News and Events from Wharton State Forest

It’s maple sugaring time in Batsto Village! Join in on the fun by attending any one of our “sweet” programs. Help with sap collection, take a deeper dive into maple sugaring in New Jersey during one of our maple sugaring talks, or attend the boil and see how sap is turned into maple sugar! 

 

Feb. 5 & 12: Maple Sap Collection Walk 

Have you ever wanted to collect sap from a maple tree? Join Wharton State Forest staff at 2:30 p.m. in front of the Batsto Visitor Center on Thursday, February 5 or

Thursday, February 12 as they empty some of the drip buckets collecting maple sap in Batsto Village. We expect this program to take no more than 30 minutes and

participants are not required to stay the whole time (unless you’re carrying a sap bucket!).  

We will simply walk to each drip bucket, empty the sap, and store it to be boiled during our maple sugaring day on Saturday, February 21. (See program details

below for this widely attended event). This is a free event, for all ages, and no registration is required. Heavy rain, snow, or daytime temperatures below 40 degrees

may disrupt collection and result in a cancellation of the program. Please call the Batsto Visitor Center the morning of to confirm if these conditions are expected.  

The Batsto Visitor Center is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village. 

For more information or to confirm, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. 

 

Feb. 7 & 14: Tapping an Untapped Resource: Maple Sugaring in New Jersey 

Want to take a deeper dive into maple sugaring in New Jersey? Join Wharton State Forest staff on a short, 20 minute walk and talk. Learn how to install a

traditional drip bucket and the science behind maple

sugaring. This program is recurring and will be held at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 7 and 14. We will begin in front of the Batsto Visitor Center and

walk less than a half a mile to the maple sugaring vacuum system in the village.  

This is a free event, for all ages, and no registration is required. The program will be cancelled with heavy rain or snow. Please call the Batsto Visitor Center

the morning of to confirm if these conditions are expected.  

The Batsto Visitor Center is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village. 

For more information or to confirm, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. 

 

Feb. 14 & 15: Free "Revolutionary Batsto” Walking Tours of Batsto Village 

Spend your Presidents’ Day Weekend exploring Batsto Village and learning about its 18th and 19th century history! These all-ages tours begin behind the

Batsto Visitor Center, with planned stops throughout

the village. Sharing stories from Batsto’s iron era to the present, interpreters will lead visitors through the various ways in which Batsto participated in the

American Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and more.

Tours are approximately 75-90 minutes and begin behind the Visitor Center promptly at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are not required, and tours are free

and open to the public. 

While at Batsto, be sure to stop in the Post Office to mail a letter or postcard. Bring your pre-stamped postcards or envelopes to receive a special “Batsto, NJ”

postmark and watch as mail is hand-cancelled,

just as it was in 1852! Postcards and postage are also available for purchase. The Batsto Post Office will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Finally, Batsto Mansion will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historians will be on hand to answer questions and show off the first two floors of the home. Tickets are not required for entry. 

Batsto Village is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village. 

For more information or to confirm Batsto Mansion Tour availability, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. 

 

Feb. 21: Maple Sugaring Day at Batsto Village

It’s maple syrup season again at Batsto Village Historic Site! Join us as Wharton State Forest partners with Stockton University to produce genuine Pine

Barrens maple syrup right here at Batsto! Watch as the sap collected throughout the village gets turned into maple syrup, with samples available throughout

the day and bottles available for purchase in the Visitor Center. 

Maple Sugaring Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to all ages. Registration is not required. Sap will be boiled in Batsto Village, across from the

Batsto Mansion. 

The first two floors of Batsto Mansion will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wharton State Forest’s historians will be available to answer any

questions and highlight the history of the home and its notable residents. 

The rain date for this event is Saturday, February 28.  

 

Happening Throughout February

Visit the Annie M. Carter Nature Center

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center will be open to the public from 12 to 3 p.m. on the following Sundays in February:   

• Sunday, February 1

• Sunday, February 8

• Sunday, February 15

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center, located on the banks of Batsto Lake in Batsto Village, offers interpretive exhibits about Pine Barrens ecology including preserved wildlife specimen and interactive displays. Stop by and grab a coloring page, borrow a children’s book, or take a

closer look at some nature artifacts at our study station.

This month, we will also have a simple, maple themed craft available. Stop by during open hours and color your own maple leaf!

Staffing availability, inclement weather, and other unforeseen circumstances could affect open hours. We encourage you to call, day-of, to confirm hours.

Batsto Post Office Open for Business

Send a New Year’s greeting from Batsto’s historic post office! Bring your letters and post cards (with appropriate postage!) to Batsto Post Office to receive a

unique postal cancellation and see how mail was sent over a century ago. Pre-stamped envelopes and post cards are also available to purchase and send.  

Batsto Post Office will be open from 12 to 3 p.m. each Saturday in February. 

First opened by Jesse Richards in 1852, Batsto Post Office is one of the four oldest post offices currently operating in the United States. It was never assigned

a zip code, and stamps are still hand-cancelled at the counter! 

Batsto Post Office is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037. 

For more information or to confirm that the Post Office is open before you visit, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. 

 

Guided Tours of Batsto Mansion

Experience winter in the village from inside historic Batsto Mansion, complete with modern heating! Originally built in the eighteenth century as a small ironmaster’s house, the mansion now stands as it appeared after Joseph Wharton renovated the home in 1878. Serving as a vacation home for his family, the Batsto Mansion is an excellent example of the Italianate and Eastlake styles, both popular with the Victorian upper class.

Tours of Batsto Mansion are usually offered at the following times throughout February:

• Wednesday through Friday: 1 p.m.

• Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m.

Tours are approximately 45-55 minutes long and begin on the mansion porch.

Scheduled events and public programming may impact Batsto Mansion’s tour schedule, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead on the day of their visit to confirm tour times and availability.

Tickets can be purchased at the Batsto Visitor Center and are $3 for visitors over the age of 12, $1 for visitors ages 5-11 and free for visitors under 5-years-old.  

Shopping at Wharton State Forest

New patches and stickers are in! Celebrate some of your favorite hiking trails in Wharton State Forest with a patch or sticker. In addition to the 1808 Trail, we

now have patches and stickers for Tom’s Pond Trail and the Mullica River Trail featuring some native Pine Barrens species. If you like to hike but

patches aren’t your thing, check out our new “hiker’s corner” in the gift shop where we’ll be adding new hiking related items throughout the year. 

Would you rather wait out the winter indoors and with a good book? Stop in and see our selection of books including some nature themed children’s books and

local author Rich Romano’s newest book, “Ocean Access Vol II”. We carry numerous books related to New Jersey and the Pine Barrens. See what's new on

your next visit to Batsto Village!  

Batsto Museum Shop is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 in Historic Batsto Village. 

The Atsion General Store is located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088. 

For more information or to confirm inventory availability, please call the Atsion General Store at 609-268-0444 or the Batsto Museum Shop at 609-561-0024. 

 

Camping & Cabins

Camping in Wharton State Forest is available year-round. Winter in the New Jersey Pine Barrens offers a unique experience for new and seasoned campers alike!

Camping is permitted in developed campgrounds with a permit at Atsion Family, Batona, Bodine Field, Buttonwood Hill, Godfreys Bridge, Goshen Pond,

Hawkins Bridge, Lower Forge and Mullica River.

Atsion Cabins are now closed for the season and will reopen in spring 2026. It’s now time to plan a 2026 trip and reserve your cabin! Availability is limited.

 

 

About Wharton State Forest

Located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, Wharton State Forest is New Jersey's largest state forest. It encompasses approximately 125,000 acres covering parts of Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties providing a variety of recreational activities including hiking, biking, swimming and horseback riding. It is home to historic Batsto Village, Batsto and Atsion Mansions, and the Atsion Recreation Area. You can find more information about Wharton State Forest and other New Jersey state parks on our website at https://dep.nj.gov/wharton

Wharton State Forest Office Locations

Atsion Office
744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088, (609) 268-0444

Batsto Office, Museum and Store
31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ  08037, (609) 561-0024

Both offices are open 7 days a week (except major holidays) 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.