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.