Ship Bottom , Wells Mills County Park And Cedar Bonnet Island:, Pine Barrens, Marshes, A Sunset And Moonrise.

I took my first hike in the New Jersey Pine Barrens last week.   It was something I wanted to do every time I drove on Route 72, which took me through the pine barrens on my visits to Long Beach Island.   Like my visit to Long BeachIsland, it wasn’t planned and was another last minute decision. I wasn’t sure where I was going to hike when I awoke early Friday morning in the Hotel LBI.  I did know I was first going to walk to the beach and watch the sunrise. After cup of coffee I left the hotel,

and walked the 1/2 mile to the beach through the empty streets of  Ship Bottom. It was windy and cold again with temperatures in the low 20’s.

There was no traffic on the streets and I only saw one person,  and maybe two cars,  on my walk to the beach. I am sure  these empty streets were a far different scene than on sunny Summer morning when they would busy with beach the locals and beach visitors on the island.

It was cloudy and I knew as I walked through the dunes to the beach I would not see the sunrise. I still enjoyed the primeval scene of the desolate and dreary ocean.

I walked down to the shore.   The strong winds were from the northwest so there were no large waves  crashing on the beach as they were on the jetty the previous afternoon. The clouds obscured the rising sun but I wasn’t disappointed , it was  nice towalk  on the desolate  beach in the Winter. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my  morning walk . .   Long Beach Island sunrise   January 2 2026

Walking back to my hotel I again encountered the fury of the northwestern winds. It was cold. It was here I decided I wasn’t going to walk back out on the jetty in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The winds and the clouds would not make for the best conditions to photograph the shore bird.  And  I did get some nice harlequin duck photos, the main reason for my visit here, the previous afternoon. I decided  it would be a great day to finally hike in the nearby pine barrens.

So I  returned to my hotel, searched my AllTrails app and decided to hike in Wells Mills County Park  located in the  pine barrens  and only 15 miles from Long Beach Island. After leaving the busy Garden State Expressway I  drove through the pine barrens,

and arrived at the park. I found about 2 inches of snow on the ground as I walked past the visitor center,

and to the ice covered Wells Mills Lake.   There is a lot of history in Wells Mills Park dating back to the 1700’s. James Wells established a saw mill here on Oyster Creek, damming the creek and creating the scenic lake.  The mill  cut the many American cedar trees growing in the nearby forest.   Subsequent landowners built a second mill and also and sold moss and  clay  from the property and shingles made from the cedar trees.  The highlighted text above links to an informative article about the history of the park.

 There were some old oak and pine tress near the lake and visitor center and here I saw some familiar Winter residents birds, including a flock of American goldfinches,

a Carolina wren and,

a few white breasted  nuthatches.

I left the lake and followed the Estlow  green trail on my AllTrailMap.  It was  a 3 1/2 mile trail. It first took  me through a mixed pine and cedar woodlands,

with some American holly trees, and their bright red berries.   I love seeing American holly trees that are so common in the woods along the New Jersey shore.

There were also some familiar mountain laurel shrubs along the trail. It kis the State flower of Pennsylvania and very common in the woodlands near my home.

As I continued on the trail the I walked into the groves of pitch pines that  are the dominant tree  in the pine barrens.

The pitch pine trees that towered above the trail were the same ones found near myhome in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The pitch pines are taller and straighter then the more twisted and stunted pitch pines found near my home,

although there were some twisted ones here too .

These pitch pines grow in sandy soil. It felt strange walking in snow and pine needle covered sand.

I followed  the Estlow trailbut I veered off on a narrow white marked trail, which I later found out was the  Macri  Trail.

It meandered through the pitch pines and occasionally took me to a woodland dominated by oak trees.

Tall American cedar trees occasionally grew in both woodlands.

There was little wildlife or bird activity in pitch pines barrens, until I came upon a flock of Carolina chickadees feeding in the pine trees,

When I see their cousins, black-capped chickadees near my home , I usually find other species of bird foraging nearby. And I did on this hike.I  I saw a few tufted titmice,

and a red bellied woodpecker in the pine trees.  I believe that differnet species  of birds stay the noisy chickadees for protection from predators.I wouldn’t see any more birds until I returned to the lake.

The trail became narrower and took me through another oak/pine mixed forest,where I entered some laurel and American holly woodlands. It was nice walking through the  green shrubs and trees along the trail.

Here I saw some familiar teaberry leaves on the ground,

and some shriveled bracken ferns along the trail.

I continued on the white marked Macri trail but it wasn’t showing  on my All Trail map. I wasn’t show where it would take me. I was out about a mile on this narrow trail and decided to turn back.I  was  just getting  back to the  Estlow trail when when I met a hiker who told me both trails would take me back to the lake but the Estlow Trail would have been shorter. I decide to continue on the Estlow  around the lake, My detour would add 2 miles to my hike .

The trail took me  to a  bridge over  a small creek  and

then  narrowed as I entered  some more mountain laurel and holly thickets. I was enjoying the beauty and diversity of the pine barrens.

The trail next took me past a  private Girl Scout Camp ,

and then turned back  toward the lake. As I approached the lake there were more tall American cedar trees along the trail. Once again I left the  Estlow trail and followed the  Macri down to the lake. Here I came into a woodland of ancient American cedar trees. I had no idea cedar trees could grow so tall.

There was also some boardwalks taking me over  a wetland along the lake.

I now encountered a lot of people along the trail including a few families as the trail took me to the lake. I came to a cabin built by the last owners of saw mills in 1937. I imagined the good times the family must have had on this beautiful lake in the pine barrens. The family eventually sold the land to the County and State and the County park opened in 1991.

I was now back at the visitor center where I again saw some bird activity, including field  sparrows,

dark eyed juncos,

yellow-rumped warblers,

and house finches.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. .   Wells Mills County Park  birds January 2 2026 

I  left the lake and walked back to my Jeep. It was now past noon and I hiked almost 6 miles and the pine barrens. I also hike one and a half miles down to the beach earlier in the morning. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hike in the pine barrens.   Wells Mills County Park  January 2 2026

I was hungry and decided to stop at the nearby Stratford diner. Unfortunately, the bowl of shrimp bisque, and crab cake sandwich I had while filling, Weren’t very good. I love diners and usually get good wholesome food, but not today. Again maybe the diner was just having a bad day.

I returned to my hotel and edited photos for a couple of hours. I was tired for my 7 1/2 miles of hiking and wasn’t planning on hiking anymore that day. However, the sun came out And I decided to try and photograph the sunset. I decided to drive to nearby Cedar Bonnet Island. It is only about 2 miles from my hotel.

It was after 4 PM and a brilliant sun was low in the south. The rays of the sun were blinding as I walked through the cedar trees,

reeds toward the bay..

Flocks of American robins were perched in a tree tops. They seem to be watching the sunset as they bathe in the ray of the sun.

In addition to the sunset, I also saw the full moon rising on the eastern horizon.

It was still windy and very cold as I walked on the trail. I walked over to the bay on the site toward Long Beach Island.

The buildings, homes and water tower of ship bottom could be seen across the bay,

As was the Hotel LBI where I was staying.

The marshes and the bay were ice covered so I didn’t see the many ducks and geese I have seen on my previous visits here. I walked back to an observation pavilion overlooking the bay,

and watched another beautiful sunset.

They all are, I have never seen a sunset I didn’t like.

After watching the sunset, I started walking back toward my Jeep and,

watched  the beautiful full moon rising in the east. It was a great way to end a long day of hiking on the Jersey shore.Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my sunset hike  on Cedar Bonnet Island .   Cedar Bonnet Island   January 2 2026

I had now walked almost 9 miles and I was very hungry. I decided to return to Wally’s diner, where I had a delicious meal to previous night.And I was treated to another delicious meal. This time I enjoyed a cup of their award-winning, Rhode Island clam chowder to start my meal,

and then had the same salmon tenderloin. I enjoyed the previous evening. It was delicious again. of course,

I had to have dessert. However, there was a long line forming for people to be seated. So I ordered a slice of key lime pie to go, to allow other people to enjoy delicious food. They serve at the diner. The paragraph I enjoyed the key lime pie in my room at the hotel. It was a perfect way to end the day. I was exhausted, but so glad I made the last-minute decision to visit Long Beach Island on New Year’s Day.

Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.   John Muir

Nothing has ever been said about God that hasn’t already been said better by the wind in the pine trees.   Thomas Merton