Wharton State Forest

10/08/2026

BATSTO LANTERN TOUR UPDATE

Tickets for the 2026 Folklore Lantern Tours at Batsto Village Historic Site are SOLD OUT.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the village later this month!

10/06/2026

10,000 acres of Atlantic white cedar is planned to be restored across southern New Jersey during the next decade, starting with 171 acres in the Waterford Township, Camden County, section of Wharton State Forest.

Atlantic white cedar forests are an important part of the Pine Barrens ecosystem, they:
🌿 Provide habitat for rare plants and wildlife
💧 Help filter water and protect water quality
💨 Help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by capturing and storing carbon in their soils
🌊 Help manage water flow and reduce flooding impacts

Atlantic white cedar forests once covered about 125,000 acres in New Jersey. Today, less than 25,000 acres remain. This decline was driven by human development, unsustainable logging practices and habitat loss caused by climate change. The restoration of Atlantic white cedar is encouraged under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan.

Since the Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project was announced in 2021, the New Jersey Forest Service has completed a detailed process identifying project sites, collecting information, developing restoration plans and advancing permit applications. On-the-ground restoration work is now ready to begin pending final approval from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, anticipated on Friday.

What does Atlantic white cedar restoration look like? Restoration work will begin by removing competing trees and woody brush, including red maple, black gum and pitch pine, that have grown in areas that were historically home to Atlantic white cedar. The removal of these species will allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, creating conditions Atlantic white cedar needs to grow and thrive. Healthy and mature Atlantic white cedar trees within the project areas will be retained and serve as sources of seed to help new cedar trees become established naturally.

The 171-acre Waterford Township project is the first of 12 restoration projects planned as part of Phase 1 of the project, which will cover approximately 2,300 acres.

The Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project is funded through natural resource damage recoveries received by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection from settlements with companies responsible for groundwater and surface water contamination in New Jersey.

Learn more and find answers to frequently asked questions: atlanticwhitecedar.nj.gov

10/04/2026

BATSTO LANTERN TOUR UPDATE

Tickets for the 2026 Folklore Lantern Tours at Batsto Village Historic Site are selling quickly! Please note the following updates in availability:

-> Friday, October 23 - Both Tours SOLD OUT

-> Saturday, October 24 - Both Tours SOLD OUT

-> Sunday, October 25 - 6PM Tour AVAILABLE (~20 Tickets Remaining), 8PM Tour LIMITED AVAILABILITY (~10 Tickets Remaining)

-> Thursday, October 29 - 6PM Tour AVAILABLE (~20 Tickets Remaining), 8PM Tour LIMITED AVAILABILITY (~10 Tickets Remaining)

-> Friday, October 30 - Both Tours SOLD OUT

-> Saturday, October 31 - 6PM Tour AVAILABLE (~30 Tickets Remaining), 8PM Tour AVAILABLE (~20 Tickets Remaining)

To purchase tickets, please call the Batsto Visitor Center at 609-561-0024. We can’t wait to see everyone in the village this fall!

10/01/2026

Batsto Village Historic Site’s lantern tours are back! Step into the past this October as Wharton State Forest interpretive staff lead an evening walk through Batsto by lantern light, stopping at points of interest along the way and sharing stories of the village’s history, along with the legends and folklore of the Pine Barrens.

🕯️ Tours are approximately 90 minutes and begin promptly at 6 and 8 p.m. on the porch of Batsto Mansion. Lanterns for all participants are provided.

🎟️ Advance registration is required. Call 609-561-0024 or visit the Batsto Visitor Center to register. Tickets are $10 per person. The Batsto Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

📅 Tour dates:
Friday, Oct. 23
Saturday, Oct. 24
Sunday, Oct. 25
Thursday, Oct. 29
Friday, Oct. 30
Saturday, Oct. 31

Register early, the lantern tours are expected to sell out!

09/24/2026

While enjoying the Fall Antique, Glass & Bottle Show this Sunday (9/27) at Batsto Village Historic Site, stop in the Batsto Museum Shop to welcome our newest vendor, Jekyll and Hyde Tea Company! They are a South Jersey company, making small batch, fresh brewed tea. Their ingredients are locally sourced and include fresh lemon myrtle and honey. This is the first time they have been featured at Wharton State Forest, and we are very excited to welcome them here!

We’ve also restocked one of our favorite offerings: Jersey Shore Soda Company’s Jersey Devil Fruit Punch and Batsto Cherry Soda! Both delicious and a great souvenir, you can find them on your next trip to Batsto Village.

09/12/2026

Herbs are back by popular demand!

Stop by the Visitor Center this weekend (Sept. 12-13) to pick up a free sample of herbs grown in Batsto's Kitchen Garden.

The following herbs may be available to take home, while supplies last: mint, oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon, lavender, rosemary, and chives. Stop in and learn how the people who once lived in the village used their gardens for cooking, medicine, and more.

While enjoying Batsto and exploring the rest of the village, we ask that visitors refrain from taking herbs directly from the garden.

09/05/2026

Attention all Girl Scouts: Wharton State Forest is proudly celebrating Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend September 12th and 13th!

Programs focusing on both the history and natural world of South Jersey are available to interested Girl Scout Troops and their families:

Pine Barrens Basics: Guided Hike

What do you know about our nation’s first national reserve? Join Wharton State Forest’s naturalist on a guided hike and learn the basics about Pine Barrens ecology including how some species survive in such a harsh nutrient poor environment. We’ll also briefly touch on wilderness ethics and what to expect when exploring Wharton State Forest.

• Saturday, September 12 – 11:00 a.m.

• Sunday, September 13 – 11:00 a.m.

Tours meet at the Batsto Visitor Center. For more information or to register, interested Troop Leaders should email Wharton's naturalist at [email protected].

Batsto Mansion Backstage: Guided Tour

Join Wharton State Forest’s historians as you explore the rarely-seen rooms and spaces within Batsto Mansion. See the “secret” staircase, the tower water tank, and other “behind-the-scenes” areas as historians reveal the hidden histories of the home. Tours also include hands-on time with historic artifacts.

• Saturday, September 12 – 11:00 a.m.

• Saturday, September 12 – 2:00 p.m.

• Sunday, September 13 – 11:00 a.m.

• Sunday, September 13 – 2:00 p.m.

Tours are $5 per person and meet at the Batsto Visitor Center. For more information or to register, interested Troop Leaders should email Wharton's historian at [email protected].

CALLING ALL NEW JERSEY GIRL SCOUTS AND TROOP LEADERS! 📢
Are you affiliated with, or know a troop interested in participating in Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend on Sept. 12 & 13 or 19 & 20? This year, the New Jersey State Park Service is hosting 20 statewide programs, cleanups, stewardship activities and more!

✍ Register your girl scout or troop today: https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/girl-scouts-love-state-parks/

Girl Scouts Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ, Inc. Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore

09/04/2026

The first harvest of Batsto’s Kitchen Garden is underway! All summer long, Wharton State Forest staff have tended the garden, and now it’s time to share in the harvest.

Starting today, you are invited to come to the Visitor Center and pick up a free sample of Batsto-grown herbs! The following herbs may be available to take home, while supplies last: mint, oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon, lavender, rosemary, and chives. Stop in and learn how the people who once lived in the village used their gardens for cooking, medicine, and more.

While enjoying Batsto and exploring the rest of the village, we ask that visitors refrain from taking herbs directly from the garden.

Additionally, the Batsto Museum Shop is proud to feature our newest vendor: Pezz Glassworks! Individually hand-crafted, Pezz Glassworks has supplied us with unique glass pumpkins and beautiful glass ornaments, perfect for seasonal decorating. Stop by and take a look before they are gone! New candles and soap are also in stock, including fall and early winter scents. New merchandise is arriving daily, so come by and see what’s new!

08/09/2026

Happy 82nd birthday Smokey Bear! Smokey is celebrating his birthday today by flying low along the Jersey Shore aboard a New Jersey Forest Fire Service helicopter, waving to beachgoers from Cape May to Asbury Park, with special flyovers of Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest and Lake Nummy in Belleplain State Forest.

Commemorative Smokey Bear beach badges will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for visitors of Atsion Recreation Area (Wharton State Forest), Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Belleplain State Forest, Corson’s Inlet State Park, Island Beach State Park and the Ocean City Music Pier.

The flight is scheduled to begin over Cape May at approximately 1 p.m. and travel north along the coast, ending in Asbury Park around 3:30 p.m. Earlier in the day, Smokey will fly over Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest at approximately 11 a.m. and Lake Nummy in Belleplain State Forest at approximately 11:45 a.m.

A banner plane displaying a "Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear" message will lead the flight.

The birthday flight is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

For nearly a century, Smokey Bear has inspired generations of Americans to help prevent wildfires with his timeless message: “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

05/21/2026

Concession Opportunity: Atsion Recreation Area (Wharton State Forest)

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is accepting bid proposals for the operation of a stand up paddleboard concession at Atsion Recreation Area in Wharton State Forest.

Proposals are due by 12 p.m. on June 8.

🔗 More information: https://dep.nj.gov/otpla/request-for-proposal-le26-038-atsion-recreation-area-stand-up-paddleboard-concession/