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K-Man
04-25-2006, 14:35
I am planning on hiking the Batona Trail through the NJ Pine Barrens this Fri, Sat, and Sun. Does anyone know how serious the rangers are about camping at the designated campsites? They are horribly placed for a thru hike of this trail. The trail is 50 miles long and the first campsite is at 19 miles, the second at 25 miles, and the last at 50 miles. I can make it to the first campsite for the first night, but the second is not far enough, and the third is at the end. I was thinking of camping somewhere btwn Bulltown Rd and Evans Bridge the second night. Does anyone know if this will be a problem? Thanks!! :sun

K-Man
04-25-2006, 14:36
Opps, I started 2 threads. Someone please delete the other one...Thanks

K-Man
05-09-2006, 14:27
Guess I should put this question to bed since I found out for myself. There were tons of excellent stealth spots located before Evans Bridge and after the swampy stream. We pumped water from the stream, walked about a half mile and found a sweet spot right off the trail. I put the pics from the trip on my webshots page.

THEmapMAKER
02-08-2008, 22:36
Where exacty is the sourthern terminus located? Is it well marked? I could not find it, when I was there.

kayak karl
02-09-2008, 07:03
Where exacty is the sourthern terminus located? Is it well marked? I could not find it, when I was there.

can you open this map. im not good at this


http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=39.624764,-74.434133&spn=0.029551,0.058365&t=h&z=14&om=0&msid=112746510977574609048.000445b79372444a98c6a

THEmapMAKER
02-09-2008, 09:07
kark thanks for the map. If i remember correctly I thought the ranger said it started about a 1/2 ile past the wooden bridge in a parking lot. Maybe the lady did not now what she was talking about. Maybe I remember wrong. Seems like they should mark it with a sign.

kayak karl
02-09-2008, 11:57
kark thanks for the map. If i remember correctly I thought the ranger said it started about a 1/2 ile past the wooden bridge in a parking lot. Maybe the lady did not now what she was talking about. Maybe I remember wrong. Seems like they should mark it with a sign.
i might be wrong but thats where i ended. funny thing is in ong's hat at the other end the start is 1/4 mile back up trail near diner. NOT at this sign (PIC) i walked in a circle before i even got started. DON'T trust the plastic post markers, kids play with them:D
map of ong's hat start
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&om=0&msa=0&ll=39.911678,-74.619119&spn=0.003679,0.007296&z=17&msid=112746510977574609048.000445bb8978d1317b5c1

88BlueGT
02-12-2008, 14:08
How was the trail? Nice? well maintained? I also live in Jersey and pretty close to the pine barrens

Lyle
02-12-2008, 15:13
I have no current information on the Batona Trail.

I will say that years ago, when I got a job transfer from PA to NJ I was not too happy. I had a very poor concept of what NJ would be like. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered the Pine Barrens and the Batona Trail.

I spent many of day hikes and weekends exploring the area. Back then I would just camp wherever I found a place, never had a problem, never even saw a ranger that I recall.

88BlueGT
02-13-2008, 01:30
I usually just camp anywhere available also and have never had a problem. Whats the worst that can happen? You have to move.....

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm looking to take a week trip somewhere but cant decide where. Either get on the AT and just go, the Adirondacks or the Pine Barrens if I want to keep it simple (its close to my house).

kayak karl
02-16-2008, 06:03
How was the trail? Nice? well maintained? I also live in Jersey and pretty close to the pine barrens
its marked well. over grown in a few parts with blueberries :). a couple double blazes can through u, but all in all great. part of the trail in between brenden byrn and rt 563 (apple pie hill is about 3-4 miles of road hiking or peoples back yards.

mweinstone
02-16-2008, 07:25
batsto, soony place, chatsworth, the mulica. ahh the barrens. ahh the devil. ahh the scary story telling. bin there done that . i am pine. dammit. read tom brown if your not in love with the barrons. i was shown ice under the sand in the summer once in the pines. its near low point. the ice is thousands of years old. you do know the pines are the terminal morane of the ice age dont you? and you know that lebenon state forrest is beautiful right? and that route 563 in tabernacle at conteys and russos farms you can pick ypur own dont you? and that new jersy and lbi especialy are the california of the east without the quakes dont you? and you also know that route 9 along the coast is beautiful and fun for antiqing right?and jersy has island beach state park and holgate wild life preserve and lighthouse state park among our other jewels. dont ever let me hear you stop talking about the batona trail and we'll get along fine. comming to the warmer? love to talk jersy trash with ya.

kayak karl
02-16-2008, 08:25
ahh the barrens. ahh the devil. ahh the scary story telling. bin there done that . i am pine. dammit. love to talk jersy trash with ya.
in '73 we took a bunch of girls out on this long sandy road threw the pines that ended at a paved road. started a fire , got out the beers and sloe gin fizz's and started telling the story of the jersy devil. we told them the road ended there because it was haunted by the jersey devil. many wokers died or vanished and they had to end the project. they laughed, but a bright light appeared in the sky, it got closer and closer, louder and louder, could hear its wings in the wind, the girls jumped in our arms to save them. AS THE PLANE LANDED ON THE RUNWAY:D:D i owe alot of good times to the pines and the jersey devil:)

Areo Haven Airport, its gone now:(

mweinstone
02-16-2008, 09:36
most people dont know the tru devil story. my friend and newspaper publisher of the beachcomber on lbi once wrote the tru story. mrs kent was a poor wooman living in the barrons. she practiced home remidys. when pregnant, she tryed to abort the child with herbs and potions. the child was born with two conditions similar to elephantitas and thalidimide poisoning. it had winglike arms and a tail and many gioters. it was large and was put out in the woods to die. scientists theorize wolves may have raised it as that has happened before. as an adult it may have raped and killed hikers and such and their is concern the devil may have offspring. that would be the only way their could be a devil today as the lifespan of a deformed child like this is fourty years. the artical shows photos of the house and mrs kent in the deppression. poochys father was the mayor of harvy ceaders new jersy for many years and the family knows the story.it is tru. a photo exists witch is thaught to be real. it was in the artical too.

jhick
02-16-2008, 10:46
batsto, soony place, chatsworth, the mulica. ahh the barrens. ahh the devil. ahh the scary story telling. bin there done that . i am pine. dammit. read tom brown if your not in love with the barrons. i was shown ice under the sand in the summer once in the pines. its near low point. the ice is thousands of years old. you do know the pines are the terminal morane of the ice age dont you? and you know that lebenon state forrest is beautiful right? and that route 563 in tabernacle at conteys and russos farms you can pick ypur own dont you? and that new jersy and lbi especialy are the california of the east without the quakes dont you? and you also know that route 9 along the coast is beautiful and fun for antiqing right?and jersy has island beach state park and holgate wild life preserve and lighthouse state park among our other jewels. dont ever let me hear you stop talking about the batona trail and we'll get along fine. comming to the warmer? love to talk jersy trash with ya.

Love the pines... born and raised here. It's weird always reading about the details of the AT, and then someone starts talking about your backyard. When people talk $#!T about NJ, I can tell they' probably know nothing of what you mentioned. I used to live 10 minutes from Apple Pie Hill, and there are dirt roads that go 20 miles thru the pinebarrens without crossing a road or town. How many people think NJ is Newark?

ps. where is that ice at??? Have you seen the blue hole? amatol near Hammonton?

kayak karl
02-16-2008, 11:03
Love the pines... born and raised here. It's weird always reading about the details of the AT, and then someone starts talking about your backyard. When people talk $#!T about NJ, I can tell they' probably know nothing of what you mentioned. I used to live 10 minutes from Apple Pie Hill, and there are dirt roads that go 20 miles thru the pinebarrens without crossing a road or town. How many people think NJ is Newark?

ps. where is that ice at??? Have you seen the blue hole? amatol near Hammonton?

my uncle owned riverside rifle and pistol off butterworth-bogs rd. i know your area well. went to lenape before shawnee was built. im hiking batona this friday. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32752&highlight=batona

jhick
02-16-2008, 11:20
I just noticed that you live in Penns Grove.... my dad worked at Dupont right there for 20+ years. I kinda know that area.

kayak karl
02-16-2008, 12:35
I just noticed that you live in Penns Grove.... my dad worked at Dupont right there for 20+ years. I kinda know that area.
Small world:)

scout005
02-18-2008, 00:16
I did the stretch from Carranza Memorial to Batsto in early October. About 15-16 miles. Dead flat. Nice, fast hiking. Stopped at Lower Forge for water. That tea colored Barrens water is great stuff. The chiggers were out in full force, though. I love the Barrens. I'm partial to the cedar swamps. My buddy and I have been through most of the Barrens south of rt. 72. Wonderful.

Lyle
02-18-2008, 08:53
My understanding is that the water from the Pine Barrens was often used as the drinking water for ocean going sailing vessels in the early days of the white man's take-over of this land. The water was referred to "Sweet Water" because it lasted longer in the holding tanks of the vessels.

This is based solely on my recollection of some indistinct reading - no actual guarantee of it's validity should be implied. :)

kayak karl
02-20-2008, 19:38
I am planning on hiking the Batona Trail through the NJ Pine Barrens this Fri, Sat, and Sun. Does anyone know how serious the rangers are about camping at the designated campsites? They are horribly placed for a thru hike of this trail. The trail is 50 miles long and the first campsite is at 19 miles, the second at 25 miles, and the last at 50 miles. I can make it to the first campsite for the first night, but the second is not far enough, and the third is at the end. I was thinking of camping somewhere btwn Bulltown Rd and Evans Bridge the second night. Does anyone know if this will be a problem? Thanks!! :sun
Bodine Field http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/wsf-bodine-map.html
$2 fee. i was planning to hike this weekend, but my dad needs to move.

kayak karl
02-22-2008, 05:31
all google earth i have on batona trail

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&om=0&t=p&msa=0&msid=112746510977574609048.000446b4d1094d7ebe307&z=10