and downs shouldn't be a challenge or take away from your enjoyment of the trail. I like this end the best, the pine forests are pretty, a couple places you can see out a little, and the streams you cross are cool and look fresh. All along the trail they have benches placed with quotes from Bartram, a nice touch that you will appreciate when you need a break, although they are designed strange and not quite right for sitting in. You will see lots of side trails, I didn't explore them but some bikers I talked to said that there were lots of other possibilities for hiking in the forest on these unmarked side trails. There are mile markers every 1/2 mile along the trail which is a plus. The trail markings are white blotches, sometimes huge and sometimes not so large. They aren't quite close enough that you can see one from the other. Note that in this section mile marker 3.5 is missing. At the fourth FS road you cross you will see a large commemorative plaque for William Bartram. To the left is another trailhead and a picnic area with about 4 picnic tables and no other facilities. After this road crossing you will pass mile marker 4.5 and then cross 186 to the west section. I give this section three stars and an easy rating, although some might call it moderate if they aren't used to ups and downs.

This section of trail has a very different nature than the east section. The west section is flat except for the last mile. The forest is generally dense. There are magnolias, birch and other hard woods, lining the boardwalks. Although the trail parallels the Choctafaula Creek at this point, you can only see the creek in two places. The worst part about this section is the noise, you hear the constant buzz of I85 off to the north. Hardly a peaceful wilderness experience. Mile marker 5 is missing from this section. At mile marker 6 you will get a view of the creek and a beach on the other side. If you can find a way to cross the beach would make a nice camping spot. There are potential spots all along the trail, but this beach and the one right before mile marker 7.5 look very nice and didn't appear to have any trash on them. Please to not change this situation. Between mile marker 6 and 6.5 the trail comes out of the woods and follows the road for a hundred feet or so. Going east to west it is easy to see where to reenter, but going west to east it isn't so easy since the trail previously went right back into the forest on the other side of the trailhead. Just before mile marker 7.5 you will see the second beach on the north side of the creek. It appears that you could cross the creek at the west end of this beach. At mile marker 7.5 there is a bridge that fell in and the trail was closed when I was there. You could walk around it, but they had ribbons across the trail and wanted you to turn back. After the wiped out bridge the trail follows the creek for a little while and there is a bench where you can sit down and look at the creek. Finally the trail heads about a hundred feet up a hill and down to the west trailhead. Past mile marker 8 is another potential camping site if you would rather camp in the woods. This section definitely is easy and gets only a two star rating because of the noise from the interstate.

The Tsinia Wildlife viewing area is worth a visit. It suffers from the same problem as the western section of the trail though, that is, it is right beside a large road. From the bird blind you can see (and of course hear) cars passing on US 29/80. Try not to think about all the Auburn students who conceived their first child on the bench. The viewing area is well built and has wetlands, a pond, and some meadow areas, there are boardwalks, a blind and a viewing tower. However, the road makes seeing any wildlife improbable I suspect.

Also, there are lots of other unmarked trails that are said to be worth you time exploring. Just don't do so during hunting season.

Last Revised: November 27th, 1999