News and Events from Wharton State Forest

Welcome spring this month by attending a program in Wharton State Forest! Tour the Batsto Mansion, practice nature journaling, or attend the first start watch in Wharton for 2026. 

 

March 18: Wednesday Walkers Take Wharton State Forest Hike

Get some miles in with a moderate paced, 5.5-mile hike along the 1808 Trail led by members of the NJ State Park Service! This hike is free, but attendees must register through email below. The hike begins in front of the Batsto Visitor Center at 9 a.m. before heading out onto the 1808 Trail. Participants should expect to hike over small bridges and shallow roots. Please dress for the weather and bring plenty of water. This hike is not ADA accessible.  

This hike is a part of a “Wednesday Walkers” series of hikes and walks led by NJ State Park staff outside of Wharton State Forest. If you are interested in other Wednesday Walker hikes, please reach out to kgnaturalist@comcast.net.  

To register for this Wharton State Forest hike, please email Alexandria.horan@dep.nj.gov or kgnaturalist1@comcast.net/ 

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. 

 

March 21: "What's Living in Batsto Lake?" Macroinvertebrate Sampling Station 

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., stop by Batsto Lake, across from the Sawmill and dig through water samples to learn what’s living in Batsto Lake! A local AmeriCorps Watershed

Ambassador will have a sampling station set up for visitors to search through water samples and try to identify what is living in Batsto Lake and what it means for water quality.  

This is a free tabling event that is open to all ages but recommended for ages 8 and up. 

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. 

 

 

March 21: Nature Journaling Workshop & Batsto BioBlitz

Join Watershed Ambassador Jamie Lubov for a guided nature journaling experience at Batsto Village! Artists of all levels are welcome to learn how to hone their observational skills and document their surroundings through journaling and photography. Any photographs or detailed illustrations taken are encouraged to be added to an accompanying BioBlitz project on citizen science platform iNaturalist!  

This is a free program, but attendees must register through Eventbrite here! Space is limited. This program begins in front of the Annie Carter Nature Center in Batsto Village at 2 p.m. and is about 90 minutes long. Dress appropriately for a walk down Tom's Pond trail! Participants are encouraged to bring their own journals and pencils, but some journals will be available on a first come first serve basis.  

The rain date for this program is Sunday, March 22. 

NOTE: The Annie Carter Nature Center is about a 5-minute walk from where attendees should park (in the Batsto Visitor Center parking lot). 

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. 

 

March 21: Public Star Watch & Batsto Village Evening Walking Tours

Star Watch 

You’re invited to a Free Public Star Watch at Batsto, organized by the West Jersey Astronomical Society (WAS). Members of the Society will have telescopes available for the public to view objects in the night sky. The event is weather permitting, and visitors are encouraged to check the WAS website (https://www.wasociety.us) after 1 p.m. the day of the event to confirm it is still happening should there be cloudy skies. 

The Star Watch Begins at 7:30 p.m. At 7:45 p.m. in the Batsto Visitor Center Auditorium there will be a Comet Demonstration and at 8:30 PM there will be a Laser-Guided Constellation Tour in the telescope observation field. 

For this tonight’s star watch, Venus, Uranus, and Jupiter will be visible along the ecliptic (the Sun’s apparent path across the sky). Venus and Jupiter can be seen with the unaided eye. Observing Uranus requires binoculars or a telescope. The vernal equinox takes place on March 20th at 10:46 am local time. Even though it is spring the Winter Hexagon asterism connected by the stars Procyon, Pollux, Castor, Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel and Sirius can be seen in the southwest portion of the sky. The related constellations include Canis Major, Gemini, Auriga, Taurus, Orion, and Canis Major. The Orion Nebula (M42) a star forming region, is a jewel of the sky that can be observed tonight. Galaxies abound in Virgo and Leo and can be viewed with a telescope. 

Batsto Village Evening Walking Tours 

Historic Interpreters will also be on hand to lead evening walking tours through the village. Tours are open to all ages and are free of charge. Visitors interested in walking the village should meet behind the Visitor Center (near the Ore Boat). Tours are 45-55 minutes and are offered at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

For more information on both these events, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. Batsto Village Historic Site is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037. 

Happening Throughout March

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 March:

• Sunday, March 8
• Sunday, March 15
• Sunday, March 22
• Sunday, March 29

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.

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

The Annie M. Carter Nature Center is located at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037, in historic Batsto Village, along Batsto Lake, across from the sawmill. For more information or to confirm open hours, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at (609) 561-0024. 

Batsto Post Office Open for Business

Did you know that the Batsto Post Office can send mail? First opened by Jesse Richards in 1852, the Batsto Post Office is one of the four oldest post offices currently operating in the United States! 

The Batsto Post Office will be open from 12 to 3 p.m. each Wednesday afternoon in March. Bring your pre-stamped postcards and letters to the village to receive a unique Batsto postal cancellation. Stamped postcards are also available for purchase. While you are in the Post Office, be sure to stop in the Glass Museum, located on the second floor of the General Store! Containing examples of nineteenth and twentieth-century glass, as well as historic artifacts found throughout Batsto, the Glass Museum is the perfect complement to a mansion tour and stroll through the village. 

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

Whether it’s your first visit or you are a frequent guest, March is the perfect time to step inside the Batsto Mansion! 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 March:

• 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.

Batsto Mansion 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.

Shopping at Wharton State Forest

Kick off the spring season with a new shirt to commemorate some of your favorite outdoor activities: paddling on the rivers and starwatching! This new design also has

a hidden local legend. The back of the shirt features a design with the rivers and waterways in Wharton State Forest.  

With the syrup season almost at an end, stop in the store on Saturday the 28th to get authentic, Batsto Maple Syrup! Our supply will go fast, so come in early to get

your own!

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! Spring camping in the New Jersey Pine Barrens offers cool nights with interesting evening sounds as the forest begins to wake up! 

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.