Wharton State Forest, NJ - Atsion to Quaker Bridge

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.74219, -74.72596

Atsion Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

Wharton State Forest Trail Map (updated 7/22) - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

HIKE DISTANCE:  9.6 miles

THE HIKE: 

The yellow Mullica River Trail starts behind the building ruins.

The is the first marker.  The trail follows the sand road ...

... past this church ...

... then leaves the road on a footpath.

Mullica River

Turning left on purple to loop around back to this spot.

Right on green.

Right on yellow.

Finishing the loop and retracing back.

Wharton State Forest, NJ - 1808 Hiking Trail

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Trails of Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.64065, -74.64547  (These are the coordinates to the entrance of the drive to the Batsto Village parking lot.  Putting in the coordinates of the parking lot took me about 6 miles away.)

Batsto Village Parking Lot

TRAIL MAP: 

Wharton State Forest Trail Map (updated 7/22) - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

1808 Hiking Trail at Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

HIKE DISTANCE:  12.2 miles

THE HIKE: 

This hike incorporates the brand new scenic 1808 and Sand and Water hiking trails that opened June 2022.  There is a 7-mile loop which is done by staying on the Batona Trail where I left to extend the hike with mountain bike trails.

You see a sign for the 1808 trail as soon as  you turn on the road to the parking lot so I figured we had to road walk out on the drive to get to it for starting this loop.

Batsto Village from the parking lot entrance drive.

Just before Hammonton Road the entrance to the trail is on the left and directly opposite on the right ...

... an opening in the fence where I assume you can access the trail without road walking,

This is somewhat confusing because this is not the 1808 Trail.  It is actually the orange Sand and Water Trail that leads to the 1808 Trail.

This is the intersection with the 1808 Trail.

To the left a sign does say we just came off of the Sand and Water Trail.

We turned right on what is now the green 1808 Trail.

I saw this straight ahead and was afraid a bridge might be out or not yet constructed.

But always finding the high road, Brodie was already on it - the bridge was to the right.

Nice job on this trail, Outdoor Club of South Jersey!

The 1808 Trail ends at the Buttonwood Campground where we headed left to the blue trail.

After stopping at camp site #5 for a break at the picnic table.

Turning left on the pink Batona Trail.

I began to see some charred trees.  That would eventually become worse.

The Batona Trail turns left at a paved road and becomes a footpath.

This side of the paved road didn't have charred trees.

Where the Batona Trail turns left coming back out on the paved road is where turning left taking the Batona Trail all the way back would make a 7-mile loop.  We turned right ...

... for a short road walk then left on the sand road.  Trees were very charred here.  Turns out that is from the huge forest fire of June 2022.  The devastation was pretty severe throughout the mountain bike trails we hiked.

Following an unmarked sand road to a left on ...

... the green mountain bike trail.

Left on white.

Packed out balloon #2 of the year.

Left on green.

When green turns left we went straight on an unmarked sand road.

Crossing over orange/blue.

I then found a faint path to the left that lead to the Batona Trail in a short distance.

Left on the Batona Trail.

Staying left on the Batona Trail where white joins in from the right.

Blue joins in from the right.

Leaving the Batona Trail taking a right on white/blue.