<<<Best Hikes in NJ
Wells Mills County Park - Penns Hill Trail
Waretown, in Ocean County
Summary: A great intro to the terrain of the Pine Barrens at a very nicely kept park. The well-marked Penns Hill Trail is the longest loop in the park and travels through Atlantic white cedar swamps as well as the typical pine and sandy trails of the area. There are some rolling hills - not usually found in the Pine Barrens.
*There is no-hunting at this park.
*Ticks: The Pine Barrens are notorious for ticks. We don't use bug spray in January but it got warm enough that day that we had one on a pantleg. So if you can pick up a tick here in January, imagine what you may end up with in the summer - be prepared.
8.4 miles roundtrip. Easy trail surface of pine and sand, some boardwalks over wet areas, minor rolling hills (really minor - the elevation of Laurel Hill is only 130'!!!). The boardwalks can be slippery in wet or icy conditions.
Shorter options: 3.5 mile GREEN loop, 1.3 mile BLUE, .7 mile PINK or use the GREEN trail in conjunction with WHITE for varying loops.
Map: Park provides a nice trail map here. The visitor center probably has them when they are open in season (we went in January 2010). Trails are VERY well blazed. There are also mileage markers along the Penns Hill Trail, so if you've started the beginning near the visitor center, the mileage will be accurate.
Books: Detailed description and map for the Penns Hill trail
can be found in "Hiking
New Jersey"
Parking: From the Garden State Parkway Southbound: Exit 69 (Waretown); turn LEFT (west) onto Wells Mills Road, Route 532; proceed approx. 2.5 miles to park entrance on the LEFT.
From the Garden State Parkway Northbound: Exit 69 (Waretown); turn LEFT onto Well Mill Road, Route 532; proceed approx. 2.5 miles to park entrance on the LEFT.
Restrooms: Seasonal restrooms, right at the parking lot. (not sure when they are open; were closed in Jan.) There is a reststop on the Parkway around exit 74.
Hike Directions: This route entirely follows the Penns Hill Trail, marked with a WHITE blaze. It's very well marked thru the entire hike, there wasn't one instance where we questioned where to go.
To locate the trailhead, walk past the bathrooms and trail kiosk towards the visitor center. Walk around the right side of the visitor center and heads towards the lake. Look to your right and there is a sign with "Penns Hill 8.4 miles". Start following the WHITE markers, which will hug the shoreline.
Shortly, go through a cedar swamp - a very pretty, dark, wet area crossed on boardwalks.
Pass the BLUE trail on your right. As you exit the swamp area, the trail veers to the right and heads away from the water. Pass GREEN and then YELLOW trails; just keep following WHITE.
The trail becomes more hilly and you don't pass any other trails for awhile.
3.5 miles - come to a wooden fence you need to step over; turn RIGHT onto a woods road. At this point, WHITE is co-aligned with GREEN/YELLOW (these will lead you back to the visitor center if you'd like to cut it short)
A bit further and you'll turn sharply left, still following WHITE.
3.9 miles - cross over Oyster Creek on a boardwalk.
4.0 miles - Follow WHITE as it turns left. GREEN/YELLOW continue straight.
Head over a long boardwalk and areas of dense low-brush on either side of the trail. The trail loops around, going over an area called "The Island" on the map (the loop is actually more pronounced than shown on the park map)
6.0 miles - Cross over the GREEN/YEL trail.
8.2 miles - turns right and is co-aligned with the GREEN trail. Keep following WHITE back to the lot.
