An Insider’s Guide to Outdoor Adventure in the Pine Barrens

Kayaking on the Batsto River with Pinelands Adventures / Photography by Kyle Kielinski

With a Paddle

Test the waters: Tranquil, man-made Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest is the perfect place to get acquainted with your kayak or canoe — rented from Flatwater Paddle Co., right on the shore — before graduating to longer sojourns.

Go on a secret adventure: The rivers that wind through the Pines ripple with mystery and history. Book a guided Batsto River Tour with Pinelands Adventures and you’ll learn about, among other things, how fires shape the landscape, how in the old days bog iron was forged from naturally occurring ore deposits in the ground, and how Revolutionary War–era privateers (aka pirates) used these very waterways to abscond with looted British booty. Or you can just gawk at some of the most secluded ­riverfront real estate you’ll ever see.

Wet your whistle in the dark: Try a sunset party cruise on the mighty Mullica River aboard the Devil’s Dinghy tiki boat, from Hammonton-based Jersey Devil Adventures (then hope that the winged, hooved cryptid isn’t peeved by your revelry).

Happy Campers

Camping in the Pine Barrens

Earn bragging rights: Accessible only by foot, canoe, or kayak, Lower Forge and Mullica River campgrounds in Wharton State Forest offer secluded riverfront campsites that will put your wilderness skills to the test (reserve in advance at njportal.com). It’s just you and nature: no facilities or running water beyond the babbling stream.

Appease the less-rugged: For anything from tent and RV sites to glamping pods and lodges, try Atlantic Shore Pines Campground in Tuckerton, convenient to LBI, the Lake Absegami Recreation Area, and the Batona Trail’s southern trailhead.

Experience hidden history: At Batona Camp in Tabernacle, a secluded site right off the Batona Trail, you’re a stone’s throw from the Carranza Memorial. It marks the spot where Emilio Carranza, Mexico’s Charles Lindbergh, crashed to his death in July 1928 on a goodwill flight between Mexico City and New York City; the wreckage and his body were found by cranberry pickers.

Hikes for All

Cedar Bridge Fire Tower

Set goals: The Batona Trail is a mostly flat 52.7-mile trek through several South Jersey state forests, starting in the beguilingly named ghost town Ongs Hat and ending at Lake Absegami. Start with out-and-backs from Batsto or Ongs Hat, then vow to complete it before you die.

Take in the view: Yes, the Pine Barrens are incredibly flat. But the fire tower on Apple Pie Hill, when staffed (call the N.J. Forest Fire Service at 609-726-9010 to find out), provides panoramic views of the arboreal expanse.

For little legs: Double Trouble State Park in Bayville is the site of a former sawmill and cranberry processing plant. (It’s named, as one legend has it, because the cranberry bogs overflowed not once but twice in one week.) There’s plenty of easy-but-fun tromping, lots to glean from the buildings of the former “company town,” and Poohstick-perfect bridges over Cedar Creek.

Take a Dip!

First things first: If you swim in the Pines, wear a dark swimsuit; the water turns everything the color of light tea — including your skin. Lakes Atsion and Absegami are family-friendly and fed by “cedar wooder” flowing out of the woods, so nice and cool. Their sandy lake beds give a beachy feel, minus the salty churn.

Want something a little more secluded? Hike the Mullica Trail from either Atsion or Batsto Village to Mullica River Campground and soothe your aching muscles with a dip in the eponymous waterway. Just be prepared: Many of the shallow rivers and creeks (especially along trails) are dotted with random swimming holes where locals take a dip. But do avoid so-called “blue holes,” former gravel or sand mines full of temptingly aqua-hued water where the bottom can give way in a flash and drownings are not uncommon. — B.H.

Friendship Historic Ruins in Vincetown, New Jersey

Pro Tip:
If you don’t want to end up wandering through the Pine Barrens like Chrissy and Paulie in that infamous episode of The Sopranos, start your hike near a body of water, advises Jason Howell, a public lands advocate with the Pinelands Alliance. Rivers and lakes can help guide you back to where you started your trek. “Once you get initiated, you’ll start figuring things out,” he says, like how to deal with the surprising summer heat, ticks, pine flies, and, though rare, timber rattlesnakes. And be careful driving to a trailhead — Google Maps will sometimes lead you off-road. Pack a map! — K.L.P.

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Published as “Nature Calls” in the May 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.