Middens

Batona Trail

Complete: 
Yes
Along the Batona Trail in Wharton State Forest - Photo by Daniel Chazin
NYNJTC maintained: 
0

A 50 mile trail that connects three state forests in the heart of the New Jersey Pinelands.

Hiking
Mountain biking
X-C skiing
50 miles
Lat/Lon: 
39.644613, -74.646765
Hammonton
Atlantic
NJ
Cluster/Park: 
Park

Extending 50 miles through the heart of the Pinelands, the Batona Trail [pink] is the longest blazed hiking trail in southern New Jersey. It starts from Bass River State Forest and goes through Wharton State Forest and Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. The trail was established in 1961 by the Batona Hiking Club of Philadelphia, and it is still maintained by that group.

 

To pierce the genuine wilderness of the area, the Batona Trail avoids the sand roads as much as possible. Still, about 20% of the treadway is soft sand, which makes for slower-than-expected progress in parts of this mostly level trail. Good starting points for the trips on the trail are the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest headquarters and the Batsto Visitor Center. Trail maps and information may be obtained there, as well as at the Atsion Ranger Station and the Bass River Forest Office. A permit is required to camp along the trail in state forests.

Use the Web Map link on this site to view a brochure and Batona Trail map.

The southern terminus of the Batona Trail is near the junction of French Coal Road and Stage Road, near Lake Absegami, in the Bass River State Forest.  GPS Coordinates:  39.620531, -74.424639

Its northern terminus is at Ong’s Hat on Magnolia Road in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest [1.5 miles northwest of Four Mile Circle]  GPS Coordinates: 39.910986, -74.620857

 

 

 

Fees: 
None
Last Update: 
01/23/2017
Modified By: 
Phil McLewin
Region - Maintenance: 

The Quarries in Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

State: 
NY
Date: 
08/25/2012
Region: 
Westchester County
Description: 

Postcard of quarry

Timeline

1895 "Golden Granite" discovered

1925-1941 Grenci & Ellis operated the quarry

1950s buildings still standing

1950s Mogul Park ran a day camp for residents

1952 gasline went through - expanded in 1956

1981 Town of Yorktown purchased as parkland - trails established by the Yorktown Land Trust

1989 Town acquired Goldschmidt property but not declared parkland until 2009

2010 Trails in new section of park built by Yorktown Community Trails Program of NYNJTC

2015 The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in NYC contacted the Parks Department to see if they could purchase more stone to finish the Cathedral. The answer was no because it is parkland and thus protected.

Reference Materials

Other historic features in the park

  • Lime Kiln and shell middens (on gasline west of Turtle Pond Trail (white) crossing)
  • Quarry Oak (approximately 300 year old white oak - 220 inch circumference, 104 feet height, 102 feet spread) Big Tree rating 349.5.
  • Riding ring which is the Ring Trail