Northern Pinelands Trail Section

Miles

Detailed Trail Data from North to south

0.0

The trail begins at the Prospertown Lake parking lot with great views of the lake and the rollercoaster to the east.  It has parking for more than twenty cars.  The parking lot is also the southern end of the Assunpink Creek Trail.   The lot is on CR 537, five miles west of Interstate 195 and six miless east of CR 539.

The Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area is an excellent place to hike.  The four mile section north of CR 528 has notable hills and cranberry bogs.  The six mile section south of CR 528 is along a series of Lakes and Reservoirs.  The four mile section north of CR 528 has notable hills and cranberry bogs.  Each of these routes is an excellent hike.  Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area is a very popular place to hunt and fish.  When you hike here always be respectable to hunters and fishermen.

Hike west for 0.8 miles on heavily travelled CR 537 to Hawkins Road.  Turn left for 0.2 miles on CR 640.  Turn left on Reed Road for 1.5 miles.  It was once blacktopped.  Pass several residences and one campground.  At a v turn, hike right for 0.1 miles on the trail to the trail. Go left at the v for 0.1 miles until you come to a place where ten cars can be parked.

2.5

From here hike 0.1 miles south.  Go south east for 0.7 miles to a view of a pond to your left; go south and south west for 0.8 miles to a five point intersection of dirt roads at stump road.

4.1

Go west through this intersection for 200 feet; turn south for 0.2 miles hike up to a ridge line with a 170 foot hill; stay on the ridge line for 0.2 miles; go down off the ridge line to the right for 0.2 miles to a narrow dirt road, turn left, continue for 0.3 miles; turn left again or south on a trail paint blazed red, follow this winding dirt trail up and over hills, the highest of which is 193 feet, continue for 0.5 miles; come down the last hill to a dirt road at a pond, cross the dam; turn south for 0.1 miles to CR 528.

6.7

On the south side of CR 528 next to the bogs reach parking area 10 with parking for twenty cars.  This parking area is 2.5 miles east of CR 539.

Hike south 0.2 miles to a dam site on your left; turn right on a dirt road hike 0.4 miles; turn south on a trail paint blazed red for 0.3 miles, come to a reservoir, there are some seasonal wet areas through here; turn right along the lake shore for 200 yards; follow a trail north 0.2 miles, which becomes a dirt road running east for 0.4 miles.  You are now about 0.2 miles south of CR 528 and some private fields.

8.1

Hike 1.4 miles south along an area with many lake and pond views.  The first pond is to the left about 0.1 miles.  Hike past several blockades for vehicles. You are now on Colliers Mills Road about one block east of parking area nine, at another place for parking many vehicles; hike east on dirt Colliers Mills Road for 0.5 miles to a big tree.  At the end of the fields to your right, turn right and hike for 0.4 miles along the field edge to the east, avoid the gun range, airfield, and equipment center to your west; reach the beginning of the dam.

10.4

Hike south along the large dam for 0.5 miles; continue south for another 0.5 miles, crossing another dam; turn west for 0.5 miles; turn right or north on dirt Hawkins Road for 1.3 miles.

13.2

You are now at parking area at the corner of Hawkins Road and Colliers Mills Road.  There is parking for twenty cars here.  This is the main entrance to Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area.  The parking area is 0.8 miles east of CR 539 on paved Colliers Mills Road.

The next six miles are on paved roads.  Go west on Colliers Mills Road for 0.3 miles; turn left on Woodruff Road for 0.3 miles; turn south on Holmes Road for 0.3 miles;  go west on Buckalew Road for 0.3 miles go south on CR 539 for 0.7 miles to the Joint Military Base.  It is hoped that in the future a way will be found to go east along the base boundary to Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area to eliminate 2 miles of on-road hiking.

Miles

Detailed Trail Data from North to south

15.1

For four miles going south stay on the grass strip east of CR 539 through the Joint Military bases.

19.1

Parking area 8? is 0.2 miles south of the bases.  It has room for parking 20 cars parallel on CR 539.

Turn east into the Manchester Wildlife Management Area; continue east for 2.6 miles to the South Ruckels Branch Bridge viewing area.  There are several alternate dirt roads in here; be careful.  Go 0.4 miles south to Horicon Avenue.  There is parallel parking for twenty cars here.

22.1

Go east 0.1 miles on Horicon Avenue; make a right turn through a housing development for 0.2 miles; turn west or right onto Central Avenue for 0.4 miles; follow Central Avenue around the curve south for 0.6 miles.  Turn right or west into the South Manchester WMA; Proceed 1.3 miles on a dirt road that returns to Central Avenue; continue south on Central Avenue for 0.3 miles to NJ 70.  Cross at the stoplight; hike south on Manchester Boulevard for 0.7 miles.

Miles

Detailed Trail Data from North to south

25.5

Parking Area 7 at Manchester Boulevard and Wrangel Road and the RR tracks has parking for three cars. The trail in the Whiting Wildlife Management Area is paint blazed blue.

Go west for 0.6 miles into the Whiting Wildlife Management Area to Whiting Mountain, the highest point at 180 feet, south of the Joint Military Base on the state-long trail. Enjoy the great view.  Then go south through a field 0.2 miles; then turn south again for 0.6 miles to a right hand turn to a parking area in 100 yards.  Parking Area six is on Wrangel Road and has room for ten cars.

Go back into the WMA 100 yards and turn right; proceed for 1.0 miles through a junction of several roads; turn right go 0.3 miles; turn left go 0.2 miles; turn right go 0.4 miles, arrive at Reservoir Junction.  Enjoy the F&W reservoir just in front of you.

28.9

This is the dividing point for the permanent trail and a temporary bypass route (described below).  Turn left into Crossley Preserve, go 0.3 miles; turn right at turn, go 200 yards to parking area five.  Parking area five has room for 20 cars.  It is at the cul-de-sac for Congasia Road.

The permanent trail goes north 200 yards, turns right, hike 0.2 miles north east; come to a three way intersection, turn north on the dirt road, go 1.0 mile northeast avoiding two right hand turns. At a barely noticeable old trail turn right, bushwhack 0.1 miles to a missing bridge at Michaels Branch; the river is about 15 feet wide and 4 feet deep.  Not many hikers are known to have forded it.

At the far side bushwhack another 0.1 mile to a dirt road; turn left hike 0.1 miles turn right on a trail through a low spot travel another 0.1 miles.  Here the permanent trail goes north, and the temporary trail joins it from the east.

28.9

The bypass route for the missing bridge at Michaels Branch begins 0.3 miles west of the cul-de-sac for Congasia Road.  Turn left or south for the temporary route at the reservoir; go 0.1 miles enjoy the reservoir; south of the reservoir there is parking for five cars. Go 0.5 miles south and 0.2 miles east within the Whiting Wildlife Management Area.  Hike another 0.5 miles south on Congasia Road; turn left or east on the utility line for 1.0 miles turn left on Township line road, hike 0.3 miles to parking area four and to another entrance to Crossley Preserve. Parking area four has parking for twenty cars at the end of the paved portion of Township Line Road.

31.8

The bypass route and the route to the permanent route proceeds up dirt Township Line Road within the Preserve for 0.4 miles; turn left and hike another 1.1 miles to the merger of the two routes.  The temporary route is 5.5 miles long.

30.8

From the merger of the two routes in Crossley Preserve, go east for 0.6 miles; go north for 0.2 miles; go east for 0.2 miles.  The trail goes another 0.1 mile east in the Preserve.  However, there is an interesting bridge 0.1 mile north of the trail on private land.  It appears to have been constructed by outdoor recreational vehicle users.  Go 0.1 miles south east to return to the trail.

31.9

At this intersection turn right or south west in Crossley Preserve on Township Line dirt road.  Watch for snakes here.  Hike 0.4 miles south.  There is a confusing mix of alternate routes here be careful. Make a sharp left hand turn to the north east.  Then immediately turn right to the south east.  Proceed for 0.5 miles.  View multiple old quarries along the eastern side of this dirt road from colonial mining operations.  Enjoy.  Come to Oxbow Creek, cross another rough bridge; continue to a maintained historic trail in 0.1 miles. 

32.9

To stay on the main trail make a sharp left here; proceed 0.5 miles north and east by attractive waterways; turn south go 0.7 miles pass a subdivision on your left; continue to the utility line.  If you go straight at the sharp left, proceed for 0.5 miles on an old narrow gage railroad with old ties on your route to the same utility line.

34.1

Go 100 yards east on the utility line; turn south on dirt Crossley Road for 0.8 miles.  Leave Crossley Preserve after 0.4 miles here and enter Ocean County Natural Trust Lands for 0.4 miles.  Reach parking area 2.

34.9

Parking area 2 is on the north side of CR 530 about 0.5 miles east of the stop light on Mule Road. It has parking for ten cars.

The permanent route goes straight across the road and encircles the cranberry bog in about 0.5 miles.  It comes to an upper portion of Oxbow Creek.  Sometimes there is a downed log to cross here.  In another 0.1 mile rejoin the temporary route.

The temporary route goes east about 0.2 miles on CR 530, crossing Oxbow Creek, turn south on dirt roads for 0.3 miles, view the cranberry bogs on your right; rejoin the permanent route.

On the united route turn east for 0.1 miles still on Ocean County dirt roads; continue on the rough deer trail for 0.1 miles through Greenwood Forest WMA; continue on a dirt road 0.1 miles to the Ocean County fairground fields; hike 0.2 miles through the fields to the county activity center.  This is an excellent place for many cars to meet for an enjoyable stop including lunch and for a break in the pine-barrens forest.

35.5

This is parking area 1 for twenty cars. It is 1.0 miles south of the stoplight at CR 530 and Mule Road.

The last mile of the Northern Pinelands Trail runs south on paved but lightly used Mule Road to end of the pavement.  Here is the end of the Northern Pinelands Trail and the beginning of the second 14 miles of the Cedar Creek Trail.

36.5

This is parking area 0.  It has parallel parking for ten cars. It is 1.7 miles south of the previously mentioned stoplight.