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How to Hike in Southern New Jersey with the Outdoor Club of South Jersey
By tneigel, eHow Member (Link to Article)
The Outdoor Club of Southern New Jersey (OCSJ) www.ocsj.org offers a wide range of outdoor activities and welcome new members.
If you have been thinking about taking a hike in the woods in Southern New Jersey, or joining an outdoors club, but didn't know how to start, these instructions will introduce you to a friendly group of individuals that lead and participate in a wide variety of hiking and outdoors trips.
Things You'll Need:
Appropriate clothing for the weather.
Drink and a snack.
Layered clothing.
Desire for fun and enjoyment of the outside and other likeminded people of all ages.
Instructions:
1 Go to the club website at http://www.ocsj.org and browse through the pages. Go to the hiking section and look through the list for something that interests you. Contact the leader if you have any questions about the trip.
2 Arrive at the meeting location about one half hour before the trip begins. Introduce yourself to the leader. Say hello to some fellow hikers, and you will enjoy the welcoming atmosphere. Ask about the club and other trips while you are waiting to get started.
3 Enjoy the pleasent surroundings of the area as you hike along with your fellow travelers. You'll find many other people interested in the similar topics. Take pictures and learn about the area. Perhaps you will hike by some of the wonderful cranberry bogs of the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey.
4 You are most welcome to try a trip from every activity section, and thereafter they would love you to join the club for a mere $20 per year. The club offers over 100 trips every quarter. Whether it be hiking, boating, x-c skiing, biking, backpacking, or camping, you'll find many outings that suite you.
Tips & Warnings:
You are most welcome to try a trip from every activity section.Thereafter we would love you to join the club for a mere $20 per year.The club offers over 100 trips every quarter as listed on the website and Trekker brochure.Whether it be hiking, boating, x-c skiing, biking, backpacking, or camping, you'll find many outings that suite you.Be prepared to stay with the group for the entire trip.Be prepared to enjoy yourself and make new friends.
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Hiking in the Pines Barrens
By Tom Neigel of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey
We are providing basic information about trails and hikes so you will have an idea of what to expect on the Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) trips.
The Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) volunteer leaders offer all these hikes and many more in more places on a regular basis throughout the year. You can try one of these hike events as a guest of the club. Thereafter we encourage you to join for a mere $20 yearly, which provides you with hundreds of hikes a year. Also as a member, you can take part in a wide variety of other club events such as boating, biking, x-c skiing, camping, backpacking, and more.
The Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey is located in Southern New Jersey as a vast area of Pine woodlands. The core area on the map is in the area of Route 70 on south to Route 542, and Route 206 on east to Route 529, with the full extent of the Pine Barrens extending beyond these roads in all directions.
The area is sparely populated and nearly all empty woodlands at its core. There are major roads around its perimeter, and a succession of smaller and less traveled sand roads within. There are unlimited routes one can hike, with many designated and marked trails throughout.
Main areas to start from with marked and map trails are;
- Batsto Visitor Center on Route 542
- Atsion Ranger Station/Recreation Area on Route 206
- Bass River State Park on Stage Road
- Brendan Byrne State Park at the intersection of Routes 70 and 72
At Batsto Visitor Center there is ample parking and a wide range of trail destinations. They have maps and trail guides, and the folks at the visitor center are very happy to help. You can tour the historic village of Batsto, and you can hike and explore the Pines to your heart's content.
You can hike the Batona Trail from Batsto northerly 30 miles to Ong's Hat, or 20 miles to the east to Bass River State Park. The Yellow Trail goes 9.5 miles to Atsion at Route 206. The hidden Orange trail makes for a wonderful hidden diversion and branches off the Yellow Trail about a mile out of Batsto. The Red, Blue, and White, loop trails offer a modest stroll to several miles, with a very scenic section along the beautiful Batsto Lake. There are numerous sand roads and unmarked paths for the advanced explorer in all directions, so bring that GPS with you.
Bass River State Park offers many marked trails of various distances, along with sections of the Batona Trail, along with many unmarked trails and sand roads reaching further out into the Pines.
Brendan Byrne State Park also offers many marked trails as well in various distances, with and ADA trial leading from the Ranger's office. Extended trails lead to Pakim Pond intersecting with the Batona Trail.
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Batsto Village Area Hikes in the Pine Barrens
Location: Batsto Village Parking Area - Located on Route 542 in Wharton State Park
By Tom Neigel of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey
We are providing basic information about trails and hikes so you will have an idea of what to expect on the Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) trips.
The Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) volunteer leaders offer all these hikes and many more in more places on a regular basis throughout the year. You can try one of these hike events as a guest of the club. Thereafter we encourage you to join for a mere $20 yearly, which provides you with hundreds of hikes a year. Also as a member, you can take part in a wide variety of other club events such as boating, biking, x-c skiing, camping, backpacking, and more.
Batsto has a great variety of marked trails that are suitable for the beginner or advanced hiker and explorer. Whether it be an easy stroll through the historic village or venturing into the forest on one of their marked trails, you will enjoy the beautiful scenery and the outdoors. Dress appropriately for the weather and trail conditions. Bring water and snacks or lunch depending upon the lenght of your hike. Give yourself plenty of time for the hike and to return before dark. Don't be surprised if you see boaters on the rivers, fish jumping, Beaver dens, and maybe a glimpse of a deer in the distance.
For an easy stroll, visit the Visitor Center. Enjoy their muesum, their shop, and say hello to the folks inside. From there stroll the historic villiage buildings and mansion. On the way through the village passing the saw mill and beautiful Batsto Lake which is part of the Batsto River, a very popular kayak and canoeing river.
From the back of the parking area, marked trails fan out in several directions. You can obtain a trail map from the office, or from the outside display, or study the trail map sign on display at the beginning of the hike.
The Red Trail is a modest 1-mile loop that takes you into the forest. You'll have a variety of easy terrain and scenic views along the side of Batsto Lake. This loop trail is well marked and has several foot bridges. How many can you count on your way? You are never far from the parking area and yet out in the forest of the Pine Barrens.
The Blue Trail option extends farther for a 1.8-mile loop. From its start you can take the right side of the loop taking you into deeper into the forest and coming back along Batsto lake or vice-versa. You'll experience more variety and trail types along the way and see much more of the lake and scenic
overlooks. The trail is well marked.
The White Trail option is more adventureous and travels futher into the wooded sections for 4-mile loop. We recommend proper footwear, water, and snacks or food on this one, as you will be out awhile. Don't forget to leave time to get back well before dark.
On any of these trails, you'll notice the Red, Blue, and White trails overlapping in sections. Using the trail map carefully you can make your own combination of routes. The Pink Batona trail connects with the White Trail for awhile and continues many miles in a Northerly direction. As you gain experience of the area, this can be combined for a 8-10 mile loop around Batsto Lake and up to Quaker Bridge deep in the Pines and back on the other side of the river.
The Orange Trail from the far end of the Batsto Village crosses the Mullica River Footbridge and takes you beautiful lesser know loop pass some very interesting Beaver Ponds.
The Yellow Trail is a longer 9.5-mile non-loop that continues all the way up to the Atsion area on Route 206.
There are just a preview of the trails available in this area. Many many miles of extended non-marked trails and sand roads can be added by the more experienced hiker and explorer.
The Outdoors Club of South Jersey provides many combination hikes to these and other unmarked trails throughout the year. Enjoy the commorodary of a group of fellow hikers, and along with the knowledge and experience of our volunteer trip leaders.
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Kayaking and Canoeing in the Pines
By Tom Neigel and Frank Pearce of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey - Version 12/15/2010
We are providing basic information about trails and hikes so you will have an idea of what to expect on the Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) trips.
The Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ) volunteer leaders offer all these hikes and many more in more places on a regular basis throughout the year. You can try one of these hike events as a guest of the club. Thereafter we encourage you to join for a mere $20 yearly, which provides you with hundreds of hikes a year. Also as a member, you can take part in a wide variety of other club events such as boating, biking, x-c skiing, camping, backpacking, and more.
The rivers of the Pine Barrens offer very scenic boating opportunities for those kayaking or canoeing. These rivers offer easy short runs to longer day or overnight trips. The waters of the Pines are clean and cedar colored tracking deep within the forests.
Some of the major rivers of the area are the Batsto, Mullica, Oswego, Wading rivers, which are described below. Several other rivers in the surrounding areas such as the Maurice, Cedar Creek, Great Egg Harbor, and Tuckahoe rivers will be included updates to this article.
Access to these rivers differs from, close to road putin and takeouts, to deeper access in the Pines via its sand roads. Some of the longer rivers have many popular putin and takeouts along the river offering different routes, distances, and paddling times.
There are many areas to pull over and have lunch along the way on these rivers. Some very scenic rivers and swimming holes make the journey a real treat. These rivers are paddled by kayak and canoe alike, with kayaking becoming most popular in recent years.
The Mullica River:
Popular long trips on this river are from the putin at route 206 in Atsion down river for 14 miles to Route 542. This is a long run with a lot of twists and turns. There is an overnight campsite that is used solely for boaters and backpackers. Some know the sand roads for additional putin or takeout spots for shorter trip. Popular extended area trips are from the putin on Route 542 down river, joining with the Batsto River at the Forks, to Crowley�s Landing picnic area. This area extends into the tidal area of the river and some powerboat traffic near Crowley's but is still a popular and scenic route. Some put in higher up river by Goshen Pond or Jackson Bridge for a more experienced ride through tighter conditions. During the mid summer, parts of this river can be very low, so pre-checking is required.
The Batsto River:
This river is a very popular option. Many of the boat rental liveries use this river all summer because it retains an adequate water level and is very scenic. Many Beaver lodges are present with many twists and turns and side route close to Batsto Lake. Access is varied and the popular putin's are in the forest accessed only from the sand roads, so you need an appropriate vehicle or the use of the boat liveries for rentals or transportation/pickup. The most popular run is from Quaker Bridge down river to Batsto lake for about a 3 hour or so run. Further upriver from Hampton Furnace when the water level cooperates makes for a wonderful extended and varied trip. People know of several other putin and takeouts along the river for variety. Some take the Batsto from Route 542 downstream and join with the Mullica to Crowley's Landing picnic area and take out. You are never disappointed with a trip down this river. It can be very popular in the summer months.
The Oswego Lake and River:
The Oswego is a beautiful river that provides an easier and modest length trip. From the Oswego Lake parking area, part of Penn State Forest, you can paddle the lake just by itself, or cross the lake for a short portage over the road by the dam to continue downstream to Harrisville Lake on Route 679; a popular local swimming area as well. This river is known to have low water in times other than spring time so pre-checking is also needed.
The Wading River:
The Wading is another very popular river run with several length options. The most popular is from the sand roads to Hawkins Bridge downstream to Evans Bridge on Route 653. This is wonderful several-hour run that is very well liked during the summer months as well as all year. Extended options are to continue past Evans Bridge another 2 hours to the takeout below Bodine's Field campground along the sand road access. This extended section is usually less trafficked and very scenic. You'll pass the campground just before the takeout.
Outdoor Club of South Jersey
The Outdoor Club of South Jersey volunteer leaders offer a variety of river trips along these scenic rivers. Trips run all year and are most popular in the warmer temperatures and seasons. Some trips utilize your own boats and some trips utilize rentals via the popular boat rental houses. Each trip is unique so check out that trip description and contact the trip leader.
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More Articles and Trip Descriptions in Progess
- Hikes and Scenic Tours of the Atsion Area
- Out-Back Hikes
- In-Depth on the Batona Trail
- Winter Uses of the State Forest's of Southern New Jersey
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CONTENTS
How to Hike in Southern New Jersey with the OCSJ
Hiking in the Pine Barrens
Batsto Village Area Hikes in the Pine Barrens
Kayaking and Canoeing in the Pines
Keep and Eye out for in-depth river trip descriptions from our own kayak leader, Vicki Schodowski
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