Batona Trail Re-route

kayak karl

Explorer
Sep 18, 2008
495
79
68
Swedesboro, NJ
Did the whole thing last Thursday-Sunday. The reroute by Bass River (which I hadn't done) is great. That section was kinda boring with the walks down the roads. The reroute breaks it up before you hit that long stretch on the Martha Road.

Having done the whole trail at once, I had to give in and admit that the Parker Preserve reroute is my favorite section of trail now (replacing the Carranza to Apple Pie Hill section). That stretch has everything I could hope for, pine forests, swamps, bogs... the folks that built it went out of their way to be creative with it, and I love it.

Was happy to get 13 kids and one other adult down the whole trail (57.2 miles total with the campsite turnouts). Was kind of suprised to run into four other backpackers who were doing the whole thing. I've never knowingly met anyone else who did the Batona in one go, I always figured the sort of people who would backpack that far would head up to the water gap or out to PA to the Appalachian Trail.
 

kayak karl

Explorer
Sep 18, 2008
495
79
68
Swedesboro, NJ
I think there are people who run it in one day. At least they did when it was 3o some miles.
they still do. about 10 cross country runners wearing red and white, blow by me one time. don't know if they made it, but i was north of lower forge and it was about noon. them going north, me south.
 
I just got back from my first Batona trail backpacking trip with my dog. I was not aware of the re-route until I came up to a tree with a sign on it showing the new trail. I agree with the other posts - the new section was my favorite part, but there were some areas of the trail that were flooded & required us to climb through shrubs and thorn bushes off to the side. I wish I knew about the re-route so I would have an up to date map, but It was pretty well blazed. I left Batona Camp at 1030am and got to Byrne campsite at about 645 pm (including 45 minutes searching for our campsite and several rest breaks to enjoy the view along the way.) There was one time that we got off trail, but I think that was mostly my fault for not paying attention at a turn. I also found that we picked up much fewer ticks in this section compared to the southern areas of the trail.
 
The new trails are very well blazed. I also have to say that whoever fixed the trail blazing on older parts of the trail has done a real bang up job of it. I especially love the little pink arrows for spots where it's not 100% clear where the trail turns. I only missed two turns in the whole 53 miles of trail. There have been hikes in past years where you could miss that many in a single mile!
 
I finished a day-by-day outline of how I backpacked the Batona at the beginning of the month in case anyone is interested:

Day 1 - Coal Road to Buttonwood Camp - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....ay-1-bass-river-and-wharton-state-forests-nj/
Day 2 - Buttonwood Camp to Lower Forge - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....kpacking-day-2-wsf-buttonwood-to-lower-forge/
Day 3 - Lower Forge to Brendan Byrne Campground - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....ckpacking-day-3-lower-forge-to-brendan-byrne/
Day 4 - Brendan Byrne Campground to Ong's Hat - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....g-day-4-brendan-byrne-campground-to-ongs-hat/
 

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,840
958
I finished a day-by-day outline of how I backpacked the Batona at the beginning of the month in case anyone is interested:

Day 1 - Coal Road to Buttonwood Camp - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....ay-1-bass-river-and-wharton-state-forests-nj/
Day 2 - Buttonwood Camp to Lower Forge - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....kpacking-day-2-wsf-buttonwood-to-lower-forge/
Day 3 - Lower Forge to Brendan Byrne Campground - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....ckpacking-day-3-lower-forge-to-brendan-byrne/
Day 4 - Brendan Byrne Campground to Ong's Hat - http://southjerseytrails.wordpress....g-day-4-brendan-byrne-campground-to-ongs-hat/

Mike, can you get by the flooded road without boots?
The place I am asking about is at the Ives Branch
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.65566308668406&lng=-74.46704864501953&z=15&type=nj1995&gpx=
Day 1
Once we get back to “old trail”, the Batona wanders for a few more miles, following a flooded out road next to a pond, which is fun.

Thanks,
Ed
 
Mike, can you get by the flooded road without boots?
The place I am asking about is at the Ives Branch
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.65566308668406&lng=-74.46704864501953&z=15&type=nj1995&gpx=
Day 1
Once we get back to “old trail”, the Batona wanders for a few more miles, following a flooded out road next to a pond, which is fun.

Thanks,
Ed

Hi Ed,

Yep, no problem without boots, there is a built up bit on the left side that will take you safely by without getting wet.

Mike
 
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