Hike #837; Back Neck to Bridgeton

Hike #837; Back Neck to Bridgeton

3/29/15 Back Neck to Bridgeton with Gregg Hudis, Serious Sean Dougherty, Rob Creamer, Dan Asnis, and Misha ?.

The group at a former estate area in Dix Wildlife Management Area

Our next hike would be the next in the NJ Perimeter series, this time the section east from the bay at Back Neck to the nearest crossing available of the Cohansey River, at Bridgeton. It would again be one of those hikes that would turn out unlike what I expected it would be.

There were initially a lot of people signed up for this hike, but more and more backed out as the date neared. It would be one of the smallest Sunday groups we'd had for a while, but again a very interesting route that we'll never go back and repeat. Those who missed out on it have missed out on it permanently, and the places we saw were again very different than others we'd visited.

NJ Perimeter so far

We met in the morning in the town of Bridgeton. I had driven through before for the past couple of hikes, but never really looked around. It wasn't a bad looking town in the middle, but some sections were pretty run down. I went into the C Town Grocery Store at the start wearing my black pin striped suit with red shirt looking for snacks and drinks. I looked very out of place even there, when normally I just look out of place hiking in the suit.

When everyone had arrived, we were able to shuttle to our starting point in just two cars not packed fully. The start point was Dix Wildlife Management Area, down a dirt road we had passed on the previous hike between Sea Breeze and Newport.

The road we parked on was Middle Marsh Lane, near the intersection with a farm lane. We pulled up to find a couple guys and dogs there hanging out. They told us we'd be good pulled off there. "What are you guys doin, hikin'?" one of them asked me. I confirmed, surprisingly to no real astonishment on their part with my appearance. They took off and we were ready to go.

My first order of business was to connect with where we'd previously been. After all, the premise of the hikes is for them all to connect with previous ones, and especially these ones because it has to be a continuous perimeter of NJ. We followed Middle Marsh Lane back to Sea Breeze Road and turned right, re tracing our steps from the previous trip. When we got to a path that went into the woods on the right, into Dix Wildlife Management Area, we took it. It weaved around a bit, and was pleasant enough at first, but the path petered out and we were just wandering the woods. There wasn't so much undergrowth, so it wasn't terrible passing through. We had to wind around a lot, and avoid the long dangling green briars that seem only to be native to south Jersey.

Wetlands in Dix WMA

There were a lot of wetlands we had to circumnavigate as well. This kept us from moving on further to the west as I had originally intended. We had to continue to head north until eventually we had just doubled back to Middle Marsh Lane and had to walk back past the cars again. We next turned left on the farm lane headed to the south. It was a pleasant dirt road through woods, which curved sharply and passed sections of somewhat overgrown fields with paths cut through or around sections. The water came right up to the edge at points.

Farm lane with water on the side

We continued down the road past these curves to the south end we could reach without getting wet. We then had to turn back, but cut to the left onto cut paths into the open fields. We made it far out to the west side of the fields, then headed north and cut through a tree line into more of them. We had to then head back out to the east to reach the road again. We cut into even more farm fields for another loop above there, but again had to come back to the main access road because it got too wet to continue. We eventually had to continue on the farm lane north back toward Middle Marsh Lane. Before getting there, when we got to a section of dry woods we cut in, heading northwest again. We wandered through and around giant wetland areas, and somehow found a way through to the next field to the west. A strip was mowed down along this, and we followed it around the edge of yet another field. These fields lined the way out to the west along Middle Marsh Lane. We continued following that road again as it got rougher and the parallel fields began to disappear.

View of Division Creek from the end of Back Neck

The road got more rough as we reached the end. It sort of split, and the route to the west just went into wetness, in reeds beaten down apparently by ATVs. The route to the north was more walkable, and led us to a view over the Division Creek. We checked it out and simply turned back to follow Middle Marsh Lane to the east, the way we came. We had to pass the cars yet again, having already passed them once and came very close to them a second time. From here, there was no good way to cut into the woods to the north because it was all swampy forest. We were abel to cut in again when we neared a state owned field on the left. We skirted the fields heading to the north, then went into the woods at the end of it. This was nice for a while, but we soon reached more impassable wetlands.

We had to skirt these wetlands to the south, and try to head east. I could tell by the maps and aerial images that a tributary was coming under School House Road, the next road we would reach, and so it would be impossible to cross any other way. I led the way near to the southern reaches of the wetland and toward the next open old field. Just before reaching it, I observed a strange, straight line of moss and earth.

Likely old drainage

I assumed this straight line I found must have been a drainage trench created long ago in order to drain the water off of the fields for cultivation. This trench led right up to the northwest corner of the next field we were to pass through. Once everyone caught up, we followed the north side of the fields out to School House Road, and turned left.

Sweepin' the Back Neck

Serious Sean found a broom somewhere in this stretch;  he's always finding interesting props to carry along with us, and so he was sweeping some strange little pink rocks we found along the road here. We continued on School House Road until we reached a field on the left. We were able to cut across the southern end of the field, which was somewhat muddy, but passable. This took us out to Back Neck Road, which we would follow to the west. The area of Back Neck was similar to Middle Marsh in that it had many little fields along the sides we could explore. I was originally planning to make the Back Neck portion a separate hike, but it really didn't fit in as well with other things, and so I decided we'd just get it done this time.

We passed the site of a former house on the right that had rather obviously been burned down. The foundation was there and recent fire scarring on surrounding trees. It was sad that it wasn't there, because it was one of the things I was looking forward to checking out. We continued on along Back Neck Road to the west, and then to the south. A private road went off to the right, and the main road appeared to leave Dix Wildlife Management Area. Still, we were able to remain on the main road. It had switched over from pavement to dirt and sand and was very pleasant walking.

As we walked, a young guy pulled over to ask what we were doing. He was on his way out to photograph some ducks. Sean saw that he had a gopro camera, and got into a discussion about how he used the chest mounted one rather than the head one that would eliminate some of the trembling of the camera. The guy pointed out that a piece that came from it, which is usually discarded, actually helps with that a lot.

Bald Eagle Nest at Back Neck

We walked the road a little further and another truck was coming toward us. They stopped and asked us what we were doing, and I explained the NJ Perimeter thing. They then told us there was a Bald Eagle's nest just ahead off the road, and to please not disturb it. They told me they were state volunteers monitoring it. We kept quiet as we moved further down the road from here. They couple told me the nest was on the right, but the entire way down I did not notice it. At the end, by the water the road turned to the left. I followed it until it just became a mud pit and pretty much un-walkable.

We turned back from here, and as I walked I spotted the Eagle's nest to the left. I could also see the Eagle flying over head.

Back Neck Road

We continued on the road back in the direction we'd come. I told the rest of the group to go on ahead, they could take their time going ahead, while Sean and I checked out a side road that I had suspected might have an abandoned house on it. We dashed through the woods to the left in an area that was dry enough to hold us, and reached an old roadway.

Abandoned barn

House ruin?

We turned left to follow the road out more of Back Neck. We soon came upon an old barn on the left, near a curve. The barn was in really bad shape but standing pretty well. Just past the barn on the right were the remains of what might have been the farm house. There was obvious brick work and a lot of wood, but it had collapsed some time ago. The brick work didn't really look consistent with the barn stuff so I'm assuming this was the house. I thought there might have been another one out there, so we continued to follow the old road. It got pretty overgrown and we had to push a lot of the reeds out of the way. We got to where I saw a blemish in the aerial images that I thought might have been the house, but it wasn't. We went a little further, but didn't find anything more. The old road becomes pretty impassable and unrecognizable, though it still has a bridge in place over a little tributary. We turned back to follow the road the way we came in, then the main road back to Back Neck Road where we turned left to join the others. Sean left his brook in a different spot, where we went in the woods, so he didn't go back to get it.

We walked along Back Neck Road to catch up with the others. There were plenty of parallel fields and such to walk in, and it was quite pretty. We cut across one that led us out to Dragonfly Lane. This former driveway was line with ornamental trees leading to what was a huge house, recently demolished by the state. I had thought that the place would still be standing, and Rob said that someone they met on Laning Wharf Road said he'd brought his kids back there.

I was excited to come up on this place, as I could still see the house on the aerial images on my phone. I was certain it would be there. We made the last turn on the road and headed straight on toward where the house should be. I could see straight to the Cohansey River, and knew right away we had just missed it.

Abandoned mansion road; Dragon Fly Drive

We walked up the lane between the trees, and at the end was a round cul de sac thing which probably had a planter in the middle.

Fresh tracks from demolition

Cul de sac at former mansion

The former house site was obviously cleared very very recently. All of the tracks from the large machines were still fresh. In the cut lawn nearby, there were shingles and refuse that blew all over the property from the demolition. We saw bits of insulation and papers for a good distance away from the house site.

From the house site, we walked on a bit further to the view of the Cohansey River. Surely this house had a marvelous view of it. I can't tell if it was an historic building or not from the aerial images, but there's a possibility that it was. I was upset that the building wasn't there, because it was yet another thing I was looking forward to seeing on this hike, and it too had been destroyed. We made our way from the river side out across the former lawn of the place, then along fields to head back to Dragon Fly Drive, back out to Back Neck Road.

Cohansey River view from former house site

We continued down the road past the intersection with School House Road. There was a sign on the corner that denoted the centennial of the State Department of Fish, Game, and Wildlife - 1892-1992. We all agreed that it was amazing that a wooden sign from 1992 was still holding up so well. From here, we continued down Back Neck Road east and reached another estate entrance on the left, "Eagle Manor". The road did not look well used going in, and there was spray paint on the carved words. I was thinking it might be abandoned. Everyone else took a break on the entrance gates while I walked quickly back the long driveway. State land surrounded the place, but was marked with some no trespassing signs, and other places it said the property was leased. When I got to a side road to the right, it led to an amazing, giant building with out buildings around it, at least two visible. The main house was quite impressive. I walked toward it and could see no cars. I wondered if the house was vacant or not. I dared not go too far in case there were cameras up or something, or if someone was in fact living there. There were no boarded windows or anything. I looked around and turned back to the others, and we continued down Back Neck Road or immediately parallel in fields on the left.

We soon reached a side road that went on off to the Cohansey River. This was a public boat launch, so we went to check it out. To my surprise, there were trails here as well. We first followed the road to the boat launch area where we were treated to great views of the river up and down stream.

PSE&G boat launch on Cohansey River

When everyone had caught up, we headed back in land a bit and got on the only "official" trail of the entire trip. The trail took us down to a seating area and past some interpretive way-markers. The markers bore the names of both national park service and NJ division of parks and forests. It must have been a trail grant from both that paid for them. They had aged a bit, as they were becoming illegible. There were several on habitats and species including the Smooth Cordgrass, the most common of what appears in the estuarine salt marshes. The trail followed the height of some land, now much higher than what we'd come across out in Dix WMA. We crossed a long wooden foot bridge over a finger of the marsh, then reached more up lands and a seating area. The trail weaved through the woods, then to a successional field with Atlantic White Cedar before emerging in the parking area.

We headed back out to Back Neck Road to continue east. This was the longest and most boring stretch of the hike of all, but also a change in character. The road took us on to the intersection with Sea Breeze Road, and so we had to walk some of what we'd already done on the previous perimeter hike. The road seemed to go on forever. When we reached Flat Top Road, we were again on new perimeter. On the previous hike we had turned right here. It was a relief to me when we were on our way to new things.

One of these new things was how out of place it seemed that a group of young black men were standing around a car blasting loud hip hop music. This was pretty much all farm country, and for many of these hikes almost anyone we saw in these farm areas were white. We waved as we went by, and they were amused at our appearance, probably not just for what I was wearing but with the fact that we were walking one of the most dull sections of road in the area.

It became more interesting to me the further we went. The road turned slightly to the left, and I started noticing the nuances of where we were. There were trees growing with vines overtaking them in a such a way that they protruded through the tree's branches at the top, old barns, and then a lovely old cemetery. This was the perfect place to wait up for the rest of the group.

The cemetery apparently has two names from what I have read. What we initially saw was referred to as the Old Swing Cemetery. There were very old stones in it, Sean, Rob, and I wandered on through. Gregg and Misha weren't too far behind, and Dan was well out of sight behind them. The three of us headed through the cemetery reading tomb stones, and then found another entire section in the back somewhat overgrown and more in the woods. This from what I have read is referred to as the Old Presbyterian Cemetery.

Old Presbyterian Cemetery

We wandered all through it, and found some so old that they were marked with rather simple field stone. There were many very old graves dating to colonial days. Revolutionary War veterans were there, with flags on the graves, and who died during the course of the war. These soldiers must have either died in battle or of their wounds. We found a single grave in the back of the cemetery, away from all of the others, of one Israel Petty, died in 1763. Rob commented that these people were technically not buried in this country. I'd never looked at it that way before. When we walked from the rear toward the front, there was a large marker with all of the names on the old graves on it. I suppose it was a way of trying to preserve what is there before these historic stones all deteriorate.

I managed to get Dan on the phone to let him know we were moving on, and he was alright. He was now just barely in view behind us. We continued walking down Back Neck Road to reach the intersection with Main Street in Fairton. We turned left to head into this little town.

We kept to the side of the road; there wasn't too much of interest here. There was one abandoned industry off to the right that I thought to go run into, but I opted not to just yet. When we reached the intersection with Bridgeton-Fairton Road, we turned left. There was a convenience store on the corner and I ran in for a snack and drink. We headed down hill and crossed a bridge over the Clarks Pond, part of Mill Creek tributary to the Cohansey River.

Clarks Pond outlet to Cohansey River with weird roots

I walked down to the waterfront to get a better look at the rivers, and found the strangest growing root system I have ever seen just to the left of me. They were jutting straight up, but looked cut off, on the river's edge. The tree seemed to be quite healthy, but it was strange that they'd be growing up in such a way. I made my way back up to the road and caught up with the others were were now just a bit ahead going up hill.

Someone pointed out the name "Omri" on a sign as we passed by. I've only ever met or heard of one person with that name outside of history, our friend Omri Afir. It is a traditional Hebrew name that means "The Lord is My Life", and was the name of the founder of an Israelite Royal House of the same name in the Bible. I immediately took a photo of the sign and picture messaged it to Omri. Gregg explained to us that the area had two towns that were set up for Jewish farmers years ago, and so we could find several traditional Hebrew names on businesses we walked by on the roads.

We came up on the intersection with Green Way on the left, a small development road next to a post office. While here, a car full of young black women pulled up to us shouting. They had seen Dan behind us and told us to wait up for him! He had apparently began running to meet us! The women were so considerate that they waited there pulled over along side the road to make sure we didn't move on without him with us. I thought that was quite a sweet thing for them to do. Sure enough, Dan appeared within a minute, running pretty fast across the bridge and up the hill to catch us. I was rather impressed that he had managed to catch up with us so quickly after being so far behind. He knew which way we were going and how to get back without a problem, and we were in phone contact so I wasn't worried, but he really picked up the slack and covered a lot of distance in a little bit of time.

We headed from here behind the post office and along the fence of a back yard to reach the now abandoned Cohansey Country Club. The former golf course was now part of Cohansey Wildlife Management Area. We immediately reached a paved former golf cart path and followed it to the left, skirting homes no the left and heading toward the Cohansey River.

Cohansey River view from former golf course

The river was below us on a surprisingly high bluff for southern NJ. Once we reached the edge, we hung a right and began walking atop the slope through the former golf course green. This was one of the most interesting sections of the entire hike.

The Cohansey River had a lower shore on the other side, and we had great views through the trees and a couple of wide open ones walking along the edge. We strayed from the old golf cart path to stay closer to the edge of the former green, with the better overlooks. We went up and down hill a couple of times on the landscape that was certainly manipulated for the sport. We passed several old sand traps that were starting to grow over with different species of weeds than the rest of the green. There was also an old planter in the middle of golf cart path intersections, and some old cinder block building bases and retaining walls. The course was giving in to nature, and it melting back into the landscape.

Old golf cart paths

The cart path returned to the river side, and there were likely former tee spots. The holes seemed to be missing altogether, but we could see where they would have been. I went down hill at an old access point to see the river a bit more up close, and Sean climbed down at a slope covered in Ailanthus trees. We then took the golf cart path around a couple of sweeping turns that led down hill and past a mostly overgrown pond. The trail climbed back up the other side and past a busted wooden sign that said I think "tee 3" or something. The path emerged in an open area with the former club house up the hill to the right of us. I'm not sure if the building is currently used for anything, but it certainly hasn't been broken into lately. The entire rear of it is all glass, and it's sort of surprising that no one has gone up and tried throwing rocks through it or something.

We reached a yellow sign stating that the area ahead was closed during certain times. I forget what they were. Up hill from us, we spotted a guy wearing all yellow jump suit hurriedly run behind the club house building and then was out of sight. I thought at first he was coming at us, but he wasn't. When we moved on, I still could not see him anywhere. We stood there for a moment to see if he was coming out to yell at us, but he wasn't. Signs said the area was closed due to nesting shore birds, but I know there are none of them on the former golf course. Further, the area was all torn up with ATV use so walking through shouldn't have been a problem.

Bald Eagle in her nest

Sean and I dashed across it first, and soon reached the signs from the other angle saying the same thing about the shore birds, which we didn't see. Everyone followed me but Rob, who went out and around. I saw on the way what the real issue was: a bald eagle was nesting here as well.

Bald Eagles are not nearly as afraid as they used to be. There is a nest right off of PA Rt 611 in Portland PA, and we stood maybe twenty feet from two of them on a recent hike along the Lackawanna River in PA. The nest was huge and visible from far away, complete with the mother's head sticking out of the top.

View of Cohansey River down stream from former country club

From the Eagle's nest on, the golf cart path stayed a bit closer to the bluffs along the Cohansey. We followed them on along the top with a few more very nice views and reached the northern end of the former golf course. We all made our way off the last corner of the course toward Bridgeton-Fairton Road again, and then continued north.

It wasn't long before we made the left turn onto Grove Street, a one way street coming from Bridgeton. Half the road was repaved and half was not, and cars would come only toward us remaining in one of the two lanes which made predicting their trajectory toward us easy. We crossed over a creek called Rocaps Run on the road bridge and then reached a surprising woods road on the left side into more of Cohansey Wildlife Management Area. I had thought we'd be hiking the road the rest of the way back into town, but this added a little bit of extra to explore. It wasn't dark yet, and so we went for it.

The old roadway was again something different than anything else we'd followed all day. It was rather sandy soil but up on a bluff similar to that of the country club. The road headed along upland area stuff with the wetlands of the Rocaps Creek below to the left, heading out to the Cohansey. We reached the corner of the bluff and another road, or the same road, continued to the right but slightly more overgrown. I went ahead to check it out, and when it got clearer as I went I signaled the others to follow me.

The road was nice and wide, and it was evident that it must have been used for vehicles at one time, but there was no sign of any kind of building ever having been there. The road continued on to very beautiful overlook of the river with a good access point. I'm sure no one but locals know about this place, and even they probably don't use it very much.

Cohansey River view at a hidden bluff

There was no other path reaching this site other than the way we came in, and it was not very worn at all. This was a perfect example of the outstanding natural spots we find that no one knows or cares about, and probably doesn't really have a name. We cut away from the little overlook spot through a cedar grove heading back to the east from here. A small tributary fed into the Cohansey River from here and there was no way for us to wade across it.

We made our way inland, and the canopy of the cedars made for rather easy walking as long as we stayed barely within their shade. It didn't take too long before we could see the traffic out on Grove Street again. We made our way out with only a little bit of abrasive vegetation near the road's edge, and turned left to head toward Bridgeton. The road and the river came somewhat close together, and we could see out onto it's waters as the sun was starting to go down.

The character of the hike changed yet again as we headed into town. It was sort of run down, and we came upon abandoned industry.

Boarded up homes

The road was lined with vacant homes and boarded up windows. It was far different than the rest of the hike we'd been on. To the left, there were several abandoned industrial buildings. Bridgeton is reportedly the town with the highest crime rate in the state of NJ (Camden has highest murder rate I understand, not highest crime rate). I was blown away to see the chain link fences of the former industry topped with razor wire. As we walked, there was a hole cut into the fence. With surprisingly no signs reading 'no trespassing', I went on through as the others walked ahead, and a couple were behind me.

Abandoned

I ran off to the left, and there was a building directly ahead with a bay for some kind of vehicles. The building to the right of that was some sort of warehouse, now empty. It appeared that everything in this area was completely empty. I left this one and went to the one across to the east. It was a room full of pipes and valves and such, perhaps a well house of some kind with antiquated water system. A smaller building was also empty. I went into the big lot and could see another even larger building. It was starting to get dark, and this was certainly not the neighborhood I wanted to be wandering through abandoned buildings alone in. The hike had less than a mile left and I was finding enough to keep me busy for hours. Reluctantly, I made my way back out the fence and continued down the street, only to find yet another hole in the fence I had to pass through. There was an abandoned road and railroad tracks through there, and a spot where it was obvious people had been partying recently. Frustrated, I exited this section of fence as well to continue north.

Abandoned rail bridge

The railroad line was a spur to the former industry there. I had no idea that Bridgeton was once such an important place. I noticed a Seven Up plant across from the place, and remembered how one used to be in the old trolley shops where I grew up in Port Colden.

abandoned

Former station platform

The city was originally settled in the mid 1600s when a saw mill was erected where the river becomes narrow. Then, an early iron furnace was located here. It truly became an industrial town after the Civil War and had a strong glass and textile industry. I wondered if that was some of the abandoned industry I had just been wandering through. The town was also where the first magnetic recording was invented.

Bridgeton saw a decline with the closure of the glass and textile places in the 1980s and became more depressed. The railroads I was seeing that once served the industries have been to a great extent abandoned. The abandoned spur crossed the Jackson Creek on a wood bridge to the west of the road, now grown over with trees fallen over it. The rails were still in place across the road and to a junction site with more abandoned buildings nearby. I spotted a former station platform along another piece of unused track.

It's interesting to me that the town was served by both the Central Railroad of NJ and the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines, the latter of which came from the north and was skirted immediately on both east and west by CNJ lines. The CNJ also had a line to the west to piers on the Delaware Bay, which I hope to see some of on my next perimeter trip.

I felt like I was going through sensory overload looking around at all the stuff and wanting to know more. The hike ended up being 25 miles, and it was hard to digest at first everything we'd seen. Everyone decided it best to first digest some food, because we had little to none of it for the hike, save for some junk we'd brought (I had a ton of Chips Ahoy and some of Sean's chocolate he offered, cookies from Misha and some chips from Gregg).

We walked a little extra distance over to the nearby Wendy's to pig out a bit. Never had Wendy's tasted so good to me than this day.

We had gone from wetlands and forested estuaries, to agricultural land, to little town, to decaying golf course, to wooded bluffs, to abandoned urban exploration in just a small piece of the NJ Perimeter. It barely seems possible that such diversity could exist in such close proximity, but that is the case with most any part of NJ. Perhaps it was simply because this was so far outside the realm of my expectations that it stimulated my senses in such a way.

I went home with a feeling of great satisfaction with what we had accomplished. Although fewer of my friends share in the passion for the NJ Perimeter that I have, those who do, especially Serious Sean and Gregg, are great company to have because they really seem to "get it". This was a hike that will likely never be repeated by anyone, certainly not in the way we did it, and the amount of things we saw, and have seen in this series are beyond what any of us can articulate.