Posted in New Jersey Nature March 01, 2021 by

This Haunted Hike In New Jersey Will Send You Running For The Hills

There is nothing like hiking through the woods to a potentially haunted place and testing your courage in the wilderness. If you like to get your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping then we have the ultimate haunted hike in New Jersey. The Batona Trail that wanders through the Pine Barrens is a beautiful place to get out and explore. However, once you learn about the haunted history this hike holds, it might just make for a different experience altogether.

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The BaToNa Trail is a 50+ mile trail that runs through the Pine Barrens.
Flickr/The Turducken
BaToNa is short for BAck TO NAture and is a very rural, secluded trail through deep woods.
There's so much to see along this lengthy trail.
Flickr/The Turducken
You'll find lakes, ponds, pines, sandy soil, cemeteries, ruins, historic villages, rustic campgrounds, a fire tower, bridges, memorials, and more.
The trail runs through the heart of the Pine Barrens, prime territory for the Jersey Devil.
Flickr/Dan Jeffrey
The legend of the Jersey Devil is centuries old. Over the years, there have been over 2,000 reported sightings. The story goes something like this... In 1735, Mother Leeds, a pine barren native, gave birth to her 13th child. Some say she was a witch and that the child's father was the devil himself.

Born on a stormy night, the baby was anything but human. It killed the midwife and flew off into the woods. For years it tormented local children and farmers, killing livestock. Many describe the creature as having hooves, wings, and a forked tail; some also add horns and a blood-curling scream to the description.

Researchers theorize that the story began as an attempt to discredit the Leeds Family by political rivals or local Quakers who did not approve of their non-Quaker religious beliefs. Known as the Leeds Devil until the early 1900s, even Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph claimed to have spotted the winged devil.
You don't need to hike the whole trail for a chilling adventure.
Wikipedia/RTSanderson
I'd start at the ghost town of Ong's Hat! The northernmost terminus of the BaToNa Trail, it has a very strange history. The area can be seen on maps dating back centuries. Legend says that the town had just a handful of houses, along with a thriving dance hall. However, industry left the area and Ong's Hut/Ong's Hat slowly became abandoned.

The last resident left the town in 1936, but not before some strange disappearances. A Polish immigrant, John Chininiski, and his wife lived in the area. She disappeared without a trace, and shortly after he went missing as well. Years later, a single skeleton was found in the woods nearby.

But the story gets even stranger. According to an urban legend (and a handful of conspiracy theorists), Ong's Hat contains a portal to another dimension. Disgraced Princeton professors, mocked for their quantum physics theories, fled to the area in the 1970s. They are said to have discovered the secret of inter-dimensional travel.

This haunted trail in New Jersey has plenty of areas for parking and camping along the route, so you can make this hike as long or short as you’d like. I think a good out and back trail would be starting at Ong’s Hat (along Turkey Buzzard Bridge Road, Pemberton) and ending at Deep Hollow Pond, before heading back. The hike would be moderate, at around 5 miles. For another haunted hike in New Jersey, check out Jenny Jump Forest.

Address: The Pine Barrens, Pemberton Township, NJ 08015, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center

Haunted Hike In New Jersey

January 31, 2021
Marisa Roman

What are the creepiest places in New Jersey?

Everyone loves a good creepy attraction, even if it’s just to learn about the history behind it rather than actually visiting it. So, what scary places in New Jersey are most popular or perhaps have the most notable stories? We’ve compiled all of the best haunted attractions in the state into one terrifying road trip. This haunted NJ road trip will take you on an 8-hour journey to some of the best, and scariest spots in the state.

Can I visit any abandoned places in New Jersey?

There is something terrifying yet thrilling about visiting abandoned places. While they remain empty, there is history and life that once thrived. We have an abandoned places road trip in New Jersey that we created in order to showcase a tantalizing variety of abandoned sites. Some include just a stopover at a landmark while others offer unique hikes in New Jersey to get to where you need to be. The entire road trip takes just under seven hours to complete, but make sure to plan for a stopover at each site. You may want to spend more time taking in the abandoned Toms River Silo Ruins over the McNeal Mansion in Burlington.

Are there any urban legends in New Jersey?

We mentioned one of the most popular urban legends in New Jersey above, the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens, but are there others worth talking about? Absolutely. New Jersey has tons of urban legends, many of which will keep you awake at night. Learn all about the Sussex Sea Serpent and the Devil’s Tree when you browse this list of 16 terrifying New Jersey urban legends.

Address: The Pine Barrens, Pemberton Township, NJ 08015, USA