Travel the St. Johns River Like Explorer William Bartram Did More Than 250 Years Ago

Retrace 18th-Century Explorer William Bartram’s Journeys Along the St. Johns River

If you’re hanging out on or around the St. Johns River, it’s quite possible you’ll hear the name William Bartram at some point. He’s kind of a local celebrity around here, though it’s been over 250 years since he was in Putnam County. He documented new plants and animals over the course of two journeys, and his writings would go on to become one of the earliest and most influential records of Florida’s natural world. When you visit, you can embark on a self-guided tour via land and water to explore the areas he visited. Local historians have done a phenomenal job of preserving his legacy and honor his accomplishments with an annual festival.

Person reading Bartram Book_Putnam County

Who Was William Bartram?

William Bartram is a legendary figure in Putnam County’s diverse history who wore multiple hats: botanist, explorer, naturalist, adventurer, philosopher, author, and more. He made two important trips to the area that still resonate with locals and visitors over 250 years later. He first came to the area with his father, John, in 1765. John was a botanist who worked for Great Britain’s King George III, and was hired to explore the newly acquired land in East Florida.

Dean Campbell is the Vice President of the Bartram Trail Society of Florida and shared, “John came with a mission, and it was very political. He had a contract with the governor of Florida to survey and market Florida. That was the first effort to sell marshland in Florida.” His 26-year-old son William tagged along on the trip and they traveled the St. Johns River from December 19, 1765-February 13, 1766. The notes of the trip are detailed in John Bartram’s journal and describe all of the plants, animals, and waterways they found during their trip.

After that journey, John went to Philadelphia, but William enjoyed the area and decided to stay. “He got a land grant and established a plantation on the shores of the St. Johns River,” explained Campbell. “After about 6 or 8 months, he was a miserable failure.

A friend of his father came by to visit him and check on him, and found him in a very forlorn state. And so his dad had to do an extraction and pull Billy out of the swamp.”

William went to St. Augustine and worked as a draftsman for a while, but then went back to Philadelphia. But just like today’s visitors, northeast Florida held a special place in his heart. “About nine years later, he came back on his own,” said Campbell. “He had a supporter in England that gave him an allowance to travel throughout the southeastern United States.”

His father’s trip had a politically driven set of deliverables, but William’s next expedition was quite different. “He had an armchair tourist back in England who was too old to make the trip himself, and so he asked William to make the trip for him. He wanted him to draw pictures, send him samples of his findings, and to tell him what he encountered. He had very specific deliverables, but it was exploration for discovery's sake.” All of his findings along this expedition are detailed in his book, Travels.

Travels by William Bartram:

Literary enthusiasts can still find Bartram’s book available for sale and at local libraries. If you’re looking to just curl up with a good book for some relaxing reading though, it’s important to set your expectations about this book that was written in the 1700s. “The language that he uses is Old English,” said Campbell. “He doesn’t know how to put a period in his sentences, and his spelling is often creative.” Even literary scholars describe it as a difficult read. It shouldn’t be viewed as a novel, but as a historical account of the fascinating discoveries he made along his trek. “Only after I read it a few times and got into the rhythm of his way of speaking, did I come to appreciate the artistic value of it. The way that he writes it is as though you were there with him. And the way he sees things is a little different, and it's very artsy.”

Campbell described one of the biggest takeaways from Travels, saying, “He's helping you to appreciate creation, and shows that we've been given a responsibility to protect nature and to appreciate it.”

Walk the path of one of Florida’s earliest explorers on The Putnam County Bartram Trail:

Sure, you can read the book. But in Putnam County, you can also experience the Bartrams’ journeys for yourself along The Putnam County Bartram Trail. It has been designated as a National Recreation Trail and is a captivating way to see Florida the way Bartram did. “It makes you open your eyes, appreciate nature, and look at things differently,” said Campbell.

There are more than 30 locations on the trail, and he said, “The best part about the Bartram Trail in Putnam County is that so many of these sites are in public ownership, and so they remain today in a state of nature that existed when William Bartram was here.”

The interactive trail allows you to visit a location and read the passages from William Bartram’s Travels and/or John Bartram’s journal entries that correlate to the exact spot on the trail. On the Putnam County Bartram Trail website, you can easily find that information. Campbell explained, “The commentary is just an orientation to the location, and then you can actually read the exact text if you want to dive deeper.”

So much care has gone into preserving history and making it easy to see Putnam County exactly as the Bartrams saw it in the 1700s. Campbell explained that many of the locations are only accessible by boat or kayak. “William Bartram was enamored with springs and he visited a lot of them,” he said. Salt Springs, Seven Sisters Islands, and Stokes Landing are a few of Campbell’s favorite sites, but there are some that you can reach on foot, such as the Palatka trail marker at the foot of the bridge on the Palatka Riverfront. You also don’t have to visit the locations in any particular order, either. Just make sure to explore the additional resources on each stop’s page to fully appreciate the history behind each location.

Stops on the Putnam County Bartram Trail:

The trail is meant to be explored at your leisure as a self-guided tour. However, if you have questions, or are interested in bringing a group to explore it, you can reach out to the Bartram Trail Society of Florida for assistance.

The Annual Bartram Frolic and Festival:

Palatka honors its favorite explorer and naturalist every April. The St. Johns River Bartram Frolic & Festival will be happening on the Palatka Riverfront and will have a variety of family-friendly activities including:

Bartram Society Exhibits and Interpretive Experiences
Living History Reenactments
Nature-Based Exhibitors
Live Music
Local Vendors and Artisans

There will also be several adventures that allow you to get out and explore the spots where Bartram himself once traveled. Some of the immersive experiences include:

Kayaking Tours
Biking Tours
Guided Hikes
Bus Tours
Riverboat Tours

While it’s free to celebrate Bartram during the festivities happening on the Palatka Riverfront, the additional excursions have a nominal fee and must be booked in advance. Space is limited on the tours, so take a look at the complete list of excursions and make sure you book your spot early.

With an abundance of places to explore as you retrace Bartram’s footsteps, it’s likely that you’ll want to plan to stay at least a few days. There are multiple places to stay in Putnam County, allowing you the opportunity to stay awhile and visit multiple locations on the Putnam County Bartram Trail. Also, make sure you download the Visit Putnam FL app for Apple or Android to learn about more great things to see and do while you’re here.

Travel the St. Johns River Like Explorer William Bartram Did More Than 250 Years Ago

Retrace 18th-Century Explorer William Bartram’s Journeys Along the St. Johns River

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