South Jersey Pine Barrens in July

[Don in SJ]

I went into the heart of the Pine Barrens this morning and since the detecting was not going well for various reasons I did get some shots off to show what the area is like, for miles and miles and miles.
This area was very active in the late 1700's thru the 1840's with the Iron Furnace's in the general area employing lots of laborer's.
Also, the one road was a main stagecoach road from the Philadelphia area to a seaport on the Jersey coast. I love this area in the fall, but in the summer the deer flies, the heat reflecting off the sand, lack of shade from pines, makes being there in 80-90* weather, not the most pleasant experience, but come this fall, I will be back there.

The lake in the photo has a breached dam breast from heavy rains over a decade ago from a hurricane. The coins found here are usually in good shape but not always, the goal is to find a colonial copper in the pure sugar sand, they come out almost like the day they were dropped.

The lake photo is three stitched together, the stitch did not go perfect but you get the idea.

Don

 

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[alwayslookin]

Great pics..I really like that rowbot shot.

Dave

 

[watercolor]

Don, those are great photos; I'd love to be able to MD out there but I'm afraid I'd get easily side-tracked with all the photo opportunities.
Your stitched panoramic is really nice.

Take care,
watercolor

 

[Cynangyl]

looks like a great place! very nice photos!

 

[CarolinaDigs]

Absolutely a fantastic looking place to HH I bet it is wonderful in the fall > sorry you didn't find your colonial

 

[wesfrye53]

Don...that is some pretty country and you got some great shots...and now I know how you find all that really old Colonial stuff

 

[aa battery]

Cant wait to see what you find Don 8) AA

 

[bean man]

Thank you for posting these pic's! I am a Tom Brown Jr. fan. He described the pine barrens so well, that I felt like I had seen them. Now I really know how good of job he did. 8)

 

[PebbleBreeze]

You did a nice job capturing the pines. I can almost smell the pine duff and sweetbriar.
I a big fan of the Pine Barrens but know nothing about old coins found there. Any links
to pictures of coins etc?

Were you at Martha's furnace?

 

[Don in SJ]

You did a nice job capturing the pines. I can almost smell the pine duff and sweetbriar.
I a big fan of the Pine Barrens but know nothing about old coins found there. Any links
to pictures of coins etc?

Were you at Martha's furnace?

Very good on Martha's furnace guess, close, within several miles. Martha's furance is a big no-no for even thinking about detecting there nowadays.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Beautiful pictures....but werent you afraid the Jersey Devil was going to show up?

 

[Don in SJ]

I think the Jersey Devil spends the summer in Wisconsin looking for Bigfoot!

 

[beavis]

I grew up in the pine barrens. We're known as, you guessed it, Pineys. That white sugar sand is real deceiving. Put your bare foot into it and it comes up black. MDing is a dirty hobby in the pine barrens, but it's real beautiful. You have to be a Piney to appreciate the pine trees there. They have a face only a mother could love.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I think the Jersey Devil spends the summer in Wisconsin looking for Bigfoot!

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Very neat photos, never been there.

8)

 

[RiograndeRon]

Always wondered what the Pine Barrens look like,nice looking place,watch out for the devil. thanx Ron

 

[jeff of pa]

I used to love just seeing the Sand roads in the Pine Barrens.

Awsome place.


I can just imagine all the Treasures lost in there.

areas that havn't been tread on for hundreds of years.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

You did a nice job capturing the pines. I can almost smell the pine duff and sweetbriar.
I a big fan of the Pine Barrens but know nothing about old coins found there. Any links
to pictures of coins etc?

Were you at Martha's furnace?

Very good on Martha's furnace guess, close, within several miles. Martha's furance is a big no-no for even thinking about detecting there nowadays.

I was ignorant of the laws and went to Martha's Furnace a number of years ago, and got away with only a warning from the Park Ranger. Believe me when I tell you, all of those towns were hit hard by metal detectors years ago! I was lucky to dig even a square nail!

All three southern NJ State forests are off limits to metal detecting (with the exception of Atsion Lake with a permit), however the surrounding land has some great opportunities, as long as you have the owners permission. Most people do not realize that the pine barrens extends well beyond the borders of the state forests, even into western Camden County. This time of year I only hunt the sandy piney areas nearby my house. No worries of Poison Ivy and underbrush, but caution still needs to be given for tics and chiggers.

Keep a sharp lookout in these piney areas and you will see plenty of fence lizards and skinks as well!

 

[PebbleBreeze]

Neil, nice finds you have showcased on your site. I am orig from Marlton and there is an old farm (now public park) called Savich Farm. I used to find arrow heads there. At one point the old Savich mansion and outbuildings stood, abandoned for many years, until it all burned in the 80s.

Up by Forked River Mt., I had come across old homesteads, buried in overgrowth just a stones throw from the road. Found wagon wheels and foundations. I am not a metal detector-er so have not surveyed it as such. Would also image the many miles of old wagon trails as good oppty., esp the old coach routes to the shore.

I know some of the State Forests have museums (like by Atsion Lake) so the state is interested in keeping the Pine's treasures for the public. Yet, I think private collections, if shared/loaned to museums/libraries, play an important role. Happy hunting in the Pines.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Yet, I think private collections, if shared/loaned to museums/libraries, play an important role. Happy hunting in the Pines.

When I tried to donate some axe heads and other artifacts found at Friendship Cranberry Bogs many years back, I was read the riot act about removing artifacts from the site. The irony of the situation is that foundations were made into ramps for ATV's and the site was littered with beer bottles. My home town's historic society is a lot more tolerant. I am constantly loaning things of local interest for them to display in the public library.