Riding & Camping in Wharton State Forest | Penn Branch Trail - Batsto, NJ
Vložit
- čas přidán 18. 08. 2021
- We headed down to Batsto, New Jersey to do some mountain biking and spend the night in Wharton State Forest. We rode the Penn Branch Trail which is a loop, about 20 miles in distance, with very little elevation change. A fun XC ride consisting of 95% singletrack weaving though the sand and pines. We both had a great time enjoying the unique Pine Barrens landscape, with the biggest challenge being the heat and bugs. After some snacks and hydration, we took a lap around the historical Batsto Village. Then it was off to camp to kick back and relax. Riding, camping, exploring... I love it. I highly recommend going out and experiencing this rare landscape that is the Pine Barrens.
- Sport
The State of NJ really needs to step up it's wildlife management practices. That area around 6:15 is centralized within state land, and already has characteristics of habitat suitable to Bobwhite Quail. Bobwhite have recently been reintroduced by the Audubon Society in conjunction with private lands around Speedwell, Tall Timbers, and Pine Creek Forestry, on similar lands. Bobwhite was common in NJ until fire suppression and exclusion led to it's extinction in NJ by the 1990s. For some of these areas, all that is required is increased prescribed fire and growing season fire to open up the canopy and reduce the shrub layer, and re-introduction of the birds.
Fantastic edit!
Your small tidbits of info are great 👍
Thanks Steve!
We were out for about 4 or 5 hours, but it obviously varies on your pace and how many stops you take. Plan to be out for several hours as the trails gets fairly remote, at the farthest point on the Penn Branch loop, riders are about 10 miles from the parking lot. I recommend bringing tools, tubes, snacks, and plenty of water. I highly recommend you ride this!
How long does it take? I'm planning to hit it.
Nice edit Kory. Batsto is my go to when the weather isn't cooperating, especially in the winter, that places drains so well. Love the log pop at 3:00. I heard the little trigger bugs get bad in Wharton during the summer, did either of you have any trouble with them camping? Love all the history and environmental tidbits through out the video.
Thanks TrailSage! It was fun riding there last month, and the bugs were out in full boom. I pulled at least 20 deer ticks off me between riding and camping in about 24 hours. To be relative, I am outside a lot in PA and find less than 10 ticks on me a year. So yes, be prepared for the green head flies and ticks if going out in July. All the blueberries were ripe for the picking so give and take! Either way I would say its probably worth visiting at any point throughout the season.
Is it as tight as it looks in this video most of the way through or are these mostly some of the more "interesting" parts of the trail. I think I would have a hard time splitting trees like that constantly.
There are a good handful of tight sections in the Wharton loop. Being South Jersey doesn't have a lot of elevation it sort of adds an extra "feature" on the trail. In dirt biking, Jersey is known for its tight sections sometimes refered to as stick farms. I enjoy the different terrain coming from Pennsylvania.
@@keystonemtb9925 cool, thank you for the reply. I will have to work on my agility (I'm a big guy, working on losing weight).
Mountain biking is a great sport for that reason and many more!@@nubbinzawyer
Is this rideable on a gravel bike? I have a hardtail but my dad has a gravel bike
I do not ride gravel bike so I'm not the best person to answer. That being said the terrain is not technical but dry conditions will lead to soft sand. Bikes with wider tires will probably have a better time riding those trails. Try it out and let us know how it goes!
@@keystonemtb9925 thanks! Doesn’t look super rooty . Headed to cape may for family vacation and trying to sneak off to do some mtb! Lol