Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Beach Haven West, New Jersey

This is a great trail through the New Jersey Pine Barrens that's easy to get to and easy to drive, taking you through Bass River State Forest and Wharton State Forest. You can either start off of Route 539 or 679. The trail is all dirt with some sandy sections where 4WD may be needed. The Forestry D...
Learn more about Forge Road to Wharton State Forest

This 4.4-mile trail sits just north of Bass River State Park. Along with several other sandy routes in the area, it makes for a great day trip while camping nearby. Like most off-pavement roads in the Pine Barrens, Dan’s Bridge is primarily sandy, with some muddy sections and a few larger, but gener...
Learn more about Dan's Bridge Road

Nice and easy drive through the Barrens Pines. If you enjoy the faster prerunner style driving, this trail is a nice and easy run to complete. There are many small water holes on both sides of the trail that can be fun to splash the water all over. Keep an eye out for ATVs and Dirt bikes, especially...
Learn more about Jones Road Trail

Drive the perimeter of the small Penn State Forest starting near scenic Oswego Lake and visit Bear Swamp Hill summit, which is one of the higher points in the Pine Barrens. The terrain is typical for the area being mostly flat. The trails are gravely sand, and you can expect lots of puddles large an...
Learn more about Bear Swamp Hill Loop

This is the Forked River Mountain Summit Trail, giving you the easiest route to the very scenic summit of the Forked River Mountains. Most of the trail has been recently maintained by the forestry service filling in most of the major mud ruts and water holes, making the trail much more easily access...
Learn more about Forked River Mountain Summit

Enter off 539. The trail is mostly sand and gravel and is somewhat flat. About a quarter mile in, there is a depressed campsite. After it rains, you can expect pools of water large and small. Some have go-around areas; the best practice is to stay on the outside of them. There can be ruts in the mid...
Learn more about Bryant to Hays Road

This trail is located off of Washington Turnpike at the 5-point intersection. The trail runs straight through the road from Washington Tpurnnpike to 563. This trail is mostly flat with some slight elevation changes and minor ruts. The trail type is a mix of compacted sand, loose sand, and gravel. Th...
Learn more about Jay's Iron Pipe Road

Swamp Road is a lightly traveled trail with overgrown brush along the sides and a few low-hanging branches that may brush against vehicle roofs. Terrain conditions are easy, and most vehicles can navigate the route without difficulty.
Learn more about Swamp Road

Friendship Speedwell Road is a short, well-maintained trail that takes about 10 minutes to complete. It runs between Chatsworth Road and Carranza Road and is classified as an easy green route. The trail is wide enough for two vehicles to pass comfortably, and the Carranza Road end features a pleasan...
Learn more about Friendship Speedwell Road

This is a nice short route that begins a little bit off of Pasadena Woodmanse Road and spurs off of the Brendan T. Bryne to Bear Swamp Hill route. This will take you through some nice hilly areas in the Pine Barrens with some slight sandy patches. After crossing over Route 539, there are some large ...
Learn more about Webb Mill Road to 539

Washington Turnpike is located in the middle of numerous other Wharton State Forest trails. The trail is a straight fire service-type road with one mud hole, approximately one foot deep, at the halfway point. The mud hole is in the center of the trail and can be bypassed by going left or right. The ...
Learn more about Washington Turnpike

This approximately 7-mile trail runs through Brendon T. Byrne State Forrest in Brown Mills, NJ. Accessible from RT. 72. It's an easy trial and makes for a relaxing ride through the Pine Barrens. Towards the end, by Lebanon State Forrest Rd, there is an interesting collection of animal statues with a...
Learn more about Butler Place Road

The trail is a shortcut route between two larger roads. It is a flat trail just sand and gravel, with very slight grading, and can become narrow at times so be careful driving something wide through the trail. This is also one way with so be careful when driving down for oncoming traffic.
Learn more about Battie Trail

This two-mile trail offers a more direct route to the Friendship Ruins, a historic ghost town that was once a 3,000-acre cranberry farm. If entering from Route 539, turn left onto Ringler Avenue to enter Wharton State Forest. This sandy trail intersects with several hiking paths along the way. Once ...
Learn more about Eagle Road Bypass

The trail is a mostly flat trail, with a mix of gravel and sand. There are a couple of whoops that are extremely mild and some dips. There is a water source close by that after a big rain that brings the possibility of flooding after heavy rains.
Learn more about Marcus Trail

This trail is mostly sand and light gravel. Coming into the trail off Ringler Avenue, about 1.5 miles in, you will see Apple Pie Fire Tower. If there is a ranger in the tower, you are free to climb up there. On a clear day, there are views for miles, and you can see Atlantic City and Philadelphia. F...
Learn more about Apple Pie Fire Tower Trail

Enter this trail from either the Apple Pie Hill side off of Chatsworth Road or from the Washington Turnpike. This 6-mile track runs through Wharton State Forest. There are ponds along this trail to stop and sit at. The trail ranges from hard-packed to loose sand with varying depths of mud or water h...
Learn more about Eagle Trail

Birches Road is a connector trail between Whitehorse Road and Apple Pie Fire Tower Trail. This trail is an easy green trail that contains some whoops and tight sections due to the overgrowth. This trail can be easily done in any vehicle.
Learn more about Birches Road

Enter in off of Washington Turnpike. The trail starts off with two heavy rutted dips, although there are side routes to avoid them. The rest of the trail you will encounter more of them along with some mellow whoops. The trail ends off of Penn Swamp Road. This area will also flood with rain so be ca...
Learn more about Lee's Trail

Typical Pine Barrens forest, though with fewer water features. The route can be run either north to south, Quaker Bridge to Batsto Fire Towner, or in reverse. The trail is uneven and depressions do collect water, though puddles here are generally less deep than other areas of Wharton State Forest. I...
Learn more about Batsto Fire Tower to Quaker Bridge

This is a great trail through the New Jersey Pine Barrens that's easy to get to and easy to drive, taking you through Bass River State Forest and Wharton State Forest. You can either start off of Route 539 or 679. The trail is all dirt with some sandy sections where 4WD may be needed. The Forestry D...
Learn more about Forge Road to Wharton State Forest

This 4.4-mile trail sits just north of Bass River State Park. Along with several other sandy routes in the area, it makes for a great day trip while camping nearby. Like most off-pavement roads in the Pine Barrens, Dan’s Bridge is primarily sandy, with some muddy sections and a few larger, but gener...
Learn more about Dan's Bridge Road

Nice and easy drive through the Barrens Pines. If you enjoy the faster prerunner style driving, this trail is a nice and easy run to complete. There are many small water holes on both sides of the trail that can be fun to splash the water all over. Keep an eye out for ATVs and Dirt bikes, especially...
Learn more about Jones Road Trail

This is the Forked River Mountain Summit Trail, giving you the easiest route to the very scenic summit of the Forked River Mountains. Most of the trail has been recently maintained by the forestry service filling in most of the major mud ruts and water holes, making the trail much more easily access...
Learn more about Forked River Mountain Summit

This is a great trail through the New Jersey Pine Barrens that's easy to get to and easy to drive, taking you through Bass River State Forest and Wharton State Forest. You can either start off of Route 539 or 679. The trail is all dirt with some sandy sections where 4WD may be needed. The Forestry D...
Learn more about Forge Road to Wharton State Forest

This 4.4-mile trail sits just north of Bass River State Park. Along with several other sandy routes in the area, it makes for a great day trip while camping nearby. Like most off-pavement roads in the Pine Barrens, Dan’s Bridge is primarily sandy, with some muddy sections and a few larger, but gener...
Learn more about Dan's Bridge Road

Nice and easy drive through the Barrens Pines. If you enjoy the faster prerunner style driving, this trail is a nice and easy run to complete. There are many small water holes on both sides of the trail that can be fun to splash the water all over. Keep an eye out for ATVs and Dirt bikes, especially...
Learn more about Jones Road Trail

This is the Forked River Mountain Summit Trail, giving you the easiest route to the very scenic summit of the Forked River Mountains. Most of the trail has been recently maintained by the forestry service filling in most of the major mud ruts and water holes, making the trail much more easily access...
Learn more about Forked River Mountain Summit