School has started and time is limited! Does anyone have any recommendations for some great 2-5 mile hikes for the fall? Between homework and classes we only have time for short trips, but still want to hit up some places we haven't been.
suggestions?
- Thread starter Ms Oats
- Start date
Wells Mills is a great park to visit for a short hike.
http://www.ocean.nj.us/ocparks/ContentPage.aspx?ID=41fee2db-374d-49a2-a7ae-f17b5acc6c92
http://www.ocean.nj.us/ocparks/ContentPage.aspx?ID=41fee2db-374d-49a2-a7ae-f17b5acc6c92
Why not walk one of the Pinelands Villages? Park at one end, and take a look around at the vernacular architecture. Stop into the local deli or post office or church and ask the people behind the counter about their place, their families, their trades. Get a sense of what a small town really is and why we value them. Buy something local. Wouldn't it be nice to see Pinelands Commissioners or staffers actually interact with us too!
Wells Mills?!?! Over-rated 
How about the Crossley Preserve? Not too well known or used, yet not too far off the beaten path. Plenty of historic and natural interest.
How about the Crossley Preserve? Not too well known or used, yet not too far off the beaten path. Plenty of historic and natural interest.
During the 2006 Village Redevelopment hearing required cultural surveys were waived, specifically because the staffer in charge of such things "felt Richland contained nothing of historical significance." I wrote back an angry letter in protest. Since then I obtained on my own time a Certificate of Eligibility for the National Register for the Richland Hotel. I couldn't stand the thought of the Township tearing down yet another piece of our village's history. Since redevelopment began, we lost the 1890 railroad "Frog War" embankment, the fire hall (http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/sweet-sassafras.7616/#post-91378), Bank's ice cream parlor and pool hall, and Johnnie Smith's original seed store associated with the hotel and more. We must stop this senseless destruction of our cultural heritage. I shudder to think what has been lost in other villages.
S-M
S-M
I love Crossley! It is a great spot right down the road from home. With Ms. Oats being from Berkeley Township also, that would be a good spot to get in some short trips. Plenty of trails to walk.
Adding to those mentioned, locally you have Double Trouble SP(not just the village areas), Jakes Branch CP, IBSP(soft sand), Cattus Island CP, Barnegat Branch Trail, many of the Ocean County Lands Trust properties and a few WMA's before hunting season begins. The Lands Trust has a nice web site under Ocean County that has a list and pictures of all lands. The state has WMA's listed, with topo maps, under fish & wildlife. Lots of open space close to home.
If you head North up to Monmouth Co you have :
-Allaire State Park .Good place to hike , plenty of history .Ben has good pics in gallery .
-Turkey Swamp Park and Shark river park .
-Manasquan Reservoir -Howell -Great fishing ( freshwater ) Eagles , osprey , 5 Mile perimeter trail great views of reservoir .
These are all within about 20 mins or so from each other .
-Allaire State Park .Good place to hike , plenty of history .Ben has good pics in gallery .
-Turkey Swamp Park and Shark river park .
-Manasquan Reservoir -Howell -Great fishing ( freshwater ) Eagles , osprey , 5 Mile perimeter trail great views of reservoir .
These are all within about 20 mins or so from each other .
I forgot about Monmouth County. Ms Oates, you should plan a Saturday trip to Big Brook this Fall. We had a great time looking for fossils in and along the banks of the brook.
http://cnrecparks.com/big-brook-preserve/
Big Brook and Crossley are the only ones we haven't been too, we were talking about fossil hunting at Big Brook just recently! The WMA's are always great, easy to find something we haven't seen before.
Cattus is a home away from home, we could find our way around there blindfolded, it's one of the best places in OC.
Boyd, we travel and near far for a good hike we haven't done before!!
Cattus is a home away from home, we could find our way around there blindfolded, it's one of the best places in OC.
Boyd, we travel and near far for a good hike we haven't done before!!
It is probably a 90 minute drive, but the Belco ruins at Atlantic County Park at Estell Manor are worth a trip. There are things to do all year round, but it's best to wait for cooler weather when the leaves are off the trees and the chiggers are gone if you really want to explore the hidden ruins. Lots of info here:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/places-like-apple-pie-hill.7983/
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/tuckahoe-wma.8673/
And there are other places to see in the area, like the new 5000 acre Lenape Farms WMA:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/thr...e-5-000-acres-of-woodlands-and-wetlands.8980/
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/a-look-inside-lenape-farms-wma.9150/
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/places-like-apple-pie-hill.7983/
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/tuckahoe-wma.8673/
And there are other places to see in the area, like the new 5000 acre Lenape Farms WMA:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/thr...e-5-000-acres-of-woodlands-and-wetlands.8980/
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/a-look-inside-lenape-farms-wma.9150/
I picked up a bunch of sharks teeth in Big Brook some time ago. I am now told that nothing can be taken out of a WMA. Can someone varify this?
Well, I took Quail out of Greenwood when I hunted there.
Don't see anything like that in the reg's, besides, Big Brook is not a WMA
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wmaregs.htm
A good site for NJ fossil info. When the kids were kids, we used to go to Shark River Park.
http://njfossils.net/
Thanks Boyd, I forgot I had printed out some trail guides for Estelle Manor last fall and we never got there, that just got moved up the priority list!