A large forest close to a large city
East and southeast of Camden, within a drive that can be as short as under an hour toward its western edge, the suburban landscape gives way to a very different one: a broad area of pine and oak woodland, sandy soil and slow, dark streams. This is the Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands. It is one of the largest areas of open space on the Atlantic seaboard between Boston and Richmond, an often-repeated description that reflects its size rather than a precise measurement.
The region is now protected in part under the Pinelands National Reserve, created by federal law in 1978, and a state commission established the following year to manage land use there. The reserve covers roughly a million acres, though readers should check official figures for the exact total.
Why “barrens”?
Early European settlers called the area barren because its sandy, acidic and nutrient-poor soil was unsuited to the kind of farming that worked elsewhere in New Jersey. The name stuck, though the land is anything but empty. Its ecology is distinctive, and the name now carries more affection than judgment.
What makes the landscape distinctive
Soil and water. The sandy soil drains quickly. Beneath it lies a large freshwater aquifer, and many streams carry water stained a tea-like brown by tannins from cedar and other vegetation. Despite appearances, the water is generally clear.
Fire. Pitch pine and several kinds of oak dominate. Pitch pine tolerates fire and can resprout, and periodic burns, natural or planned, are part of how the forest renews itself. Land managers may carry out prescribed burns, and wildfire is a recognized risk.
Plants and animals. The Pinelands support rare plants, including carnivorous species and orchids in wetter spots, and a number of amphibians and reptiles that are uncommon elsewhere. The Pine Barrens tree frog is a well-known example. Atlantic white cedar swamps are another typical feature.
Cranberries and blueberries. Bogs in the region have supported commercial cranberry and blueberry farming for well over a century, one of the traditional uses of the land.
Human history
The Lenape used the area long before European settlement. Later, the region supported bog iron furnaces, glassmaking, charcoal making, lumbering and small mill villages, many of which depended on the local streams and trees. Batsto Village, in what is now a state forest, is a preserved example from the iron and glass era. When those industries faded, many settlements shrank or disappeared, leaving the forest to regrow.
Local folklore adds the legend of the Jersey Devil, a creature said to haunt the Pines. It is a story, not a documented animal, and is part of regional culture.
Other South Jersey landscapes
The Pines are one piece of a varied region.
- The Delaware shore. Tidal marshes and flatlands along the river and bay are shaped by the tides. Low-lying land there is covered in the article on the tidal floodplain.
- Farmland. Fertile soils west and south of the Pines historically supported vegetable, fruit and nursery agriculture. South Jersey earned a reputation as a garden area for nearby city markets.
- Coastal plain rivers. Streams such as the Mullica and the Great Egg Harbor River drain the Pines toward the Atlantic and are popular for paddling in season.
- Barrier islands and the shore. The Atlantic coast has beaches, dunes and bays, a different environment altogether.
Most of South Jersey lies on a low coastal plain, with few hills. That flatness is one reason water, tides and storms have such influence.
Visiting responsibly
Many people explore the Pines by hiking, canoeing, camping, birding or visiting historic villages. State forests and parks have their own rules, which may include permits, seasonal closures or fire restrictions, so confirm current conditions before going. Trails can be sandy and long, and cell service is not always dependable. Some features are best planned as part of day trips from the city, and weather and seasonal planning matter more in large natural areas.
Because the forest is a sensitive ecosystem, stay on marked paths, avoid disturbing plants and wildlife, and take out what you bring in. Wildfires in dry conditions can move quickly, and campfire rules are enforced.
Why it matters to the region
The Pines provide recharge for groundwater, habitat, recreation and a sense of open space for a densely settled state. They also lie within the wider river-and-coastal-plain system that the Delaware shapes on its western side, which is why they appear in any picture of the Camden region’s landscape.