Best Kayaking/Canoeing Lakes in Pines?

[46er]

And while there check out the turntable.

If there are any railroad fans, try to get out to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton PA to see a turntable in operation, lots of good stuff there.

https://www.nps.gov/stea

There is also a one In Port Jervis NY, don't think it works.

http://www.portjervisny.com/turntable.htm

 

[manumuskin]

Little known fact but the Menantico Ponds used to have a rail spur, and small switching/loading yard for sand cars. It teed into the main line slightly southeast of the boat launch and ran northwest, crossing what is now the access road and terminating just south of 49. You can see its remnants, now just a straight dirt road. Just east, another rail spur at one time ran north, actually crossing 49 and ending at a gravel pit, now operated by Dunrite, off Mays Landing Rd. Not much left of that one, except a guardrail installed as a gate where it crosses 49, and an obvious former railroad right of way on the property parcel maps.

I"ve walked every inch of that spur and have even driven most of it back when it was accessible.It heads to Tavern Rock which the state destroyed the remnants of that operation back in the 90's.Used to be a great place to explore.

 

[Zach McGarvey]

I've tried driving west under the power lines from Union Rd but couldn't get through. There are a few houses in a clearing in those woods, way back there, with a very long driveway south out to 49. See http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.390882445027934&lng=-74.96544730371613&z=19&type=nj2015&gpx=

You may also be able to enter by that power substation behind the former Ike's Crabcakes, but I don't know if there's a gate these days.

Never heard of Tavern Rock, where is that? As I said before, I lived in East Vineland for over 15 years but I bet most of these places became inaccessible before my time. Most of the dirt roads off Union now have felled trees or big dirt humps, and the one to Bennett's Mill had a gate installed because that became a well known trash dumping place, sometime around 2005-2006.


46er, I stumbled upon that Steamtown NHS you mentioned, pretty much by accident. I was traveling through Scranton with my wife in the fall of 2015 and we stopped at this very sad looking mall, thinking we'd hit the food court for a quick bite to eat. Normally I avoid malls but the parking was very convenient, since as I later found out, the mall is 90% vacant. From the food court though, there was a catwalk-type bridge over some train tracks, which we walked over, and it led to the entrance of Steamtown. We ended up paying the admission and walking around for two or three hours. I don't have any particular interest in steam locomotives or any of that stuff but it was pretty fascinating nonetheless. I was born in Reading and it's the history of the coal region that interests me most.

 

[46er]

We ended up paying the admission and walking around for two or three hours. I don't have any particular interest in steam locomotives or any of that stuff but it was pretty fascinating nonetheless.

Kids of all ages love it, especially if they have a steam loco pulling the train rides

 

[manumuskin]

I've tried driving west under the power lines from Union Rd but couldn't get through. There are a few houses in a clearing in those woods, way back there, with a very long driveway south out to 49. See http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.390882445027934&lng=-74.96544730371613&z=19&type=nj2015&gpx=

You may also be able to enter by that power substation behind the former Ike's Crabcakes, but I don't know if there's a gate these days.

Never heard of Tavern Rock, where is that? As I said before, I lived in East Vineland for over 15 years but I bet most of these places became inaccessible before my time. Most of the dirt roads off Union now have felled trees or big dirt humps, and the one to Bennett's Mill had a gate installed because that became a well known trash dumping place, sometime around 2005-2006.


46er, I stumbled upon that Steamtown NHS you mentioned, pretty much by accident. I was traveling through Scranton with my wife in the fall of 2015 and we stopped at this very sad looking mall, thinking we'd hit the food court for a quick bite to eat. Normally I avoid malls but the parking was very convenient, since as I later found out, the mall is 90% vacant. From the food court though, there was a catwalk-type bridge over some train tracks, which we walked over, and it led to the entrance of Steamtown. We ended up paying the admission and walking around for two or three hours. I don't have any particular interest in steam locomotives or any of that stuff but it was pretty fascinating nonetheless. I was born in Reading and it's the history of the coal region that interests me most.

 

[manumuskin]

Ike was my cousin.He died of a heart attack at an Eagles Game with his ten year old son.Doin what He loved best,rooting for the eagles.His sister Stormi tried running it for a while but gave up on it.I don't know if the family still owns it or not.
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.392255925225776&lng=-74.95779532592775&z=16&type=nj2015&gpx=
This is tavern Rock.It is an old sand operation.There used to be three silos there with ladders up the sides of them.You could climb the ladder on one and get inside through a hole in the wall.It was half full of sand.Me and my brother shoveled out a flat place for a tent with intentions of going back and camping in a silo with a hole for a view but we never did.there was also a concrete building that was partially underground that had a mattress in it where I think the kids were being ornery and a small brick building with a wall knocked out as well.Great place out there for snakes ,they hid in the rocks.State cleared it out early 90's because of liability issues when they bought the land. Didn't want to be sued if a moron tore themselves up.A great place down the tubes
The house you mentioned back in the woods has a hartman map stone right beside the yard at woods edge.It's a several ton boulder so no one is going to take it.It was a hard sneak.I was literally with 50 ft of the back door and within plain sight but i had to get close to get a picture.Who knows where thats at now? I was on the state side of the boundary but it still looks suspicious walking around in the woods at the edge of someones back yard,Especially when your crawling on your belly through the huckleberry till your face pops out in the driveway for a shot at the big rock across the drive.
As far as the power lines west of Ikes last i knew you could get in that way via a go around.They block it people make away around.I have no idea what tie situation is now but several years ago you could get around it.I have never had any problem going in on the east west power line but right before you get to the north south line where they join there is a pretty bad hole.You might want to walk from that point.There is a go around but it's almost as bad as the hole.

 

[Zach McGarvey]

How do the people who live there, access their property? Is there a driveway out to 49? Or to the back of the shooting range? I can't quite tell from the aerial view and I don't remember seeing anything driving by on 49, other than those guardrails where the old tracks used to cross.

 

[manumuskin]

you should be able to see the dirt rd they use here.the pointer is at the entrance.it's the same rd that used to take you to tavern rock only that rd veers off to the right about 50 ft off of 49 and you can see it's not used anymore.The road that is used that veers left is their driveway though your on state ground till you enter their field http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.38403031986406&lng=-74.9759056011963&z=15&type=nj2015&gpx= I know they used to have Dobermans which i was worried about when crawling up on the stone but that day I saw and heard no dogs so they may have died.I saw the dogs in my 20's and found the stone in my 40's and am now in my 50's so the original dogs are long gone

 

[NJChileHead]

Thanks for the info on the kayaks/canoes folks! I think we're going to go with 2 Old Town Twin Herons to start.

 

[46er]

Thanks for the info on the kayaks/canoes folks! I think we're going to go with 2 Old Town Twin Herons to start.

Enjoy them!

 

[Zach McGarvey]

That makes sense. I knew there was a road that headed south towards 49 from the satellite pictures but never could make out where it emerged, and from driving by I couldn't figure it out.

Another road in that area I've always wanted to explore is Doughty's Tavern road. I know it comes out to the intersection of Union and Mays Landing but it's totally overgrown there. Old Union Rd. intersects it but there's a big deep hole not far past the end of the pavement with no way around. Also, I recently checked the gas line ROW entrance to those woods farther north (http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.44090027695907&lng=-74.92098303134577&z=18&type=nj2015&gpx=) and that is completely blocked as well.

Does anyone know if there is any (legal and passable) access to Doughty's Tavern rd, and is there a bridge or culvert where it crosses the Manumuskin? Would love to check it out next time I'm down there, which may be this weekend.

When I was a kid and lived nearby to there, and had plenty of free time, I could only afford to drive 20 year old Honda Civics and the like, so that always limited my backwoods driving. Now that I have the truck with big tires I live an hour away.

you should be able to see the dirt rd they use here.the pointer is at the entrance.it's the same rd that used to take you to tavern rock only that rd veers off to the right about 50 ft off of 49 and you can see it's not used anymore.The road that is used that veers left is their driveway though your on state ground till you enter their field http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.38403031986406&lng=-74.9759056011963&z=15&type=nj2015&gpx= I know they used to have Dobermans which i was worried about when crawling up on the stone but that day I saw and heard no dogs so they may have died.I saw the dogs in my 20's and found the stone in my 40's and am now in my 50's so the original dogs are long gone

 

[NJChileHead]

Enjoy them!

Thanks! Will do!

 

[manumuskin]

That makes sense. I knew there was a road that headed south towards 49 from the satellite pictures but never could make out where it emerged, and from driving by I couldn't figure it out.

Another road in that area I've always wanted to explore is Doughty's Tavern road. I know it comes out to the intersection of Union and Mays Landing but it's totally overgrown there. Old Union Rd. intersects it but there's a big deep hole not far past the end of the pavement with no way around. Also, I recently checked the gas line ROW entrance to those woods farther north (http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.44090027695907&lng=-74.92098303134577&z=18&type=nj2015&gpx=) and that is completely blocked as well.

Does anyone know if there is any (legal and passable) access to Doughty's Tavern rd, and is there a bridge or culvert where it crosses the Manumuskin? Would love to check it out next time I'm down there, which may be this weekend.

When I was a kid and lived nearby to there, and had plenty of free time, I could only afford to drive 20 year old Honda Civics and the like, so that always limited my backwoods driving. Now that I have the truck with big tires I live an hour away.

There is an old fallen apart bridge where Doghty tavern rd crosses manumuskin.I was there 25 years ago and i would not walk across it.There may be nothing left now? The road appears to be a legitimate rd on the newjersey maps site https://newjersey.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bae6f833507745d287a15497d233fbbc so it should be legal to walk from union rd even though it is private property on either side.If you approach from east of manumuskin that is state land or come in from the northwest down old union rd.
There is also a doughty tavern rd from cumberland pond and part of that is walkable/drivable though tight but part of it is abandoned and is a u shaped trence with logs across it occasionally.I have walked most of that.It probably hasn't seen a wagon in well over 100 years..

 

[Boyd]

@Zach McGarvey - have you seen my map of the pines? I don't live far from there, although I haven't explored that area on foot. But my map has a lot of detail, including property lines, openspace, buildings, historical features and roads traced from aerial imagery. https://boydsmaps.com/boyds-map-of-the-pines-hd/

 

[manumuskin]

@Zach McGarvey - have you seen my map of the pines? I don't live far from there, although I haven't explored that area on foot. But my map has a lot of detail, including property lines, openspace, buildings, historical features and roads traced from aerial imagery. https://boydsmaps.com/boyds-map-of-the-pines-hd/

View attachment 10827

Tavern Rock is the gravel pits in upper right hand corner.