News and Events from Wharton State Forest

 

It’s April at Atsion! Check out the great events happening at historic Atsion Mansion like evening mansion tours or a public star watch! Around Batsto, we have walking tours, partner programs with Burlington County Parks, a beginner bird watching walk, and so much more! Welcome spring with a program in Wharton State Forest.  

 

April 4, 11, 18 & 25: Free "Revolutionary Batsto” Walking Tours of Batsto Village  

 

Celebrate 2026 and start your spring by 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 2 p.m. each Saturday in April. Reservations are not required, and

tours are free and open to the public.  

April 4, 11, 18 & 25: "April at Atsion" Evening Mansion Tours 

Did you know that 2026 is Atsion Mansion’s 200th birthday? Help us celebrate by kicking off our tour season this month! 

Atsion Mansion will be open each Saturday evening in April for guided tours. Led by one of Wharton State Forest’s historic interpreters, visitors are invited to experience the 1826 home as it stood two centuries ago. Guests are encouraged to bring their own flashlights, and jackets are recommended.    

Tours are approximately 75-90 minutes and promptly begin outside the Atsion Mansion at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased over the phone or at the Atsion Office and are $5 per person. Space is limited and visitors are encouraged to call ahead to reserve their spot.   

For more information about evening tours of Atsion Mansion, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444. Atsion Mansion and Office are located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088. 

 

April 5: Batsto Mansion “Open House”  

Batsto Mansion will be open for a special holiday “open house,” Sunday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historians will be inside to answer questions, tell stories

about the village’s history, and to show off the first two floors of the home. Entry is free, and tickets are not required.  

Batsto Mansion 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. 

 

 

April 11: "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 to learn what’s living in Batsto Lake!  A local AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador will have a water

sample station set up for visitors to look through Batsto Lake water samples 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.  

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. 

April 15 & 19: Bays, Glaciers, and Bog Iron in the Pines 

Wharton State Forest is hosting a special event and partnering with Burlington County Parks to educate participants on the geologic history of the area around Batsto Village. The about 1.5-mile walk will include a discussion of the geology of the ore deposits used for iron smelting and glass manufacturing. We will cover geologic features including former barrier islands, back bays, glacial era landforms, and stream characteristics.

Participants will learn how such past geologic events created today's uplands, wetlands, vernal ponds, and streams. This walk will be led by Pierre Lacombe, retired USGS geologist. It begins in front of the Batsto Visitor Center. 

This is a free event, but registration is required and opens April 1. Register by calling the Batsto Visitor Center at (609) 561-0024. This program is recommended for adults and children age 12 and older. 

 

April 17: The Mysterious American Eel Talk 

Join Wharton’s nature interpretive staff on a short, 20-minute walk and talk about American eels! We’ll begin behind the Batsto Visitor Center before taking a short, easy walk to the fish ladder

in Batsto Village. We’ll cover the natural history of the American eel, its life cycle and the journey the eels took before crossing the Batsto dam.  

Talks will be held at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This event is free and registration is not required. The event is canceled if there are storms nearby, heavy rain or high winds.  

 

April 18: Public Star Watch at Atsion

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 in the Atsion Field at 7:30 p.m. 

For this month’s star watch, the Zodiacal constellations found along the ecliptic from east to west are Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus and Aries. Venus is found in Aries, Uranus in Taurus and Jupiter in Gemini. Enjoy a view of the Beehive Cluster in the constellation Cancer found east of Jupiter. Also known as M44, this Open Cluster of stars can be seen as a fuzzy patch of light with the unaided eye in dark sky locations such as Wharton State Forest. Another Open Cluster M35 can be found at the foot of Gemini. A young waxing crescent Moon is low along the horizon in the west northwest. 

For more information about the Public Star Watch, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444. Atsion Mansion and Office are located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088. 

April 24: Beginner Bird Watching Walk 

Do you want to start birding? Join Wharton’s nature interpretive staff for a slow-paced, laid-back walk through Batsto Village to observe the birds in Wharton

State Forest. This walk begins in front of the Batsto Visitor Center at 9:30 a.m. and lasts about 45 minutes. It is free and no registration is required. We will

simply walk and observe the birds we see. Walks in this NEW series are geared toward beginners. Attendees can borrow binoculars, as supplies last, but are

encouraged to bring their own if they have them. This month’s walk will cover Batsto’s “upper” Village.   

 

 

Happening Throughout April

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. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in April!   

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.  

 

Guided Tours of Atsion Mansion 

Have you ever wanted to see inside the Atsion Mansion? Guided tours are available each weekend in April! Come see one of the most significant examples of Greek Revival architecture in South Jersey. Never “modernized” with plumbing or electricity, the house stands largely as it did when it was constructed in 1826.   Tours of Atsion Mansion are offered at the following times throughout April: 

• Saturday and Sunday: 1 and 2 p.m.

Tours are approximately 45-55 minutes long and begin outside, between the mansion and general store (now Atsion Office). Scheduled events and public programming may impact Atsion 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 Atsion Office and are $3 for visitors over the age of 12, $1 for visitors ages 5-11 and free for visitors under 5-years-old.

Atsion Mansion is located at 744 US 206, Shamong, NJ 08088. For more information or to confirm Atsion Mansion Tour availability, please call the Atsion Office at 609-268-0444.

Guided Tours of Batsto Mansion

Enjoy the cool spring breeze this April on Batsto Mansion’s porch and then step inside for a guided tour! 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 offered at the following times throughout April:

• Wednesday through Friday: 3 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

When you stop by Atsion this month for a mansion tour, be sure to check out the Atsion General Store! The Atsion General Store, also the site of the Atsion Forest Office, is in front of the Atsion Mansion and features everything Atsion. Pick up a souvenir to remember your visit or to celebrate Atsion Mansion’s 200th anniversary. New for sale this month are Atsion Mansion 200th Anniversary shirts, reflecting the colors of the interior walls of the mansion, and new buttons and magnets. A full line of patches, stickers, and Jersey Devil items are also for sale. If the Mullica River Trail is one of your favorites, be sure to check-out our new Mullica River Trail patch and sticker featuring a native Pine Barrens plant found along the trail!  

Over at the Batsto Museum Shop, we’re getting ready for spring! Check out our recently released paddling and hiking themed shirts as well as our full line of trail stickers. We still have some favorites including Jersey Devil shirts and hats, and recently released merchandise featuring the new Wharton State Forest and New Jersey Park Service logos. Start this spring in style and represent your favorite forest or historic site!  

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