Mullica River Trail

The Mullica River Trail traces the bank of one of the finest wild rivers remaining in the Mid-Atlantic region, following the Mullica River through the heart of Wharton State Forest where the river widens from a narrow cedar-lined stream into a broader tidal channel flanked by stands of Atlantic white cedar and sweetbay magnolia. The 4-mile out-and-back is entirely flat, threading through classic Pine Barrens river corridor habitat on a sandy path that hugs the riverbank through dense vegetation. The Mullica River's tea-colored water is among the purest naturally occurring surface water on the East Coast, acidic from cedar tannins but free of agricultural and industrial contamination thanks to the surrounding protected lands. The river is one of New Jersey's premier kayak and canoe routes, with outfitters in Batsto offering multi-day guided paddle trips from the Batsto River confluence downstream to Great Bay. Hikers on the trail frequently encounter paddlers floating past, and the river is wide and calm enough for beginners at this section. Osprey nest in dead cedar snags above the river corridor from April through August, and bald eagles winter along the Mullica and are increasingly year-round residents since their reintroduction to New Jersey in the 1980s. The surrounding Pinelands National Reserve protects 17 trillion gallons of water in the Cohansey Aquifer beneath the trail, the largest freshwater aquifer in the northeastern United States.