Detailed hike info and directions on our Woods of Wenonah page.

We decided to check out this small park as part of our South Jersey Sampler – we were in the area for some post-holiday gatherings, so we had hiked Estelle Manor the day before, spent the night in Williamstown, and hit Wenonah on the way to the Turnpike.

The Woods of Wenonah is a U-shaped wooded area that surrounds the town of Wenonah. It has several short trails, with access paths that lead off into neighborhoods. It’s not remote by any means, as houses are visible along most of the route. It’s a nice little park though, and we felt the Comey’s Lake area was the prettiest part. Read more…

NJ Hiking NJ General Moderate, South NJ

Hike details found on the Belleplain State Forest page.

After a few weekend obligations and my nagging cold kept us from getting in any hikes other than a couple jaunts at Cheesequake, we were happy to get back out this weekend.

Since we were dog-sitting in south Jersey we took advantage of having lodging only about a half hour from Belleplain (normally would be about 2 hrs from central NJ). Bela is an avid hiker, but at age 15 with cranky joints is now retired from long hikes, so we couldn’t take her along (although she’d still try and hike all day if you let her!)

Belleplain State Forest is in the New Jersey Pine Barrens… so it’s all endless pine and Atlantic white cedar – quite different from the north part of NJ. South Jersey is also flat as a pancake so the hiking is easy. Read more…

NJ Hiking Pine Barrens Lake, Moderate, South NJ

This may be our favorite hike in the Pine Barrens. It’s the typical pine trees and packed sandy trails, but adds in views along the Mullica River and just seems to be the most scenic and pleasant route in the area.

We decided we couldn’t bear to trudge through even one little bit of slushy snow today, so we opted to head down south again. The weather did not disappoint – 50 sunny degrees that felt more like the end of March than February.

9.6 miles. Trail surface is level, soft sand and pine needles, barely any elevation change. We’d rate it between moderate and challenging only due to length, the trail itself is very easy.

All trails are well marked with mileage signs along the way and at intersections. As with any hike in the pine barrens, keep an eye on the blazes to make sure you don’t wander off onto one of the many unmarked sand roads. Read more…

NJ Hiking Pine Barrens Moderate, South NJ

We tried this hike nearly one year ago to the day but had to cut it short due to snow (see “Brendan Bryne – Pakim Pond/Mt. Misery Trail“). So this time we waited for the snow to be finally gone from South Jersey before we headed down.

This trail is a great sample of New Jersey’s pine barrens: endless pine, sandy trails covered in pine needles, and cranberry bogs. It’s also a hike that is more about the journey than the destination: Mt. Misery is the end point but there is not much to see… just the back of some old, uninteresting buildings. And it’s not even a hill, let alone a mount!

9.9 miles. While long in length, we’d rate this hike somewhere between moderate and challenging. Moderate, since the trail surface is level, and covered with soft pine needles or sand roads. Challenging, because it still is almost 10 miles plus we feel it can be easy to get lost here. If you’ve never hiked 10 miles but regularly do 7 or 8 (or even 6) mile hikes on the hills and rocks of Northern Jersey, this could still be doable for you. Read more…

NJ Hiking Pine Barrens Lake, Moderate, South NJ

Opted for a hike in the Pine Barrens, somewhere with little snow left on the ground and some green on the trees. Temperatures were around 25 degrees but it really wasn’t that bad once you got moving.

4.1 miles + about a mile walking around the Village - Easy terrain. Mostly level, packed dirt and some softer sand (frozen solid today), occasional roots, very minimal elevation change. There was some hard-packed snow/ice on the trail, about 40% of the route, in patches.

Route: White Trail, from the back end of the visitor center parking lot. Trails are well marked and very easy to follow, pick up a detailed trail map at the kiosk outside the visitor center. There are other routes here of varying length, including the Batona Trail. Read more…

NJ Hiking Pine Barrens Easy Hike, Historical, South NJ, Winter Hike