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| Hiking the Batona Trail |
The Batona Trail
The Batona trail began in 1961 when the Batona Hiking Club charted and cleared a trail from Carpenter Spring on Lebnon State Forest to Batsto on Wharton State Forest. Subsequent expansion culminated in 1987 with the Batona Trail now stretching from Ong's Hat on Lebanon State Forest, through Batsto and Wharton State Forest, and on to Bass River State Forest, a total of approximately 50 miles. The trail is maintained jointly by the Batona Hiking Club and the State Park Service.
Batona stands for BAck TO NAture. It was planned as a wilderness trail, yet is a very easy to follow trail, mostly flat lands, with some sugar sand trails and wetter areas as one passes through the cedar swamps. The Batona trail is marked with prominent pink blazes, making it very easy to follow. It is accessible at many points as it crosses a number of roads.
Camping along the trail is permitted in designated campsites: Wharton State Forest at Batona Camp and Lower Forge, Lebanon State Forest (oops, I mean Brendan Byrne...but who calls it that??) and in Bass River State Forest at Lake Absegami. A permit is necessary, which may be obtained at the Lebanon State Forest Office (there I go again...), Batsto Visitor Center, Atsion Ranger Station, or the Bass River Forest Office.
My favorite time to hike the Batona is in April, just as the pine barrens tree frogs begin their quonking. If you are interested in backpacking the entire trail but do not wish to hike it alone, consider joining Russ Jeulg of Pinelands Preservation Alliance's Wilderness Adventure for his annual Batona trail hike, April 1-3 2005. Cost is $35 for the weekend, or less if you choose to do only a portion.
Click here for the Courier Post's printable pdf map that shows the entire trail.
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry State Park Service has a map of the Batona trail which can be printed in its parts here:
Map 1
Map 2
Map 3
Map 4
Map 5
And one last map, from the United States Geological Survey:
Mileage
Mileage Table
| Point |
Miles
|
|
north-south
|
south-north
|
Ongs Hat
|
0
|
49.5
|
Deep Hollow
Road
|
3.0
|
46.5
|
Route 70
|
3.9
|
45.6
|
Lebanon Tower
|
4.7
|
44.8
|
Pakim Pond
|
8.0
|
41.5
|
Route 72
|
9.4
|
40.1
|
Route 563
|
10.7
|
38.8
|
Route 532
|
14.0
|
35.5
|
Apple Pie Hill
Tower
|
15.1
|
34.4
|
Batona Camp
|
18.7
|
30.8
|
Carranza
Memorial
|
19.2
|
30.3
|
Hay Road
|
22.5
|
27.0
|
Lower Forge
Camp Turn Off
|
24.5*
|
25.0*
|
Quaker Bridge
|
25.5
|
24.0
|
Washington
Pike & Batsto
|
31.6
|
17.9
|
Evans Bridge
|
40.8
|
8.7
|
Route 679
|
41.5
|
8.0
|
Martha Bridge
|
42.8
|
6.7
|
Stage Road
|
48.7
|
.8
|
Coal Road
|
49.5
|
0
|
*Lower
Forge Camp is 1/4 mile north of turn off.
|
For more information on the Batona Trail, visit the NJ Batona Trail Guide.
Happy hiking!
Created on 2005-02-25 11:16:02 by njpinela
Updated on 2007-05-24 20:25:36 by njpinela
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