Winding River Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK: 

I had found this online several years ago and had it in my hiking file.  I can no longer find it online so I have no idea where it was from or whom to credit. Hope if that person sees this it's OK to use!  There is no other information available about this park.

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.96968, -74.21580

Winding River South Park Picnic Area Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

None

HIKE DISTANCE:  6.2 miles

 

THE HIKE:  

This hike had much more paved path than was to my liking but you have to use it to get to the nicer (in my opinion) dirt paths.

The paved trail starts to the right of the picnic pavilion.

START marks the beginning of the 3.4 mile total out and back on the paved trail.

But as soon as I saw an opportunity, I was off on a dirt trail to the left.

Several paths led uphill to the left ...

... so we went up ...

... and continued on a higher level.

This eventually comes back to the paved trail ...

... with a bridge to cross ...

Winding River

Other than a few short side trails on the left to the river, it's paved path for a while.

Mile markers every quarter of a mile.

After passing the ball field ...

... left to cross Oak Ridge Parkway ...

... then immediately left...

... continuing on a paved bike path.  We had encountered quite a few people on the paved path before Oak Ridge Parkway, once we crossed, there was hardly anyone.  At the very far end of this hike near the pond loop behind homes, I encountered two people with a leashed dog and two off leash dogs with no people (grrrr).  Other than that, not a single person this entire section.

At long last, an opportunity to get on dirt again.  To the left is a parking lot where we would be returning form on the way back.

The trails back in here are quite nice and appear to be maintained.  There were more trails that we did not explore.

After some old pavement ...

... a loop around a pond before heading back.

Some nice river views that you don't get on the paved path.

Coming out at that parking lot ...

... where we rejoined the paved bike path to the left.

Now retracing back.

Exploring a different dirt path along the way which runs along Winding River.

This comes out at another parking lot with ...

... a Children's Memorial Garden at the far end.

We went around behind as dogs are not allowed in the garden.

Apparently this park is inhabited by fairies.

Wharton State Forest, NJ - Whispering Pines and Atlantic White Cedar Hiking Trails

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

New trails open in Wharton State Forest with the help of Medford Vincentown Rotary Club - Trentonian

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 39.846948, -74.676311

Parking at trailhead off Patty Bowker Road.

TRAIL MAP: 

Whispering Pines at Wharton State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

HIKE DISTANCE: 7 miles with additional exploring (a little over 5 if staying with the marked loop)

THE HIKE: 

This is a separate section of Wharton State Forest where new trails opened this past summer of 2022.

The white-blazed Atlantic Cedar Trail starts from the parking lot.

At the loop portion of the white trail we turned left.

Left on the blue-blazed Whispering Pines Trail.

The trail follows along private property (Camp Inawendiwin) for a stretch.

The blue trail turns left on Iricks Causeway Road, barricaded to traffic.

The blue trail leaves to the right but we continued straight for a bit...

... into Friendship Creek Preserve which has no marked trails.

The barricaded bridge over Friendship Creek.

We turned back at this point.

Friendship Creek Preserve/Wharton State Forest boundary.

We turned right on an unmarked path in Friendship Creek Preserve.

This led to an antique car just before a private property line.

Looping around at the car ...

... back to blue on the other side of Iricks Causeway.

You can tell by the sparse trees that old cranberry bogs are up ahead.

An opening to the left leads to the bogs but this is all that can be seen.

We continued on a berm along a drainage which runs parallel to blue on the other side of the drainage to the right.

This eventually ends at a flooded out section where we turned back.

Continuing on blue.

When blue turns right, we went left to explore some more ...

... and ended up the other side of that flooded out section.

You can see the old cranberry bogs along our track in Google Earth but can't really see anything other than the drainage from the ground.

Joining back up where we had left blue and continuing on blue.

Left on white.