Segment 4 Carranza Memorial to Quaker Bridge - 6 miles

Sunday’s hike took us through dense dry pitch pine forest in Wharton State Forest, with evidence of recent burns. 

 

Not long into the hike we crossed two historic thoroughfares: a defunct section (connecting Chatsworth with Atsion) of the New Jersey Southern Railroad, and the northern fork of the Old Tuckerton Stage Road.

 

There is so much history in each segment of the trail we have visited so far; I could spend a lifetime exploring the Pine Barrens, the historic sites, and the natural beauty.

 

Along the way we passed the Half-Way point of the trail!

We took our lunch break at Lower Forge Camp, a wilderness camp on the bank of the Batsto River, accessible only by foot or kayak/canoe. Tuna sandwiches, Kind bars, and chocolate – gourmet delight!

This segment ended by the Quaker Bridge, along the southern fork of the Old Tuckerton Stage Road. This area once hosted a tavern and settlement along this once-busy road between Camden and Tuckerton. 

 

We passed an old cranberry bog along they way on the drive back to Rte. 206.

Segment 3 Apple Pie Hill to Carranza Memorial - 4 miles

Yesterday’s segment was short. We had another commitment for the morning, and an afternoon is perfect for this length of a hike.

We began at the summit of Apple Pie Hill, and proceeded through dry pinelands uplands.



We climbed another hill and found ourselves on top of Tea Time Hill, also known at Mt. Korbar.



I have not been able to find the story of why it was called Tea Time Hill, but the name Mt. Korbar is in memory of the two men who bushwhacked, laid out and created the original 30 miles of the Batona Trail in 1961-- Walter Korszniak and Morris Bardock, both members of the Batona Hiking Club of Philadelphia.

This section of the trail could be called “Lichen World”! There was so much lichen everywhere, covering the ground and the trees. The pale green color was lovely contrast to the dark green of the pines and cedars, and the reddish-brown shades of the pine and cedar leaves on the ground.



The last half of this hike followed and crossed Skit Branch, part of the headwaters of the Batsto River. Clear, clean water harboring Atlantic White Cedar and tons of sphagnum moss.

 

Segment 2 Pakim Pond to Apple Pie Hill - 11 miles

This segment of the hike begins in the woods next to Pakim Pond, just north of mile marker 44, crosses Rte. 72, and then enters the Franklin Parker Preserve, a 9400 acre area in Tabernacle and Woodland townships.

Soon after we entered the preserve, we began to encounter cedar swamp areas with boardwalks that had been placed to allow passage. Some of these cedar swamps were quite extensive and dense.

The wetlands alternated with pine / oak upland. Several areas had been cleared in the past, and were less densely forested – this property is the site of a former cranberry farm.

 

The highlight of this segment was all the water. We passed 2 lakes, and passed through several cedar swamp areas. Many segments of the trail were old dirt roads with canals on both sides left over from the cranberry days. Dragonflies abounded due to the prevalence of water.

The woods held a healthy population of moss, teaberry and turkey beard.

 

The Eastern Towhee serenaded us all afternoon. We saw a beaver dam, and evidence of coyotes.



The day’s hike ended at Apple Pie hill, at mile marker 33. Climbed partway up the tower, and had a misty view of Atlantic City.

Segment 1 Ong’s Hat to Pakim Pond - 8 miles

We began our hike at the northern terminus of the trail, at mile marker 52.7. The trailhead is in an area called Ong’s Hat. There are several colorful stories which tell different accounts of the origin of the name. The one thing known for sure was that there was a real person named Jacob Ong who lived in the area.

This part of the trail is in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. This forest, formerly called Lebanon State forest (named after the historic Lebanon Glassworks which were located near Pakim Pond), was renamed in 2004 to honor former Governor Byrne, who was instrumental in passing the Pinelands Protection Act of 1979.

The main thing we encountered in this section that we were not expecting was hills, and a mini-canyon! In our many previous encounters with the Pine Barrens, the ground was relatively flat. Maybe there were a few ups and downs, but nothing that could be rightly called a hill (with the exception of Apple Pie Hill).

But, in the segment north of Rte. 70 we found ourselves climbing up and down hills, and in sections the trail followed along the hillside, with a creek down below the trail.

We took a break at the fire tower at 4 Mile, which is solid and easy to climb.

We made a slight detour to the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest ranger station, and ate lunch one of their picnic tables, and chatted with a couple of cyclists who had just completed a 42 mile ride. Maps, water, and restrooms are available at the ranger station. This is also the place to register for the nearby campground or cabins.

After the ranger station the trail heads towards Pakim Pond. As we got closer to the pond, the ground began to get marshy and we walked along strategically placed boardwalks through the swampy areas.



The pond itself is lovely, ringed by trees, with a healthy population of pitcher plants and sundews growing along the edge, and a thriving population of turtles and fish.

We ended today’s hike at the road crossing on Coopers Road, at the bench, just north of mile marker 44. This is where we will pick up our hike next time.