New Jersey's Most Mysterious Region Is A Wooded Beauty To Explore Abandoned Towns, Swim, And Hike

When most people think of New Jersey, images of a vast, untamed wilderness probably don't spring to mind. But the Garden State is home to one of the largest forested regions on the eastern seaboard. The New Jersey Pine Barrens is an area of around 1.1 million acres that spreads across seven counties in the state. Covering over 20% of New Jersey's land area, these pinelands are one of the largest surviving examples of the Atlantic coastal pine barren ecosystem, a fascinating ecological occurrence.

The New Jersey Pine Barrens is a deeply mysterious place. The unique ecosystem of super-acidic, infertile soil — that allows the growth of a variety of pine species but not much else — makes for a surreal environment. These dense, dark pine forests have been left to their own devices for centuries and are unsuitable for agriculture. However, the pinelands provide a wonderful habitat for rare species of birds, animals, and carnivorous plants. The ghostly remains of the villages and settlements that grew up around former mining and logging industries offer a glimpse into the past and help to perpetuate the otherworldly aura that gives the New Jersey Pine Barrens its delightfully unsettling ambiance.

The New Jersey Pine Barrens has an intriguing past and more than its fair share of myths and legends. Fire plays a starring role in the region's history, as regular forest fires were integral to the creation and preservation of its unique ecosystem before human habitation and still today. Charcoal burning was a major industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, along with bog iron mining, lumber, and glassmaking, all of which eventually collapsed or moved elsewhere, leaving ghost towns and industrial ruins among the pines. 

The bewitching combination of ethereal pine woods and remnants of the past make it easy to understand why the New Jersey Pine Barrens are full of spooky stories. The most famous legend is that of the Jersey Devil, a creature supposedly born the 13th child of a local woman in the 18th century, who was cursed to roam the Barrens after attacking its mother and nurses. The Pine Barrens is also said to be the home of a variety of phantoms, including Captain Kidd, the Black Doctor, and the Golden-Haired Girl. 

One of the main attractions of the Pine Barrens is the gorgeous Blue Hole. This clear blue lake in the middle of the forest stands out from other ponds and swimming holes in the region that tend to be muddy brown. Although swimming is not technically permitted, the Blue Hole is a popular spot, especially during the summer. According to legend, the Blue Hole is bottomless and remains ice-cold year-round regardless of the weather.

The Pine Barrens is crisscrossed with a network of sandy roads, old stagecoach routes, and former logging trails, making it a superb place to explore by foot. There are an abundance of fantastic hiking trails, including the Batona Trail, which stretches for over 52 miles. Hiking in the Barrens gives visitors the chance to immerse themselves in this fabulous ecosystem, discovering cranberry bogs and blueberry fields, several species of orchids, abandoned railway lines, and a huge variety of majestic pine trees. There is also plenty of wildlife hidden among the pines, like black bears, deer, eastern timber rattlesnakes, and tree frogs.

Just as exciting is the chance to paddle your way down the network of rivers, creeks, and aquifers that cut through the wilderness. The Batsto and Mullica rivers offer awesome kayaking and canoeing for all skill levels, with some excellent trips that include winding channels, swimming spots, wide-open lakes and marshlands, and beaver dams.

Seeing the abandoned towns and contemporary communities of the Pine Barrens is also a treat. The carefully restored Batsto Village is a great place to start, with its weekend reenactments and museum. Whitesbog Village is where the first cultivated blueberry was grown. There is also much to uncover in the ruins of the burnt-out Brooksbrae Brick Factory.