Who Says You Can't Backpack in S. Jersey?

It's not always easy to find long, remote backpacking trails in the tri-state area. However after a bit of research, I came across Wharton State Forest. Once I searched through their website, I found the Batona Trail– a 50mile trail that runs through the heart of the S. Jersey woods. Jackpot!

The Batona Trail

Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to hike the full 50 miles (one day I will though). Nevertheless, this trip was still rather special. I decided to bring my father along, a man who has never done anything remotely outdoor related. After mapping out the intended route, I spent a couple days reviewing the backcountry with him: bears, food, lightning, water, and setting up camp. 

The plan was to hike 7.3mi N from the Batsto Visitor Center to the Lower Forge site (above) and then back out the next day. At first, the quality of the river water had me nervous. I was not sure if it would be safe to drink even after filtering (Pine Barren water can be sort of shady). So I decided to pack in extra water for cooking and the hike out. Between my dad and I we had 8L of water (heavy, I know). I also packed my backpacking hammock so we could relax a bit when we got into camp. 

The topography of the hike was quite easy– almost entirely flat. The trail was very well marked and easy to follow. However I had to be on constant look out for blazes as there were dozens of spur trails and dirt roads seemingly every few hundred feet. Luckily I had my GPS and a map of the area with me. 

About halfway through, we took and extended break and had a nice lunch of hummus and tortillas. Following this rest I started to notice my dad struggling; he kept shifting his pack and placing his hands on his hips to relieve the weight. Now he is not out of shape by any stretch of the woods, but he was working muscles he had never worked before. He informed me that he felt some pain on his hips (I had already adjusted the pack numerous times, this was just normal fatigue). So I took roughly 15lbs out of his pack so that we could continue moving. Finally, we arrived at a large intersection called Quaker Bridge– the home stretch. 

The Quaker Bridge Intersection (Not my photo)

From here our pace slowed considerably. My pop was just all around exhausted. We pushed up the trail to the next intersection, which was the turnoff for the campsite. Finally.

The Spur Trail (Not my photo)

At long last we made it to the nearly empty site. We pitched the tent and strung the hammock up right away. I checked out the water and decided it would be okay to pump. Well actually I pumped a few liters then put some iodine tablets in it just to be safe. Next, I went to scout out a good tree for the bear hang. After gathering up some dryish firewood, I managed to get a decent fire going (good enough for marshmallows!). We then boiled some water up for a freeze dried dinner of pasta and sauce (yum). Once we hoisted the bear hang up, we settled in for the night.

The following morning, my dad was fairly sore. At this point, I decided to alter our route. Instead of heading back to Batsto, we would push NW to Atsion in order to shorten the distance we had to walk. Following a breakfast of eggs and sausage, we packed our bags and headed out. The trek was uneventful this time and we made it 3/4 up the trail (actually a dirt road) until our ride (who we called the night before) picked us up. And just like that our journey ended. Back into civilization.

So just because a hike seems easy does not mean it will be a walk in the park. Even a hike in S. Jersey can prove challenging. Always remember to prepare an alternate plan of action.

Stay safe and enjoy.