Park Type: Forest, Day Use, Overnight, Historic Museum
Activities:
The many rivers, lakes, and streams are ideal for camping, hiking, and boating. With over 500 miles of unpaved roads, the forest presents vast opportunities for outdoor activities.
Park Fees: Not listed
Background:
It's history is a rich one including it's use by the Lenni-Lenape Indians and it's successful iron industry during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. In 1876, a Philadelphia industrialist by the name of Joseph Wharton purchased Batsto Village and acquired much of the land. When Wharton died in 1909, he owned approximately 96,000 acres of the forest. The State of New Jersey purchased the land in 1954 for recreational use. You can find numerous camp sites, nature centers, picnic spots, areas for hunting and fishing, and horseback riding trails. However, I found my enjoyment by exploring Wharton's endless dirt roads, trails and historic, sometimes abandoned, buildings.
Date Established?: 1954
Link to Park: [Web Link]
Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed
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