Batona Trail

Batona Trail
Typical section of the Batona Trail in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest
Lengthapprox. 53.5 mi (86.1 km)[a]
LocationNew Jersey Pine Barrens, Burlington County, New Jersey
TrailheadsLeektown, Bass River
Ong's Hat, Pemberton
UseHiking
Elevation change196 ft (60 m)
Highest pointApple Pie Hill
Lowest pointHarrisville
DifficultyEasy
SeasonEarly to mid-spring, fall, winter
SightsBatsto Village
Carranza Memorial
Apple Pie Hill
HazardsSevere weather
Tick-borne diseases
Mosquitos
Limited water
Poison ivy
Venomous snakes

The Batona Trail is a 53.5-mile (86.1 km) hiking trail through New Jersey's Pine Barrens. The trail is one of the longest in the state, behind the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail, the section of the Appalachian Trail within the state, the Liberty-Water Gap Trail, and the completed section of the Highlands Trail in the state. The Batona Trail begins in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest) at the ghost town of Ong's Hat and traverses Franklin Parker Preserve, Wharton State Forest and Bass River State Forest.[1] The trail was built in 1961 by the Batona Hiking Club, which began informally in 1928 when Philadelphians began meeting regularly to hike.[2] It takes about three days to hike the whole trail.[3]

  1. ^ [1] The Batona Trail
  2. ^ [2] Batona Hiking Club History
  3. ^ [3] Pine Barrens Map