Looking for trails

G

Gruf

New Member
Jun 24, 2010
13
1
Hello,
I am new here. I have finally got my jeep, a sahara. I know that there is alot of trails out in the pines and I was hopeing that someone could point me in the right direction, as to good places to start looking. I use to go to the pines with my father when I was younger, but that was a long time ago and I don't know if those trail still exist or if they are legal to go on. Please, try to keep in mind that my jeep is stock so please don't direct me to trails that I would have no hope of going down. That being said, I am still looking for something that can be fun to drive, something that will get the new girl dirty. Any tips or advice you can lend would be greatly appreciated. Also does anyone know of a way that I can obtain a map of the dirt roads in the pines. Thank you.
 
Boyd

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
mudboy dave

mudboy dave

Explorer
Oct 15, 2008
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atco
opentrailsnj.org
Boyd said:
Welcome Gruf! If you have a Nuvi, Oregon, Colorado or Dakota GPS then see my Map Of New Jersey, which has very detailed coverage of the pines: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/294/

If you have an older Garmin GPS (eTrex, GPSMap 60 series), you could try my older Map of the Pines, but it is not nearly as accurate or comprehensive. Download here: http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/boydsmapsofthepines/PinesMap-classic.zip
Click to expand...


Look into NJJA )New Jersey Jeep association. It is a good club, very family oriented, monthly rides, some pines based some out in PA. Alot of good benefits with membership.
http://www.njjeep.org/phpbb/
 
Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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What area do you live in? You should start close to home.


Guy
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,638
4,813
Pines; Bamber area
Here’s what you do Gruf my man….

Trip_1A-C.PNG


Start at Lacey Road and Mule Road and head West. This will take you to 539. Right before 539 is Sweetwater Run…a beautiful little stream. Get out and put your toes in the water. Wonderful.

At 539, look to the south, just beyond the stream crossing the road. There is a Greenwood Forest Sign. Park there and cross 539 to get to Webb’s Mill Boardwalk. Very nice this time of year….but watch out for the greenheads.

Go back to where you turned, then head across 539 into the High Mesa area of the Pines. The zig-zag path I’ve given takes you through some high deer fields, then leads you south and then back East.

Trip_1B-C.png


You’ll cross 539 again, and now you’ll be heading in towards the sinister Forked River Mountains. But my trip for you bypasses them, and leads you down past the old Iron Sides Gun Club and onto 532. This way is a nice road for your Sahara. When you get to 532, turn right, and after the stream Well’s Mills will be on your left. Have your picnic with your sweetheart there on the grounds, and then take a short little nature walk through the cedar swamp. You’ll like it. You might even visit the nature center.

Then get back on 532 and head left (southwest) towards Warren Grove. Cross route 72 and keep on 532.

Trip_1C-C.png


When you get into Warren Grove, think how nice it would be to live here away from the maddening crowd. At Lucille’s Diner, turn right, and then bear right onto Beaver Dam Road. Stay on this until you cross a tributary of the Plains Branch. You’ll reach a “T”. Turn left. You are now on the Red Road, and you’ll cross the Plains Branch proper. Stay on this all the way down to the Cranberry bogs, and the road bears right, and heads into Penn State Forest.

Follow the red brick road on my map and you’ll see and visit Bear Swamp Hill, and make a big loop around Penn State Forest. You might want to get out of the Sahara and stretch your legs at the jewel of the Pine Barrens; wonderful Oswego Lake. Linger there and smell the fresh pine air. Continue on your loop. These are fine, wide dirt roads. When you come out, turn left and you’ll be on the Red Road again.

Trip_1D-C.png


As my map shows, take that road all the way north to 72 and cross it. You’ll see some good Pine Plains country up that-a-way. My kind of country.

Trip_1E-C.png


My map dumps you back on 539. From there go North or South to your home.

Thank you for your kind attention Gruf. Whether you go or not, I’ve had my say (as the Brits say on the
BBC site).
 
Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Nice route Bob. He needs to know that it is hard to know the boardwalk is even there, so look for a small path into the woods.

Guy
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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Now thats a man that knows the Pines! part of that route I use to take the grankids from down here near the bay to the popcorn park zoo once a year.we make a day of it with a nice long drive through the pines which to me is the best part though the critters are cool too.I really like that feeder to webbs mill branch you pass over just east of 539.tell me Bob does that stream hold it's character much up and downstream from that point?Looks like a good wade to me.Love the cedars and clear water with a sand/gravel bottom.Been thinking of jumping in and heading downstream.Whats it like? I know you've done it:)
Al
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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bobpbx said:
Your wish is my command Al.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/f28/june-woods-5412/
Click to expand...

Thanks Bob! I never knew that stream was called Sweetwater Branch.It looks as if I will be taking a walk down Webbs Mills Branch someday starting there.It amazes me how some streams are black as tar like the Tulpe and others are red (black water over white sand) like Forked River and others are crystal clear over white sand like Webbs Mills and Cooks Branch and others are clear over sand and gravel mixes like Manumuskin and Menantico,Did you ever notice the soft feel of a dark cedar water stream? The water almost feels like silk! and leaves you nice and hairy when you come out:)
Al
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,638
4,813
Pines; Bamber area
manumuskin said:
Did you ever notice the soft feel of a dark cedar water stream? The water almost feels like silk! and leaves you nice and hairy when you come out:)Al
Click to expand...

Right you are about that silky feeling. What I find odd, is that when I grew up in the 60’s in Hampton Lakes and Presidential Lakes, we would come out of the water with every hair on our body loaded with brown color, but not so much now. When that happens, it is silky, as it must be loaded with that vegetation (almost microscopic). Perhaps some of those early lakes are now flushed.

I did a short walk up Cedar Creek today. It was great. It is very shallow right up from the Dover Forge canoe Landing. A great place to spend a couple hours on a day like today.

The launch
IMG_52311.JPG

Looking upstream
IMG_52341.JPG

My foot in the middle on a sandbar. Really cool.
IMG_52351.JPG

A nice bar
IMG_5237.JPG

Many cedar logs in “cedar” creek. Of course!
IMG_5240.JPG

More nice sand
IMG_5251.JPG

I scooped out a hole and lay down for awhile
IMG_5255.JPG

Buddy liked it too, but was confused as to why I was lying down
IMG_5275.JPG
 
G

Gruf

New Member
Jun 24, 2010
13
1
Wow thanks. I got alot of information and alot of great ideas. I thank everyone for their input. And I am actually in burlington county, so there isn't much by me. But its a pretty short drive out to the pines. And I am hopeing to get out there soon and get onto some trails. Again thank you.
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,665
2,580
60
millville nj
www.youtube.com
when i was a youngun here in laurel lake we'd go swimmin and come out quite hairy.the lake is fed by buckshutem crik,a prime cedar swamp crik if ever there was one. funny i wanted to be hairy as a kid and now i have hair growing in spots that it shouldn't and i wish it would go away:)
 
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