Hike #889; West Creek to Bass River/Lake Absegami
Westecunk Creek view
Our next hike would be one of the only remaining obligatory NJ Perimeter series trips.
This particular section was only one little bit remaining that I needed, just a few miles, so I came up with a hike that would be interesting building off the perimeter section. We would hike Dock Road out of West Creek, then head inland to Lake Absegami in Bass River State Forest.
We met at the official park office where I went in to find the woman working the counter dressed as a gypsy. She had a bowl of candy, which she allowed me to pig out on. We chatted for a bit about working in parks before heading on our way. She also gave me an unofficial new trail map to the park.
Outside, we met a guy who was heading out to backpack the entire Batona trail, which sort of started right out of the park office. I think I gave him a card, maybe we’ll have a new member.
We shuttled to our start point at the end of Dock Road rather quickly, and began our walk with good views over the Barnegat Bay of Long Beach Island and Atlantic City to the south.
View of Atlantic City
There was a weird block shaped house at the end of the road, and as we walked inland from here, parallel with the Westicunk Creek, we saw that this was a theme, the strangely eccentric looking homes.
Mirror shot on Dock Road
The walk up Dock Road was quite long, but it went by pretty quickly. There are always nice estuary views. To the left was the Uriah Branch, another tributary. My goal was to cover a bit to the south into the woods from Dock Road, which I had skipped on the previous perimeter hikes because I walked the main road inland a bit.
Westecunk Creek
Our next leg was through Ocean County Natural Lands Trust property. I didn’t know how accessible this would be. It had access at the south side of Coxes Lane that connected through like an ATV path. Ric went ahead here looking for a reasonable way through. I was fully prepared to have to follow nothing but roads, but heading through the woods revealed a good woods road heading to the south.
Sea Pirate Campround
The woods road bent off to the right after a bit, and we cut on a foot path into Sea Pirate Campground. There were people around, but no one gave us a hard time for walking through. The camp ground bordered the edge of the estuary, so we were where we needed to be. We cut to the left and followed the camp roads. We went by a pirate cut out that read something about skinny waters. We continued through the camp grounds as it became less and less occupied. We soon reached a place where wood had been dumped on a lesser used road, but then found the entrance to a bay access. There were welcoming signs, and so we figured we should just walk on out and have a look around.
The roadway out was on busted up old shells, and it led to an access to part of Weir Creek, which was very beautiful. There was a fishing path along the edge of one of the waterways to the right, and I was able to walk on the reeds a far distance out. It was beautiful, with wind swept plans sitting down in some area, sticking up in others. It appeared as though we might be able to walk right on out to the next road. I opted against this because we’d be wet and muck covered from all of the “spoo” we’ve come to call it.
Spoo
It was really a beautiful area. I was so glad we came out to this spot. I walked out through some of the water, which had a hard enough bottom to support me while the others looked around. When we were ready to go, we headed back toward the camp grounds, then cut off trail through the woods when it became dry enough. There were a few green thorns, but it didn’t get too bad. We passed through Atlantic White Cedar and American Holly, keeping to dry land, but far enough away from the roads heading to the south.
Beach at Parkertown Dock
We came out to yet another road called Dock Street. This one would be an out and back for us. The road looked significant enough to me, heading out to the Parkertown Dock, and I felt I had to do this to do the Jersey Perimeter. So, we turned left on the road and followed it ot the end with even more very nice estuary views. I must have looked nuts, because I was wearing an ugly pin striped suit, possibly the most hideous suit I own.
Moi on the beach
We first reached the area where people had their boats, and we walked on by them on the road. I walked in the water a little as soon as we were at a place I could touch the sand. We then got to a lovely little section of beach at the very end by the former boat ramp.
The boat ramp was now further up the Parker Run, the tributary that hits the bay at this point. It must have been moved after the storms, Irene and Sandy, and the pavement was still visible there. We walked the beach out the the north end before turning back.
We continued on along the waterfront north on Brook Street until we got back to Rt 9 and the perimeter stuff I’d done before. There was a foreboding speed limit sign that read “you have been warned” below the speed limit! We’d never seen such a thing anywhere else.
When we got back to town, we were joined by my old friend Haobo, who I hadn’t seen in quite some time. He had parked in some guy’s driveway and had to move his car, but said hi to us first anyway. I told him where we were going, and so he was off to find parking. We ended up taking some time and stopping in a Dollar Store, which was great. I bought a big wad of dark chocolate that was great. I also got some sunglasses.
OH NO!
Haobo thought we were continuing on the perimeter from this point, but we were done with that section. He found a place behind some business on a side street to park, and we were on our way. My plan was to head north and cut into Bass River State Forest on a woods road.
We headed north on Parkertown Road out of the town of Parkertown and found a sand road heading off to the north, kind of the direction we needed to be going. It turns out that this was probably the southern end of the former Stafford Forge Road. It was a lovely route. The strange thing that happened here was that as we reached the northern end near Thomas Ave (not actually the end, it continues), there were apples laying in the path. At first, I think we all thought that these had fallen from a tree, but someone pointed out that they had stickers on them.
Perimeter completed so far
The apple had nothing wrong with it, so I had a bite. It was delicious. I think we grabbed a couple of them. We made our way from there out to Thomas Ave and turned left. We then reached Rt 539.
We turned right on this bigger road, and saw a liquor store. I was feeling good and could go for a beer, so Haobo and I went in and got some stuff from Downingtown’s Victory Brewery, a Belgian style that was quite delicious.
While inside, the guys at the bar asked us questions about where we were going, and about my perimeter thing. They asked which way we were going and seemed insistent that we were taking Poor Man’s Parkway (That is the name of a frontage road that parallels the east side of Garden State Parkway without tolls). I asked if they knew if the road I was planning to take goes through, and they didn’t seem to know anything about it.
We then walked to the Sunoco to the north to have a longer break and get some snacks. I think I got something there, but I don’t remember what. We sat there for a nice break before moving on to the north.
We walked north and passed over the parkway on the road bridge. On the other side, the service road went into the woods to the left. This was a very nice route. It was relatively quiet despite it’s close proximity to the Parkway. It continued very clearly for a good while.
In Mill Branch
I thought the road would continue on through, because Google maps showed it as it did. I figured there would have to be a service road the entire way through. Such was not the case. The woods road ended abruptly when we reached the Mill Branch area, a tributary that flows under the Parkway out of the Pine Barrens of Bass River State Forest. We had to cut into the woods up stream a bit, then find our way down to cross carefully. Lyz, Ric, and I all just walked through the thing, and we helped the others get across on a log and some tree roots.
Clearing in the Pine Barrens
Once on the other side, we had no real trail. We simply made our way back to where the service road should have been, and ended up walking a power line section. We continued along this for a little while, and then came to another swampy area that didn’t seem to have any stream associated with it. We cut inland a bit and found a very vague footpath. The footpath led us out to a good sand road. We turned left here and came to a sand road and turned right. This one was known as Bridge Road. We followed that one for a ways, then turned to the left off of it to yet another sand road called Munion Field Road, and then turned right through an open clearing of sand to reach yet another sand road and turned right.
We followed this wider sand road, and when we got to the next sand road on the left it was an official trail route. The yellowed blazed trail, called Poppy Allen Trail, turned straight on Bridge Road or went left. We kept to the left to follow it the most direct route back to Lake Absegami.
We followed Poppy Allen Trail for a while, which was really relaxing, until we came to the intersection with Absegami Trail on the left. We turned here.
Absegami Trail
This was probably the nicest trail we came across, because it had such nice board walks on it. We took this over a wetland for a good while, then the trail followed higher ground before coming out at the office where there was an outlook over Lake Absegami.
From a connection point of view, this was a great place to end our hike. It puts us at a point where we can do a ton more hikes branching off further into the forest. We finished in reasonable time with daylight to spare, and I’d completed a little more Jersey Perimeter.
This was the start of what would be a very tiring week. I had hikes planned the next day, the following Tuesday, and a night hike the following Thursday, with trail work planned in between. My Halloween themed Sleepy Hollow hike would be the next day, and another long drive lay ahead of me. But I’d handle it.
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