Service, Kayak, Hike, History in New Jersey's Hidden Gem: The Pine Barrens

The Trip

We’ll work and stay in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the vast, vast, and little-known wilderness of the Northeast. This remote, beautiful natural oasis, between the sprawling cities of New York and Philadelphia, has a unique ecosystem, one of the largest aquifers in the U.S., and more than one million acres of pine and cedar forests, sprinkled with pristine lakes, meandering rivers, bogs, wetlands, and marshes, all largely untouched by development. The human history and rich folklore of the Pine Barrens add a layer of mystery and adventure and inspired the legend of the New Jersey Devil as well as films and TV series such as the Sopranos and X Files. The forests are strewn with ruins of ghost towns, forgotten villages, abandoned mills, and revolutionary battlegrounds, relics of vanished worlds and industries that once flourished in their depths.

Our 6-night, 7-day service trip includes 3.5 days of work at the sustainable, chemical-free Rancocas Creek Farm and trail work with the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. In our free time, we will kayak the scenic Batsto River, take short hikes, visit historic Batsto Village (founded in 1766) and a cranberry bog (optional) in the restored village of Whitesbog (founded in 1857), and explore ruins of abandoned ghost towns. After work and during our evenings we will learn about the unique ecology, human history, and near-mystical folklore of the Pine Barrens. There are many places nearby for you to explore before or after your service trip: the New Jersey shore (about a 1-hour drive) with its various offerings, such as Brigantine, the Wetlands Institute, and the Jacques Cousteau Coastal Education Center; Philadelphia (less than a 1-hour drive); or New York City (a 1.5- to 2-hour drive).

The Pine Barrens were inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape tribe since approximately 1200 AD, long before European settlers arrived in the area. The Lenape Indians were known as peaceful people, living mainly along the rivers and engaged in hunting, fishing, and agriculture. Interestingly, the Lenape Indians employed fire management to aid in hunting and cultivation. Interactions with settlers were initially peaceful but slowly deteriorated. With the arrival of English colonialism, tribal land was gradually sold for a pittance to white settlers, and the Lenni-Lenape population was slowly decimated by war, alcohol, and contagious diseases such as smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, and malaria, all introduced by the outsiders. The first and only Indian reservation in New Jersey, called Brotherton Reservation, was established in 1758 in Burlington, when the tribe relinquished all their rights to land in NJ, except for access to hunting and fishing. Initially successful, under the supervision of Reverend Brainrend, the reservation fell into disarray when the reverend left due to illness. The remaining scores of Indians were scattered elsewhere, mainly outside New Jersey. The reservation was sold in 1801 and the proceeds were given to the remaining tribe members, fewer than 85.

The Project

We will work 3.5 days of our 7-day trip, according to the needs of our partner, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the Pine Barrens, including public education about its vital importance. Projects will include working at the sustainable, chemical-free Rancocas Creek Farm and doing trail maintenance. Work will be within a 20- to 40-minute drive from our lodging. We will carpool in participants’ vehicles to the work sites and excursions. The Alliance and farm staff will guide our work, and all tools will be provided. 

Our schedule is subject to change, based on weather conditions and the needs of our service partners. Each morning, we'll eat our hot or cold breakfast in camp (around 7:15-8:15 a.m.), and prepare our packed lunches. Then we'll carpool to our work sites or activities (20-40 minutes from camp). On service days, we'll work from approximately 9 a.m. to 3/3:30 p.m., stopping for a lunch break.

Day 1: No service work today. Arrive after 3 p.m. and get cabin assignments. After dinner (prepared by camp staff), we will have an evening program consisting of a welcome, introductions, a preview of the week’s agenda, and a campfire with roasted marshmallows.

Day 2: This morning, we will do a half-day of service work with Pinelands Preservation Alliance or at their sustainable farm. We'll take the afternoon off, enjoying an optional visit to Whitesbog historic village and cranberry bog ($10 admission not included in trip price), a scenic drive of highlights of Pine Barrens (with carpooling), or swimming, kayaking, or relaxing on our lodging grounds. In the evening, we will enjoy a presentation or movie.

Day 3: Again in the morning, we do a half-day of service work with Pinelands Preservation Alliance or at their sustainable farm. In the afternoon we will visit and hike in historic Batsto Village. In the evening, we will enjoy a presentation.

Day 4: Today we will do a full day of service work with Pinelands Preservation Alliance or at their sustainable farm.

Day 5: Instead of doing service work, we will do a full-day guided kayak (easy, no experience necessary) on the scenic Batsto River with Pinelands Preservation Alliance. In the evening, we will enjoy a hike or program.

Day 6: After a morning hike, we will do a half-day of service work with Pinelands Preservation Alliance or at the sustainable farm. At night we will have our farewell dinner.

Day 7: After breakfast and camp cleanup, we will check out. Afterward, local excursions and activities are optional and not included in the price of the trip (suggestions will be sent to registered participants).

Getting There

The closest major airports are Philadelphia International Airport, PA, (about a one-hour drive) or Newark International Liberty Airport, New Jersey (about a 1.5-hour drive).

Greyhound buses can be taken from Philadelphia to Mt. Laurel, NJ, about 15-20 minutes from Medford. https://www.greyhound.com/en/ecommerce/schedule 

Amtrak’s Atlantic City line goes to Atco NJ, about 20 min from Medford.: Amtrak.com

All public transit options: https://www.wanderu.com/en-us

Taxi/ride service estimator: https://ride.guru/estimate/

Uber estimate: https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate/

Lyft estimate: https://www.lyft.com/rider/fare-estimate

Taxi: Estimates for taxi & ride share services: $50-70 from PHL or Amtrak 30th Street Station to CDW 

Detailed driving instructions will be forwarded to participants shortly before the beginning of the trip. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay at the idyllic, streamside Camp Dark Waters in Medford, New Jersey. We will share rustic cabins, nestled in peaceful woods. Breakfasts and dinners are prepared by camp staff  (no cooking ourselves!). We will be able to swim, canoe, or hike the adjacent stream and woods using the camp’s equipment during our free time. We will pack our lunches for our service and excursion days.

We will share bathrooms and showers with individual stalls about 100 feet from the cabins. We will also share a dining area, a small lounge/library, and outdoor meeting spaces. 

Breakfasts will include hot and cold selections. While meat will be served at main meals, we will emphasize plant-based, sustainable, and seasonal options and support local producers and vendors as much as possible. 

Meals will include vegetarian and vegan options, and we will do our best to accommodate special diets. The required pre-trip forms include space to specify dietary needs.

To minimize waste, we ask participants to bring their reusable beverage containers and lunch kits. 

Trip Difficulty

This trip will be easy to moderate. There will be easy hiking on mostly level ground on paved, gravel, or maintained trails. Kayaking will be on meandering, slow-moving shallow water. Our service work will include digging, weeding, removing brush, and using hand tools.

Equipment and Clothing

Bring work clothing suitable for late summer/early fall. Long sleeves and slacks are recommended to minimize insect bites, ticks, and exposure to plants. A more detailed list will be sent before the trip.

Our service partners will provide the tools and equipment needed for our outdoor work. (Optional: your work gloves.)

References

• McPhee, John, The Pine Barrens.
• Boyd, Howard, Pine Barrens Odyssey.
• Forman, Richard T. T., Pine Barrens Ecosystem and Landscape.
• Antenna, Cathy, Discovering New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. 
• Riley, Karen, The Pine Barrens of NJ. 
• Pedersen, Paul Evans, The Legendary Pine Barrens: New Tales from Old Haunts.
• Solem-Stull, Barbara, Ghost Towns, and Other Quirky Places in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.