Beginner Backpacker, Batona Trail, NJ

Leader: Glenn Shealy (C: 302/593-6144; E: ).

The route in the famous Pine Barrens covers varied land features and forest types while meeting a number of streams and ponds along the way. Many areas rich in history also lie along the trail, with names like Four Mile, Lebanon, Batsto, and Martha to remind us of the towns which once thrived here. It is relatively flat so is a good trip for beginners or those needing a refresher. Contact the leaders for further details and to sign up.

General Information:
Recreational: the Batsto is typical of New Jersey Pine Barrens paddles. Quietly moving cedar stained water that passes through the pine forests. It’s a welcome respite on a hot summer day, with shade and cool waters. There are few birds, but lots of wildflowers. On weekends, the canoe/kayak liveries rent out to hordes of happy, clueless tubers and novices.

Difficulty & Must Haves:
The major feature of the Pine Barrens is narrow moving water. The current moves at a fair pace and there are lots of stumps, strainers and deadfalls. Here is where you learn about angles, river position, and boat control. The curves are all quite similar: the outside edge is a strainer and the inside edge is a sandbar. You have to be on the perfect path between them. Short boats (12 ft or less) are the rule, as in all Pine Barrens paddles. No helmets or skirts required. There are low trees that will limit bigger canoes.

Nice to Have & Human Interest:
The water is cool all summer because it is spring fed. Levels are runnable almost all the time. There are plenty of sand beaches for lunch.

Additional Notes & Shuttle Info:
Shuttle: 39°38’48.4″N 74°39’12.1″W https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zjduWflhNnK4.kRQl-4Ht6k1o&authuser=0&hl=en
Poison Ivy abounds in the summer. The road to the put-in and driving the shuttle may be the worst in New Jersey. About 4 miles of nasty, awful, rutted, sandy, one-lane road each way.