Delaware Water Gap

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Delaware River at the Delaware Water Gap.Pick up the trail on the New Jersey side and you will ascend along a stream up Kittatiny Mountain to the summit.The panorama at the top is a view of the river valley and the gorge it cut through the Blue Ridge.Some of the best scenery in the state.

Delaware and Raritan Canal

From Trenton to the Raritan River in North New Jersey runs the canal that is now a ribbon of water through the most developed part of the state.The towpath along the canal offers hikers or bicyclists more than a full day from one end to the other.Accessible at many points,the state park,which the width of the canal with it's path actually is,is one of the few remaining natural settings left in the highly urbanized part of state it winds through.Breaking the monotony of the route are the many streams and vallies the canal and it's path bridge.Well worth trying out.

Hike from old iron town of Batsto

Ample public parking is available at Batsto,once a thriving center of the bog iron industry of the pine barrens.Surrounded by Wharton state forest,it is a more relaxed alternative to the crass commercialism of the N.J. Shore area.Historically rebuilt,Batsto itself is worth a visit.See how the self-sufficent village thrived in the 1800s by making iron from raw ore extracted from bogs and streams in the surrounding woods.From Batsto,old sand roads radiate in all directions,offering the hiker so many choices as to require return visits.Hiking along Batsto River is one of the best.You will come upon ruins,old dams,and various reminders of busy times when the area was a beehive of activity.It seems the village is frozen in a past era,when horses,farms,and the harmony of the land blended in a peaceful and unhurried blissfulness.

Conoe the rivers of the pine barrens

If you own your own canoe and have not tried the rivers of Wharton state forest,let me recommend them.Canoe rental outfitters also operate.The rivers are actually creek-size.There is zero development on all the rivers.The Mullica,Wading,Oswego,Batsto Rivers are all excellent for canoeing.Sand trails and roads often run parallel to these waterways,so hiking as a respite from canoeing offers many opportunities.Having a topographic map is a great way to explore these truly wild woods.

Use Topographic Maps to hike Pine Barrens

An interesting way to hike the vast pine forests is with USGS topographical maps.Issued by the US Govt.,they are a 3-D view of the land on paper.Showing elevation,all streams,dwellings,roads,trails,RRs,ponds,and ruins,one can venture off the sand roads and trails into the trackless forest.The maps are especially useful in deciphering the myriad intersecting sand trails and roads.Armed with a topographic for the quadrant you are hiking is a must have if you are adventurous enough to plunge off the trail into the woods.

atsion to batsto hike

A good hike that can be managed in one day is Atsion to Batsto. The old stagecoach road runs the entire length.Landmarks along the way are Penn Swamp,Quaker Bridge,and Batsto Lake.It is continuous woods.Many side tracks branch off for the curious.Take any supplies or food with you,as it is all wilderness.The entire hike is in Wharton State Forest,so all are welcome.Enjoy the pine forest,which is largely unspoiled.

Hike along abandoned railbed

The old railbed is a highway as deep into the pines as you would care to go.Good place to start is Atsion,off Rt. 206.Head east on railbed and you'll have a good day's hike,crossing many little streams and a few decent sized creeks.Eventually you'll reach Chatsworth,the capital of the pines.If you continue east you will hit the seashore.