Enchanted Earth – The NJ Pine Barrens

The most popular landscape images on social media invariably seem to have this “epic” factor – expansive mountain ranges, incredible desert formations, rich blue lakes, etc. Yet some of the most accessible places (especially on the east coast) aren’t the picturesque national parks, but the local parks and forests preserved as part of our public lands. They may not have the same “wow” factor that is so easily captured in a single Instagram photo, but they still have tremendous beauty and wildness. They are more like hidden treasures, waiting to be seen, explored, and appreciated. One of my hopes in starting this blog is to highlight places that may not make it into Top 10 bucket lists, but are worth visiting for the quality of nature they offer.

The Pine Barrens (also called the Pinelands or the Pines) in southern New Jersey are 1.1 million acres of preserved land. They have no rugged mountain landscape, but feature a rich pine forest known for its sandy soil, inky swamp waters, and cranberry bogs. Hundreds of plants and birds call the Pines home, along with reptiles, fish, and other mammals – perhaps even the “Jersey Devil!” The Pinelands feature opportunities for hiking, camping, canoeing, fishing, and many other outdoor pursuits.

Previously, the Pines hadn’t been on my radar. I prefer the mountains and I generally associate New Jersey with flatness, highways, and beaches… However, a knee injury has forced me to be open to exploring places that are closer to home and lack significant elevation changes (which is a good thing!!). A friend and I decided to overnight at one of the wilderness campsites maintained by the NJ State Parks system. We designed a microadventure perfect for my situation – limited mileage, minimal gear, and zero elevation gain. I could get a taste of my most-cherished and longed-for hobby, backpacking, without aggravating my sensitive joints. We extended our Memorial Day weekend and encountered few people Monday afternoon when most people had retreated to their homes to start the work/school week.

Despite my initial hesitation, the Pinelands did not disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised at how secluded we felt even though the highway was only a short distance away. Traffic noise quickly faded into the background as we followed the trail into the forest. The only reminder of civilization was the occasional plane flying overhead or when we encountered a sandy forest road.

Mountain laurel – my favorite flower – were in bloom. Their intricate geometric flowers captivate your attention whether opened or closed. Mountain Laurel is the state flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut and can be found throughout the forests in the eastern US. Pink Lady Slippers, a native orchid, were also found in several places along the trail.

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The trail we took started out in pine forest and weaved in and out of quiet meadows, past peaceful bogs, and ended up along the Mullica River after 5 or so miles. We camped at one of the established primitive campsites, as dispersed camping is prohibited in the NJ State Forests. (Permits are required – you can get them from the Wharton State Forest park offices).

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We ate a quick dinner of Wawa hoagies and set up camp. We didn’t spend much time hanging out after the sun went down because we intended to be back at work by lunchtime Tuesday. Even though we only hiked for a few hours to reach our campsite, the tranquility of the wilderness soothed us, and thoughts of work were forgotten.

A raucous bird interrupted our peaceful evening. He (or she) hopped along the ground at the next campsite to ours before flying into one of the trees surrounding our site. He was loud and repeated his call incessantly – he must have thought he had something really important to say. I shined my headlamp in his direction and his eyes looked like orbs the size of a quarter despite his smallish body, and I wasn’t sure if I was looking at a bird or a flying frog! Thankfully, he stopped yelling at us and moved on after a time.

I fell asleep to the soothing sounds of birds and insects chirping softly, with the occasional croak of a frog. Back in civilization I sleep with earplugs, but I found the earth’s lullaby calming. At 5 o’clock in the morning, our slumber was interrupted by the same brash bird. At first I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but without earplugs to deaden myself to the cacophony, it was hopeless. I’ve since identified this bird as an Eastern Whip-poor-will. I love birds, more than other “normal” people — I did not love this bird.

Finally, he gave up, to my utter relief, around 5:30 AM. I decided to record a blissful 2:30 minutes of the sounds of the Pines that the single, obnoxious bird had obscured before falling back to sleep. Falling asleep to the sounds of nature is the best sleep aid there is, but I do strongly recommend bringing ear plugs in case you find yourself with an unwelcome alarm clock. If you turn the volume up and listen closely you can hear various species of birds (more than I can identify), frogs croaking, various plops of amphibious creatures, and insects.

Besides our unwelcome campsite visitor, we had a wonderful time in the Pine Barrens wilderness. It may be flat, but it is teeming with flora and fauna. For newer hikers or those of us nursing injuries, the soft sand and even terrain makes for a pleasant, stress-free adventure. For more experienced hikers, the Batona Trail is a multi-day backpacking option. The Pinelands are close to major cities like Philadelphia, but holds sacred a wild space for us to explore and recharge.