This is an interesting hike, but not one that I would go out of my way to take, unless I had other things to do in the area. That’s exactly what brought me to Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County. My wife was looking to buy tomatoes in bulk for canning and the farms of southwest New Jersey produce some of the best tomatoes in the world. So, we combined a day hiking in a park we otherwise would never visit with a stop at a local farmer’s roadside stand and topped it off with a visit to Henri’s Hotts, New Jersey’s best barbeque restaurant in Folsom, to make a great day trip.
Parvin State Park is located on the edge of the Pine Barrens, so the hiking is flat, sandy and occasionally wet. It’s very different from the locations we’re used to visiting up north. It’s a good change of pace, but I have to say, there are better places to experience the Pine Barrens and more interesting trails elsewhere in southern New Jersey. The centerpiece of the park is Parvin Lake, a large man-made impoundment with a visitor’s pavilion and swimming beach. The hike we took, and which I will describe here, takes you around the perimeter of this 2,000 plus acre area of forests and wetlands. You’ll walk about 5 miles in total over mostly flat terrain, occasionally having to cross some wet areas. You’re never far from civilization, but there are parts of this hike that will have you feeling as though you are deep in the woods.
If you’re visiting Parvin during the warm season, bring insect repellent. That’s not a suggestion! Ticks and chiggers are abundant. If you’ve never had the pleasure of dealing with a severe case of chigger bites and the maddening itching that goes along with them, trust me, it’s an experience you can skip. You’ll never know you encountered them until it’s too late. The other issue I found here is that the trails are not very well marked. You need to pay attention to where you’ve been and know how to read a map. You won’t get “lost” but you’ll have a tough time staying on your planned route. One last note is the condition of the trails. When we visited in early September 2014, they were mostly clear, although there were still areas with many downed trees. In June 2013 a derecho moved through southern and central New Jersey. The storm was particularly devastating to Parvin, where hundreds of mature old growth trees were felled. The park is only recovering now from the effects of the storm.
Directions
Parvin State Park is located in Pittsgrove Township, on County Route 540 (Almond Road) a short distance west of Route 55. From Route 55 north or south, take exit 35 and follow signs to the park.The main entrance to the park is located between Centerton and Vineland on Route 540 (Almond Road) where the visitor’s pavilion can be found on the left side of the road. However, once you reach the main entrance of the park, continue west on Route 540 approximately 1 mile to a parking area on the left side of the road marked by a small sign that says “Second Landing”. Pull into this parking area and follow the unmarked trail leading south from this spot approximately 150′ to reach the hiking trails.
The Hike
Begin this hike where the short connector trail from the parking area meets the hiking trails. The spot is marked by a wooden pavilion and trail signs signifying the white-blazed Nature Trail and the red-blazed Long Trail which are co-aligned for the first part of the hike. You can download a copy of the trail map here, but it will be of marginal assistance on this hike. For this hike you will be following the Red Trail, the Brown Trail, back to the Red Trail, to the Yellow Trail, to the Green Trail which will take you back to your starting point. PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION to each intersection you arrive at. The trails are not well marked and you need to keep a sense of where you are to navigate this route. If you miss a turn, don’t panic. The park is sandwiched between two main roads and if you walk in the correct direction for any period of time, you will come to park facilities like the camping area or the bathing beach. It’s all level, it’s all contained, so don’t panic. This route consists of about 5 miles of level easy walking on sandy paths with occasional downed trees or wet areas to traverse .
When you reach the red and white trails, immediately turn right and follow the foot path into the woods from the wooden pavilion. The red trail follows Muddy Run heading west. At times the trail comes close to the creek and provides interesting views. The trail also crosses numerous wet areas, some with wooden boardwalks, some without. After approximately 1 mile, the trail gradually turns left and then crosses Muddy Run on a large wooden foot bridge. At this point, the occasional red blazes are on plastic markers, some hidden in the underbrush. After crossing the bridge, keep an eye out for the red-blazed connector trail that leaves to the right and will lead you to the brown-blazed Black Oak Trail in a short distance. Turn left on the brown trail and follow it approximately 2 miles, where the trail makes a gradual turn to your left to follow Thundergust Brook, which will be on your right. In less than 1/2 mile you will come back to the red blazes of the Long Trail, although it is not well marked.
Turn right and go several hundred feet to the end of the red trail at the junction with the yellow-blazed Thundergust Lake trail. This is a circular trail that loops around Thundergust Lake, the weedy shallow pond that is in front of you. Go either left or right to follow either the east or west shore of the pond. The trails meet again in 1/2 mile at the other end of the pond. Follow your choice of shoreline to the north end of Thundergust Lake where the trail will intersect with a paved park road. Cross the road and in front of you will be the green-blazed Parvin Lake Trail that will be entering a wooded section of the shoreline of the much larger Parvin Lake. Follow this trail to the right as it hugs the shoreline of Parvin Lake as it takes you across the lake’s outlet, just below a semi-circular dam and eventually past the park’s group picnic facilities and the main entrance to the swimming beach.
After you pass the visitor’s pavilion, the green trail re-enters the woods and follows the north shore of Parvin Lake on your left, although it is difficult to see through the dense growth. In about 1/2 mile you will pass some interpretive historic markers that detail the days when this park was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. All that is left of that legacy are a few clearings in the woods and the photographs. After investigating this site, continue on the green trail. In about 1/2 mile you will reach the wooden pavilion marking the beginning of the red trail where this hike began. Turn right on the short connector trail and follow it back to the parking area.
Although you don’t get the spectacular views of the rugged terrain found in northern New Jersey, there are still some beautiful views of Parvin Lake, some secluded areas in the densely wooded wetland forests and interesting plants and wildlife to see, especially birds during the spring and fall migrations. Dense undergrowth of summersweet and the bright red cardinal flowers that dot the wet areas are plants that are not always seen up north where the over-population of deer has devastated the forests.
When you’re done with your hike, check yourself for ticks. A good idea is to remove and change your socks and shoes because there is a good chance that you’ve picked up hitch-hiking chiggers that are eager to feast on your ankles. On your way home check out one of the local farm stands where late summer and early fall promise a bumper harvest of local produce like tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. The local farmers are very proud of what they grow and if you are in to canning or bulk cooking, will sell you these items by the bushel for extremely reasonable prices. Strike up a friendly conversation and they may even sell you some of their “special” hot peppers that they like to keep for themselves to spice up your cooking. As I write this, my wife is shelving the jars of tomato sauce, salsa and hot pepper/tomato jelly from the bushels of peppers and tomatoes we brought home with us from our visit to Parvin.
One last suggestion. If you’re headed north or east on the way home, make a special detour to the intersection of Route 54 and 322. Henri’s Hotts is a barbeque joint that is worth the long trip here all by itself. It’s on the eastbound side of 322(Black Horse Pike) in Folsom just past the intersection with 54. They’re only open Thursday to Sunday. Saturday and Sunday they feature an all you can eat buffet of some of Mr. Henri’s home cooked specialties. I’m not a big food guy, but this is one restaurant where I have to say the food is a taste experience. So work up a good appetite hiking, you’ll be happy you did.
Yo Hike This! 