There are plenty of picturesque spots in New Jersey, but visitors tend to favor our beaches. If they’re not at the shore, you might find them hiking High Point, along the Appalachian Trail or skiing in Mahwah’s mountains…but the Pine Barrens are prone to being overlooked. Comprised of 1.1 million acres, the Pinelands Natural Reserve makes up about 22 percent of New Jersey’s total landmass. Immense beauty can be found hidden within its borders.
- Sunrise over the cranberry bogs.
Flickr/Daniel D’Auria
- Could the Jersey Devil be lurking in the mist?
Flickr/Jason Howell
- Sunset at Atsion Lake.
Flickr/Chris Storb
- More mist. Pure magic.
Flickr/Jimmy
- Pine Barrens industry.
Flickr/Bob Jagendorf
- Wharton State Forest
Flickr/Julie Feinstein
- A stunning marsh sunset.
Flickr/Jason Howell
- The view from Apple Pie Hill, the highest point in the Pinelands.
Flickr/Louis Dallara
- Night falls in the Pine Barrens.
Flickr/Owl’s Flight
- Near Washington Township in Gloucester County.
Flickr/Louis Dallara
- Cranberry Bog
Flickr/Vilseskogen
Aren’t the Pine Barrens absolutely gorgeous? And speaking of “barren,” the area maintains the moniker due to its sandy, acidic soil. However, few know that under the soil lies a natural reservoir of bacterially sterile, chemically pure water that the U.S. Geological Survey has compared to uncontaminated rainwater or melted glacial ice.
Flickr/Daniel D’Auria
Flickr/Jason Howell
Flickr/Chris Storb
Flickr/Jimmy
Flickr/Bob Jagendorf
Flickr/Julie Feinstein
Flickr/Louis Dallara
Flickr/Owl’s Flight
Flickr/Vilseskogen
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