A very nice park to hike around in with an interesting old time village to explore. It is a bit far from where I live but i did not regret our trip down to visit this park. It is pet friendly with plenty to explore.
Here is the bad part first:I came here with a group of friends and we reserved a group campsite at Hawkins Bridge Campground group campsite A. First, when we called the office for directions and some information, they gave us GPS coordinates, thats it. nothing else. One car did go to the visitors center and asked for directions. what was not mentioned was that if the wrong road was taken (they were ALL dirt roads and most were poorly maintained) you were likely to get stuck in a ditch or sand dune and would have to get your car towed out. this is something that happened with some regularity. 3 out of the 5 cars on this trip experienced some difficulty and two had to be towed out (one minivan, one sedan). Second, upon arriving at the campsite, there was garbage strewn about. Three, while the site itself was quite large, the group campsites were literally right next to and on top of each other (A&B) and it was in a large clearing. Luckily for us, there was no one at campsite B next to us. Three - camp permits reserved online add on fees. Four, I didnt see ANY hiking trails with blazes on them. so incredibly easy to get lost in these woods. no wonder the sopranos buried dead bodies in this forest. no one ever came to check my campsite permit. it was also easy to get lost. while being next to the wading river was great, the fact that information was not given forthright, and it was poorly maintained makes me not want to return again. It seems that if you are in the know, you should be fine. otherwise, they dont tell you anything and all the local repair shops and tow trucks make some extra money off the poor campers that werent told that this drive up campsite came with the cavaet of unmarked (no street signs ANYWHERE) poorly maintained dirt roads.
I've been here twice and loved it. We parked a car at the Batsto village and followed the trails. It's very quiet and peaceful and scenery is beautiful. We could spend only half day but next time I plan to spend the whole day. It's only an hour away from Philadelphia. If you want to get away from a city for the weekend, this is a place to go.
Goshen Pond is one of my favorite camping sites in the East Coast. Beautiful cold mist in the morning, kayaking cedar water in the afternoon, quiet-cozy-relaxed evening by the campfire. What more can you ask for for a small weekend getaway?
Big, peaceful forest. The trees aren't very tall - I think some of the old growth may have been destroyed by fire. But, if you visit some of the ghost towns (we went to Harrisville), you can see how thoroughly the forest has reclaimed areas that humans had cleared for construction. It was drizzling on us for a while, which somehow made the peaceful trails and meandering waterways seem even more enchanting. Great place for nature lovers and history lovers alike.
I have spent many times out in the wilderness and was not disappointed with the unique ecosystem that the Pine Barrens offers. Wharton State Park is a great starting point for exploration as it offers a great base for hiking, swimming, and canoeing. We stayed at Atsion State Park, which offers HUGE sites with a fire ring, picnic table, and showers (rustic this is camping mind you) and clean water. If you reserve early enough, the spots right off Atsion river offer a fantastic little spot within a few steps from your site (the lake is hidden behind some trees ). We rented a canoe from Adams Canoe, which is right down the street from the campground. The owner dropped the canoe off and picked it up at our convenience. Our plan was to canoe down the Batso river,but the conditions were not suitable and settled for canoeing around the lake. The birds early morning on the lake were fantastic even for rookie birders like us. The Atsion and Batso office staff were friendly and helpful. Upon recommendation, we hiked the 4 mile Batso River Loop starting at Batso village and did not encounter a soul on our trip. The path led us next to the Batso river and curved down around not the forest full of wild blueberries. This trip was done during the week,so it may be more crowded on the weekends for the weekend warrior crowd. Another cool little activity is swimming in the Atsion lake off the man-made beach. Not quite a rustic swimming hole, but on an extremely hot day, we were happy to be able to drive 5 minutes (or canoe) to the sandy beach for a dip in the lake. Wharton State Forest and Atsion campground has got us thinking about another trip to further explore the Pines. We didn't encounter the Jersey Devil, but we did realize why he likes hanging around the Pine Barrens so much!
I love it here! It's not too far from home, but it's very private and natural! You wake up early to deer eating with their babies! So cute! And it's very clean! The last time we went, we were the only people around! Lots of trails to hike, and they have bathrooms scattered around. Which is very convenient. The do have family sites with cabins and stuff. I personally like the primitive sites. Fire ring is already there, just bring yourself and your tent! Now that's camping! I would absolutely, 100%, recommend that everyone reading this! go there! You'll love it!
Over the years we have enjoyed various hikes at Wharton State Forest. Trails look very different in different seasons. A very interesting place to go! Winter scenes can be especially beautiful.
In addition to the historic buildings located throughout the park, there are walking, cycling and horse trails in this park. The walking trails around the lake are very manageable. Additionally the park is 'pet friendly' so dogs are welcome. Great throughout the seasons. Can be confusing to get to so check directions thoroughly.
Wharton State Forest may not be recommended for camping but it is a great place to hike. There are several hiking trails out of Batsto. You can pick the famous Batona trail here. One of the best hikes is Corranza Monument to Apple Pie Hill. Round trip 8,2 miles highly recommended. All trails are relatively easy and picturesque. There is only a limited number of hiking locations in South Jersey and this is one of nicer ones. We did not camp here but walking through the camp ground the conditions seemed spartan. In spite of that there were many happy looking young campers here.In Wharton you can also canoe the Mullica river and Batsto as well as visit the historical industrial village of Batsto and the Mansion.