Bass River SF Question

[NJChileHead]

Hi Folks,

We're planning an outing to Bass River toward the end of June. I was pondering the map and we are going to probably rent a canoe for an hour or so, and then walk a loop either north of Stage Road, or south. North is the yellow trail on the map with a short blue around Lake Absegami. South is the pink (not Batona) trail, along with perhaps some of the plum or green trail. Map: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/docs/Bass River Trail Map.pdf

As far as beauty or interesting features, does anyone recommend one option over the other?

Thanks f0r any help that you can give!

 

[46er]

The south(Pink) trail will take you thru the remains of the CCC camp and the tree plantings done thru that area. They are the folks that built Bass River SF. There is a small museum in the VC.

 

[NJChileHead]

Thanks 46er. We actually went today instead of going at the end of the month. We nixed the canoe rental and leisurely walked the pink trail. Very pretty back there, we saw the camp and firefighters memorial. Some of the stretches of towering white pine are really beautiful, a nice contrast against the pitch pines.

I also have never seen as many ticks, anywhere. Usually in the pines I'll stop and pick off one or two here and there. Here we were picking off 5, 6, 7 at a time, walking another 100 feet and picking off another half dozen. Most were nymphs too, which increased the level of concern a bit because they were so small. I know that they are reputed to be worse this year. The flies left us alone though, maybe they were working the evening shift.

Overall it was a great day, but man I think I'm going to wait until October to visit again. Such a beautiful place!

 

[Boyd]

I don't think the ticks are any worse than usual around here. In fact, they may be a bit lighter. But admittedly, I have only been wandering around the area near my home. Did you treat your clothes with permethrin? It really helps.

 

[46er]

Overall it was a great day, but man I think I'm going to wait until October to visit again. Such a beautiful place!

Glad you had a nice walk. I'm with you; prefer autumn and winter for wandering.

 

[Gibby]

I was in Bass River for a few hours this afternoon. The flies and ticks are definitely out, but no more than usual. I had quite a few nymphs on my legs but the Sawyers took care of them. I came across them in the tall grasses off of the trails.

Bass River is one of my favorite areas because I always come across awesome sights. In the few hours I was hiking today, I got a fleeting glimpse of a coyote pup running away from me down a fire cut and a dark phase C. horridus that was almost entirely black.

 

[NJChileHead]

Boyd, I didn't treat the clothing with permethrin, although it's been recommended that I do and I think that I will invest in some.

Gibby, you are lucky, I had the camera handy the whole time because I was salivating at the thought of seeing a C. horridus. It's actually an endeavor at this point. I did see some turkey beard yesterday though.

 

[gipsie]

Itis definitely an awesome place to hike and explore! There is a ton of history to the area and if you go to the visitor center, they tend to be prety helpful! Cynthia (the warden) is eager to help and very enthusiastic about the area.

And hey....if you wait until late August, you can get right in on chigger season!