Historic Highways of America

Teegate

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We did it in 2008. However, I never saved my tracks so I am uncertain where it began and ended.


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Apr 6, 2004
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Galloway
Are you comfortable confirming how to access and walk this trail? I searched Buttonwood Hill and Mordecai swamp and saw the swamp and buttonwood camp to the east of Batsto, but using all the map versions on this site, I did not see a trail ? My wife and I would enjoy this walk I'm sure. Thanks you in advance for you help.

From Buttonwood Hill, walk into the woods due west. You will find the raised road bed where mountain laurel dominates. The road becomes more clear as you travel west. You can see it on Boyd's Lidar here: https://online.boydsmaps.com/#19/39.62905/-74.61895/lidarHD
 
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icesailr

New Member
Sep 27, 2020
14
7
Manasquan, NJ
Have you ever walked the Causeway from Buttonwood Hill to Batsto through Mordecai Swamp? Regular highway with seven foot circumference cedar growing in it.
From Buttonwood Hill, walk into the woods due west. You will find the raised road bed where mountain laurel dominates. The road becomes more clear as you travel west. You can see it on Boyd's Lidar here: https://online.boydsmaps.com/#19/39.62905/-74.61895/lidarHD
Thank You. my googling of Buttonwood Hill only came up with the camp at that location and also pinned it at further up that road. I learned a lot from Boyds maps today, and had been leaning towards looking there, but wondered if the 60' highest elevation way up the road might not better fit the description of "hill". Thanks again.
 
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RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
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Pestletown, N.J.
Are you comfortable confirming how to access and walk this trail? I searched Buttonwood Hill and Mordecai swamp and saw the swamp and buttonwood camp to the east of Batsto, but using all the map versions on this site, I did not see a trail ? My wife and I would enjoy this walk I'm sure. Thanks you in advance for you help.

I walked it once with Pinelandpaddler from this site and it is well worth the search. Unfortunately, I can't give you much of a hint other than walk through the semi-clear area that is Buttonwood Hill and would also be the extension of westbound 542 at the spot marked on the Boyd's map below. It would be as if you didn't make the bend and went straight through the woods on the extension of 542.

You'll know when you have found it. It is well defined and traverses some amazing cedar swamp.

 
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Apr 6, 2004
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Thank You. my googling of Buttonwood Hill only came up with the camp at that location and also pinned it at further up that road. I learned a lot from Boyds maps today, and had been leaning towards looking there, but wondered if the 60' highest elevation way up the road might not better fit the description of "hill". Thanks again.

The "hill" is right there at the camp. Two sycamores (button woods) grow from it. https://online.boydsmaps.com/#21/39.62879/-74.61828/njgin2012i
 
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icesailr

New Member
Sep 27, 2020
14
7
Manasquan, NJ
I walked it once with Pinelandpaddler from this site and it is well worth the search. Unfortunately, I can't give you much of a hint other than walk through the semi-clear area that is Buttonwood Hill and would also be the extension of westbound 542 at the spot marked on the Boyd's map below. It would be as if you didn't make the bend and went straight through the woods on the extension of 542.

You'll know when you have found it. It is well defined and traverses some amazing cedar swamp.

Perfect info !
 

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Thanks! :)

Unfortunately, I have suspended work on the LIDAR site for the time being. Maybe next year? I really appreciate the support you guys have given me, but the fact is that there's very little interest. Looking at the stats, there have only been 29 visitors to lidar.boydsmaps.com during September. During the same period, 613 people used online.boydsmaps.com and there were 252 at boydsmaps.com.

So, I'm concentrating my efforts where they benefit the most people. Am still working on my new topo map, which has stretched into 7 months and about 800 hours, with several more weeks to go. Never planned to spend that much time, but it's ended up being the most detailed and complex map I've ever made. Then I'll devote all my time to a mobile site since I think there are a lot of people who would like to access my maps in the field on their phones. With a little luck, that should be ready by the end of the year.
_________________
Update 1/23/2024: I see that people are coming across this old thread and finding links that no longer work. Have fixed most of the bad links and want to add that many things have changed at boydsmaps in the last four years. There are now multiple LIDAR-based maps with coverage expanding to the entire US Mid-Atlantic region (will soon expand to all of New England). When viewing any map in this region, click the blue cube toolbar button (desktop version of boydsmaps only). This will open the 3d terrain viewer, a powerful app that gives you a lot of control over the appearance of the LIDAR imagery in both 2d and 3d views.
 
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Apr 6, 2004
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Thanks! :)

Unfortunately, I have suspended work on the LIDAR site for the time being. Maybe next year? I really appreciate the support you guys have given me, but the fact is that there's very little interest. Looking at the stats, there have only been 29 visitors to lidar.boydsmaps.com during September. During the same period, 613 people used online.boydsmaps.com and there were 252 at boydsmaps.com.

So, I'm concentrating my efforts where they benefit the most people. Am still working on my new topo map, which has stretched into 7 months and about 800 hours, with several more weeks to go. Never planned to spend that much time, but it's ended up being the most detailed and complex map I've ever made. Then I'll devote all my time to a mobile site since I think there are a lot of people who would like to access my maps in the field on their phones. With a little luck, that should be ready by the end of the year.

Hey, that little bit of interest goes a long way! Your new lidar map has shone light on many things for me. How much do you charge per hour? ;)I might just pay to see those tiles along the Mullica (both sides).
 
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Boyd

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Glad it's been helpful! But the basic problem, which I've mentioned before, is that the 1-meter LIDAR ends at the county line (in the middle of the Mullica). Believe me, you can't afford to pay my hourly rate, considering how much time it takes to make those maps. :D
 
Apr 6, 2004
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Galloway
Glad it's been helpful! But the basic problem, which I've mentioned before, is that the 1-meter LIDAR ends at the county line (in the middle of the Mullica). Believe me, you can't afford to pay my hourly rate, considering how much time it takes to make those maps. :D

OK, I'll pay by tile! :) Lots of stuff I'd love to see on the north shores.
 

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
I appreciate that, but I need to concentrate on the new topo map. There are only so many hours in the day and that project has taken way too long... I need to get it finished and start working on the mobile site. In the future I might consider special projects for something like $50/hour. But lots of hours are involved with making maps. And running a business, writing contracts, collecting payments, etc is just more than I currently want to deal with. I'd rather concentrate on free resources that everyone can use. Now... if somebody wants to hire me full-time for an outrageous salary, that's another matter. :D

BTW, here's something I recently told Ben and Guy about. In July, I got a Facebook message from somebody at Cineflix Media saying they wanted to license some of my maps (especially LIDAR) to use in a new documentary about the Pines. Unfortunately, I really don't use FB Messenger and never noticed the message until September, which was obviously too late. Cineflix is actually a big production company, wonder what they are working on? Perhaps another Jersey Devil or Bigfoot doc? :jd:

Sorry for the thread hijack, we are getting way off topic here...
 
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manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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Are you comfortable confirming how to access and walk this trail? I searched Buttonwood Hill and Mordecai swamp and saw the swamp and buttonwood camp to the east of Batsto, but using all the map versions on this site, I did not see a trail ? My wife and I would enjoy this walk I'm sure. Thanks you in advance for you help.
drive into the Buttonwood Hill camp site. Park and walk to the southwest corner of the clearing about here, https://boydsmaps.com/#18/39.62865/-74.61867/pines1995bw and walk down into the swamp and you'll see a low ridge heading westward into the swamp.As you progress down this shallow ridge it will get higher as the swamp level drops into a true wet swamp.Sometimes you may ha ve tp stay in the swamp to follow it and other times can walk the causeway.There are some very big cedars growing on it..The causeway can be lost when it crosses the sandy islands in the swamps interior but if you look at old maps that show where it changes direction and you may have to drop into the swamp and circle the island ends to pick it back up.It can be followed from crowleytown to batsto with just a little route finding where it fades into the islands.
 
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icesailr

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Sep 27, 2020
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Manasquan, NJ
drive into the Buttonwood Hill camp site. Park and walk to the southwest corner of the clearing about here, https://online.boydsmaps.com/#18/39.62865/-74.61867/pines1995bw and walk down into the swamp and you'll see a low ridge heading westward into the swamp.As you progress down this shallow ridge it will get higher as the swamp level drops into a true wet swamp.Sometimes you may ha ve tp stay in the swamp to follow it and other times can walk the causeway.There are some very big cedars growing on it..The causeway can be lost when it crosses the sandy islands in the swamps interior but if you look at old maps that show where it changes direction and you may have to drop into the swamp and circle the island ends to pick it back up.It can be followed from crowleytown to batsto with just a little route finding where it fades into the islands.
Thank You. It sounds like a great adventure.
 
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manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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This old road is not a trail.It is an obvious berm heading into the swamp toward batsto from Buttonwood Hill.There will be spots where the vegetation will force you to walk beside it in the swamp .As the road crosses patches of higher ground it disappears and has to be searched for on the other side of the high ground.Looking at the road on Lidar and taking coords to use in a gps would help you in finding it again.This is no walk in the park but it's far from the worst I"ve done.There are some really good sized cedar trees growing right in the road..I will check LIDAR and see if I can put a screen shot of the road here for you
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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