Pine Barrens Canoe Rental after 32 years of operation has joined up with Micks Canoe Rental. At Micks, you will receive the same service and dedication that you are accustomed to receiving in the past. Our new location is just 1½ miles south on Rt. 563 at Micks Canoe & Kayak Rental. Micks is known for their outstanding customer service. We are able to accommodate any size group. You can contact us at the same phone numbers. Our new address is 3107 Rt. 563, Chatsworth (Jenkins), NJ 08019. Visit our website at http://www.mickscanoerental.com.

Local History

Wharton State Forest is the largest single tract of land within the New Jersey State Park System. It contains in excess of 110,000 acres in Atlantic, Burlington and Camden Counties. Located in the heart of the Pine Barrens, about 20 miles northwest of Atlantic City and approximately 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia, the area is conveniently accessible from the Atlantic City Expressway, the Garden State Parkway and U.S. Routes 30 and 206.

While the Lenni-Lenape Indians hunted and fished in the area, the first permanent settlers were primarily wood cutters and sawmill operators. With the discovery of bog ore, iron furnaces were built, bringing more people of varied skills and related occupations into the  Pine Barrens.

During the late 1700’s and early 1800’s towns and villages developed along rivers and streams, which were easily impounded and utilized as a source of power for the mills, furnaces and forges. These industries, and the latter ones of glass and paper production, are now significant in the interpretation of the industrial heritage and development of South Jersey.

Much of the historical interest centers on the iron industry which flourished in the Pine Barrens at the time of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The iron to make munitions and supplies for these conflicts was obtained from bog ore found along the streams and swamps of the area and supplied to the local furnaces and forges.

By the mid-19th century, however, the iron furnaces were silent. The decline of this industry, and later those of glass and paper, marked the decline and eventual disappearance of the towns and villages which had sprung up around them.

Batsto survived, in part, because Joseph Wharton, a Philadelphia industrialist and financier, purchased it in 1876 and developed it as a gentleman’s farm. He also continued to amass his South Jersey properties with the intent of damming the streams and selling the water to Camden and Philadelphia. This plan was never realized, and when Wharton dies in 1909, his South Jersey lands comprised approximately 96,000 acres.

The estate remained intact, and when the State of New Jersey purchased it in 1954 and 1955 as a watershed and recreation area, it ensured the survival of this unique natural and cultural environment. Wharton State Forest is named for Joseph Wharton whose original 96,000 acres comprise its core.

The majority of the area has remained undeveloped in order to preserve the forest’s natural habitat. However, recreational development has occurred at Atsion, Batsto and Crowley Landing and campsites can be found throughout the forest.

Additional Information on Pinelands History

If you would like to know more about the history and culture of Wharton State Forest and the Pinelands National Reserve, we think that these web sites are a great place to start.