July 8, 2025
Bartram Trail to Scaly Mountain
near Highlands, NC
With an early start, it was a "not too warm," sunny, summer day with 70-80°F temperatures. The almost continuous forest and rhododendron cover provided welcome shade. The trail was quite dry and in good condition considering its heavy use. In fact, the trail between 1.2 and 1.4 miles had been rerouted. There were significant improvements to avoid the typically wet and rutted path with several sets of wooden steps and a small section of gravel walkway. The views from Scaly Mountain were good, but muted by summer haze. Not unexpected, there were not a lot of wildflowers along our path. Overall, this was a nice, but moderately difficult hike due to the constant climb up Scaly Mountain.
Today's Hikers: John Cape, Charles Hawkins, Jenny Bell, Jane Voss, Kim Johnson, Pam Hembree, Joan Carillo, Allyson Aldrich, Edwin Pruitt, Ken Kellerman & Cutie Pie, Angela Evans, Matt Henderson & Toby, Heather Wall, Jane Hawkins & Mike Bell
The route
4.1 mi · 1,135 ft climbing · 3h 35m out, 2h 46m walking · 1.5 mph moving
Elevation
Hover over the profile to see the elevation and steepness. Your position will be shown on the map.
- Steepness
- Gentle under 5%
- Moderate 5–10%
- Steep 10–15%
- Very steep over 15%
21 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.
Photos (22)
The view from Scaly Mountain today. Now you know why they call these the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today's Hikers (L-R) Back: John, Charles, Jenny, Jane, Kim, Pam, Joan, Allyson, Edwin, Ken & Cutie Pie, Angela; Front: Matt & Toby, Heather, Beth & Mike Getting ready at the Osage Overlook, the trailhead. Some Phlox on the roadside at the trailhead. And we're headed up . . . and up the trail. We saw a fair amount of Rhododendron today, but it was beginning to fade and drop its petals on the trail. This bridge has character and has been holding up quite well for many years. These wildflowers were found mostly along a small section of trail with more exposure to the sun. A quick view of the terrain to the south as we head up Scaly Mtn. The trail was relocated to the north a few yards beginning at 1.2 miles with extensive improvements New trail signage, too. Toby and Cutie Pie waiting on us, A nice rhododendron tunnel to keep us cool. Photo by Jane Voss. Yep, these trees with extensive roots on the boulder are still alive. Photo by Jane Voss. Heather spotted and took a pic of this Fly Poison wildflower near the Bartram & Hickory Knut Trail Intersection. This Milkwort (top) and Horsefly Weed (bottom) were wildflowers we don't see very often. A better panoramic view of the terrain to the southeast just before reaching the peak of Scaly Mtn. Almost overgrown as we reach the peak. A quick break before we head down Scaly. We take a short side trail to the south to see the barely flowing, unnamed falls. At the base of a tree near the falls, Kim spotted these two specimens. Indian Pipes, a flowing plant, and a mushroom popping through the moss. Anyone want to go again? Photo by Kim Johnson.