This Million-Acre Forest Is Home to Civil War Ghost Towns, the Jersey Devil, and Raw Natural Beauty

The Pine Barrens of New Jersey

In case you didn’t know, there’s basically a “haunted” forest the size of Rhode Island hiding between the turnpike exits of New Jersey. It’s got the works: abandoned towns, brownish red streams, and plants that eat bugs for breakfast… Oh, and locals swear the Jersey Devil still roams around at night.

That’s roadtrip material right there. Here are more interesting facts about the coolest, weirdest, and most beautiful part of Jersey.

This Forest Takes Up Almost A Quarter Of New Jersey

The Pine Barrens covers 1.1 million acres – that’s 22% of New Jersey. It stretches across seven counties and formed over 1.8-65 million years ago when the ocean pulled back, leaving sandy soil behind. This massive forest is one of the largest natural areas on the East Coast, with untouched forests, wetlands, and streams.

Tea-Colored Water and Bug-Eating Plant

The streams look like tea because of pine needle acids, but the water is actually very clean. The Pine Barrens also have some truly strange plants.You’ll find meat-eating plants like pitcher plants and sundews that trap and digest insects.

There are also tiny pygmy pines that only grow a few feet tall, even when fully grown. In total, the area has over 800 plant species, including rare orchids and wildflowers.

Thank Pine Barrens for Blueberries

The ancestors of the blueberries we eat today was developed right here in the Pine Barrens. In the early 1900s, Elizabeth Coleman White worked with botanist Frederick Vernon Coville at Whitesbog to develop and commercialize a cultivated blueberry. Their breakthrough came in 1916 with the first commercial blueberry harvest.

Now, New Jersey is one of the top blueberry producers in the country, with most farms in the Pine Barrens region. The yearly Whitesbog Blueberry Festival celebrates this with music, food, and tours of the historic village.

Home to New Jersey’s Official Monster

Named the country’s only state demon in 1938, the Jersey Devil legend goes back almost hundreds of years. The common story tells of Mother Leeds giving birth to her 13th child in 1735, who turned into a creature with a horse’s head, bat wings, and hooved feet.

The legend peaked during ‘The Phenomenal Week’ of January 1909, when thousands reported sightings. Schools and factories closed as fear spread through many towns. Today, hikers still report strange screams and footprints in the Pine Barrens. The Jersey Devil has inspired everything from hockey teams to local beers.

Workers Once Raked Iron From The Streams

The Pine Barrens once powered America’s industrial revolution through bog iron. The mix of iron-rich groundwater and acidic conditions created natural iron deposits in streams and bogs. Workers would rake iron deposits from stream beds.

At its peak, dozens of furnaces operated in the region, making cannonballs for the Revolutionary War and household items. In 1869, the bog iron industry ended in the Pine Barrens, after the discovery that iron ore could be mined more cheaply in Pennsylvania. Today, rusty water and old furnaces remain as reminders of this past.

Ghost Towns Dot the Pine Barrens

Throughout the Pine Barrens, you’ll find ghost towns that tell the story of boom-and-bust industries. Places like Batsto, Harrisville, and Martha once bustled with workers from iron, glass, and paper industries. When these businesses collapsed in the late 19th century, whole communities were abandoned quickly.

In 1852, Batsto Village was home to 376 residents working at its iron furnace. Harrisville thrived as a paper mill town until a fire in 1914 destroyed it. Martha, named after a glass factory owner’s daughter, made bottles until cheaper methods were developed elsewhere.

The Pineys

People once used ‘Piney’ as an insult for those living in the Pine Barrens, but residents eventually claimed it with pride. These tough folks developed unique skills for surviving in this harsh place. Piney communities were self-sufficient, living by hunting, gathering, and small farming.

They made charcoal, gathered moss for bandages, and harvested berries. Their home remedies used local plants like pine needle tea for vitamin C. Cut off from mainstream society, they created their own dialects, music, and crafts. Some descendants still maintain these traditions today.

Fire Helps Keep the Pine Barrens Healthy

It’s one of North America’s most flammable landscapes, but that’s actually normal for this ecosystem. The pine trees have thick, fire-resistant bark, and some pine cones only release seeds when exposed to heat. Before human management, lightning fires would naturally clear undergrowth every few years.

These burns prevent huge wildfires by reducing fuel buildup. Now the New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducts controlled burns to manage forest fuels, reduce wildfire risk, and improve habitat for plants and animals, mimicking natural fire cycles and often taking place between February and early April.

A Self-Taught Doctor Became Rich And Famous Here

The “Black Doctor of the Pines,” Dr. James Still, is one of the most incredible stories from Pine Barren. Born to formerly enslaved parents in 1812, he taught himself medicine through observation, reading, and experimenting with plant remedies from the Pine Barrens.

Despite no formal education, he became one of the region’s most respected healers. Patients of all races sought his treatments. By the 1860s, he owned a farm and was one of the richest persons in Burlington County. His 1877 autobiography tells his remarkable journey. His restored office in Medford now serves as a historic site.

Treasure Hunters Still Search These Woods

The Pine Barrens has many legends beyond the Jersey Devil. Stories claim Captain Kidd buried treasure somewhere in the forest, leading many treasure hunters to search the area. The White Stag is a ghostly white deer said to aid travelers lost in the Pine Barrens.

The Stag also prevents impending disasters, and is said to have stopped a stagecoach from crashing into the Batsto River. The Golden-Haired Girl is said to haunt the ruins of Martha, a ghostly figure mourning the loss of her lover, often accompanied by the Jersey Devil.

‘The Blue Hole’ – a perfectly round pool with clear water – is rumored to be bottomless and home to the Jersey Devil. These tales show how this wild place sparks imagination.

Batsto Village

Batsto Village stands as the best-preserved historic site in the Pine Barrens. Founded in 1766, this iron-making community once had hundreds of residents and 30 buildings, producing materials for the Revolutionary War. The village centerpiece is the Batsto Mansion, a 32-room home built for the ironmaster.

You can see original worker housing, a general store, post office, gristmill, sawmill, and blacksmith shop. The Batsto post office shut down in 1870 due to a decline in the local economy.

It opened again in the 1880s, but closed for good in 1911. In 1966, the Batsto Citizens Committee reopened it. Since it is a historical site, the post office was never given a zip code, and all the stamps are canceled by hand.

Kayaking’s Nice on That Tea-Colored Water

Though surrounded by crowded cities, the Pine Barrens offers great ways to connect with nature. Since the 1979 Pinelands Protection Act, this ecosystem has been protected while allowing sustainable recreation. You can paddle the tea-colored Batsto and Mullica Rivers, which are calm and perfect for beginners.

The Batona Trail runs 53.5 miles through the forest, connecting historic sites and natural areas. Pick blueberries in July and cranberries in October for a taste of local farming. Ghost tours of abandoned villages offer both history lessons and spooky fun. The Pinelands Preservation Alliance offers educational programs year-round.