2nd Annual Loco Libre Gear Piney Woods Hang, Nov 3-5, 2017, Batona Camp, NJ

**EdLee** · 10-20-2017, 19:38

Originally Posted by The Tree Frog

Don't forget to bring that gee-tar!

Heck Yeah!

**TDHanger** · 10-25-2017, 08:20

This will be my first Loco Libre hang and first hang in NJ CAN"T WAIT..

**MikekiM** · 10-25-2017, 16:07

ok forward thinking here...

Not sure yet if I will come in on Friday or Saturday, or what time. If I can score Friday off, or if I come in on Saturday morning, I'd like to hike in from some point north. I see there are easily four to six parking areas off the Batona Trail north of the camp ground. I'd love to have some suggestions on how safe the parking areas are for leaving the car overnight. I'd like to have four to eight miles in, SoBo. Suggestions of parking areas? Also, I might be inclined to bum a ride out on Sunday, so if anyone is heading north towards or past these parking areas and might be willing to taxi me back to my car, it would be great. I'm not positive I won't hike back out on Sunday.. just want options.

Looks like eight miles would put me at the Main Street crossing, but I don't see any parking there. Barnegat Road crossing is the next major spot, but I don't see parking there either. Coopers Rd crossing looks to be the first parking area off the Batone Trail, and that's at 12.5. Apple Pie Fire Tower has visitor parking, but not sure if overnight is allowed, and that trek in might actually be too short to make it worth while. Something around or near 532 might work.

Have I missed anything along the way?

**monkeynono** · 10-25-2017, 16:24

Do you mean you want to leave your car in the woods? Or in a parking lot? In the woods is unadvertised in my opinion. As far as a lot goes I have no clue.

**MikekiM** · 10-25-2017, 16:28

Originally Posted by monkeynono

Do you mean you want to leave your car in the woods? Or in a parking lot? In the woods is unadvertised in my opinion. As far as a lot goes I have no clue.

Road side, legal parking for sure.

**SilvrSurfr** · 10-25-2017, 16:58

Originally Posted by MikekiM

Road side, legal parking for sure.

The Pine Barrens doesn't really lend itself to this kind of hiking. No way I'd leave my car unattended on 532. I'd personally skip trying to hike in to a car-camping event. Go to Batona Camp, park your car, then hike wherever you want and come back to Batona Camp. It's about 3.6 miles to Apple Pie Hill, or 7.2 miles round-trip. Hike past Batona Camp out to Carranza Memorial, then hike back to Batona Camp and you've got your eight miles.

There are numerous other day hikes you can do - Hampton Furnace and back (done that, but we got lost for a time); head south on the Batona Trail and back (done that); head north on the Batona Trail, then backtrack at Skit Branch and take the old Batona Trail down to Carranza Road and back to Batona Camp (done that). Of course, some of these hikes aren't on a map, so you'll need to have decent maps or a familiarity with the region.

http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforest...atona14web.pdf

**MikekiM** · 10-25-2017, 19:10

Thanks for the info, but not what I was hoping for. I'll have to let this marinate.

What about parking at one of the parking areas south and hiking in NoBo? Atsion Road parking maybe, and hike Mullica Trail/Beaver Pond/Quaker trails to Batona Trail in??

A quick plot puts that at a snick over 11 miles, without any local short cuts.

**SilvrSurfr** · 10-25-2017, 19:49

Originally Posted by MikekiM

Thanks for the info, but not what I was hoping for. I'll have to let this marinate.

What about parking at one of the parking areas south and hiking in NoBo? Atsion Road parking maybe, and hike Mullica Trail/Beaver Pond/Quaker trails to Batona Trail in??

A quick plot puts that at a snick over 11 miles, without any local short cuts.

Sure, you can park at Atsion ranger station and hike east to Batona along the railroad tracks. It's about six miles.

https://www.nynjtc.org/hike/atsion-c...ke-description

Or you can take the longer way you suggest.

As for places south to park your car, the nearest secure place is Batso Village - about 13 miles south. Anything you see on the map between Batona and Batsto is going to be sand roads and it would behoove you to have 4WD or a high clearance - as well as a willingness to leave your car out in the middle of nowhere. If you're not familiar with the area, you can easily get lost out in the woods - 1.1 million acres of woods! I have gotten lost in the Pine Barrens more times than I wish to count.

Personally, I'd advise accepting that this is car camping, and appreciate the opportunity to reap the benefits of car camping - you can bring whatever you like and it will be secure in your car when you get back from your hike. Somebody is always hiking during the day, and many are intimately familiar with the Pine Barrens so the chances of getting lost are slim. And if you want to carry a full pack instead of slackpacking, that's your choice.

**Ratdog** · 10-26-2017, 01:22

Originally Posted by MikekiM

Thanks for the info, but not what I was hoping for. I'll have to let this marinate.

What about parking at one of the parking areas south and hiking in NoBo? Atsion Road parking maybe, and hike Mullica Trail/Beaver Pond/Quaker trails to Batona Trail in??

A quick plot puts that at a snick over 11 miles, without any local short cuts.

Drop your car at one of the offices or campgrounds.
Hop a shuttle to wherever, hike desired distance.
Shuttle= Sherpa Service may include beer, wings, tall tales, lies and/or mistruths

I say you bushwhack it from lower forge to batona. Now there are a bunch of ways to get to lower forge, some involve less swimming than others.

**sqidmark** · 10-26-2017, 06:41

Originally Posted by Ratdog

Drop your car at one of the offices or campgrounds.
Hop a shuttle to wherever, hike desired distance.
Shuttle= Sherpa Service may include beer, wings, tall tales, lies and/or mistruths

I say you bushwhack it from lower forge to batona. Now there are a bunch of ways to get to lower forge, some involve less swimming than others.

Ahahahahahahaha!