If you can explore the unique natural ecosystem of New Jersey’s Pinelands at Wharton State Forest.

Rich natural resources made South Jersey an important center of industry. Batsto Village produced iron products for the Revolutionary War, and more than 30 of its 19th century buildings survive, including the fully furnished Batsto Mansion.?Wharton boasts a variety of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, as well as rivers and lakes for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Swimming is available during the summer at Atsion Lake.?The Atsion Recreation Area also offers picnic tables and charcoal grills, two small playgrounds, a short nature trail, a canoe/kayak launch area, restroom and changing facilities.

Wharton State Forest is the largest single tract of land within the New Jersey State Park System.?It is also the site of Batsto Village(available for self-guided exploration), a former bog iron and glassmaking industrial center from 1766 to 1867 that currently reflects the agricultural and commercial enterprises that existed here during the late 19th century.

Throughout Wharton are rivers and streams for canoeing, hiking trails (including a major section of the Batona Trail), miles of unpaved roads for mountain biking and horseback riding and numerous lakes, ponds and fields ideal for wildlife observation.