Batsto Visitors Center

Visiting south Jersey and had a free day. So, with beautiful weather, sunny but a little nippy, we chose to go here.
The drive through the Pine Barrens was great. Living in LA, we don't see forests like this. Acres and acres of trees. I had grown up near here but had forgotten how extensive it was.
We got there and opted for the mansion tour. Not many visitors, based on the parking lot.
A lot of the buildings were closed - well, it is the off-season - but the Wharton mansion was open.
Wife and I were the only two people on the 2:00 pm tour (did I mention not many visitors?). John was our guide. Very knowledgeable and likes to share. He described life in the house, both for the owners and the servants.
From the show-off rooms at the front of the house to the dining room, kitchen and then the bedrooms upstairs. This was followed by the servants's quarters.
A very good trip to the past in a house with, for the time, cutting-edge technology. See the photos.
Enjoyable stroll in a historic setting. Mostly self-guided except for the mansion. I recommend off-season visits especially if you want to do some hiking.
Plenty of benches for resting and enjoying the view.
A very enjoyable time was had by all.

I've always heard of this place but finally took the time to visit it.
The visitor's center had a nice museum explaining the local history.
I walked around the grounds near the Mansion & nearby farm buildings.

It was a windy December day, so I will come back on a sunny day to explore the other areas, I really liked the sections I did see & will definitely come back again.

Really enjoyable afternoon! So much history and staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. Ten minute film on the history available at the asking. They also give tours of the mansion at select times. Beautiful grounds with lake await!

Always a great time going here. Beautiful trails, great historic experience, beautiful photo ops. Also, had our engagement photos taken here.

Beautiful day for a south jersey land and water trust walk along the batso river, to the forks.

Great little spot to visit with some neat history. The hours for an official tour are hit or miss, but there is plenty to explore and see without an official tour. All 3 of my kids enjoy exploring the village and I take full advantage of all the great trails!

I came to Batsto to ride the 18-mile long Penn Branch trail loop. There was plenty of parking, even on a beautiful Sunday, and plenty of people around. The public bathrooms were out of order but there were porta-potties available as an alternative. There’s also a nice picnic area with tables, and an open grass field.

The trail heads were easy to find, and the hiking and biking trails were clearly differentiated. Color-coded trail markers and a comprehensive map made navigating the Pine Branch Loop easy and enjoyable, even when it split off from other routes. I had the trail to myself for 90% of the ride, which was lovely.

The Pine Branch loop is the longest mountain bike trail in the Wharton State Forest at Batsto. It’s also a “moderate” trail, making it the most challenging available at this location. There’s barely any elevation change over the 18 miles (Strava recorded a 400 feet gain for my ride), but because the trail is narrow and almost entirely switchbacks, riding it requires a lot of focus. That makes it technically challenging and a great ride!

I had a fun time overall and look forward to coming back. There are plenty of other trails to check out and I didn’t even get to visit the historic town yet!

Batsto is such a wonderful place to visit. I hadn't been inside the visitor center in a long time. They have quite the display of the history about the early settlement. They also have a nice walkthrough environmental display about the Pine Barrens. There is a small store with tee shirts, books, and small toys for kids too. Everyone was super helpful and kind.

Great hiking area with a lot of history. The old mansion and abandoned town are really cool to see. The hiking trails are very scenic

5/28/23 - The staff is very helpful and there is a small gift shop. Take some time to walk through the small museum. It's very informative.

Centerpiece of Wharton state forest

Lots of trails to choose from. Hiking and biking. And the village has so many cool buildings and features.

Great place to visit, and soak up some History

This is a beautiful place. It’s historical and a perfect place for photography/models. Definitely a place to check out!

Beautiful place. Lots of learning to see.

Tour if the Wharton mansion and grounds. Great tours and informative guides.

Full of history. I love this kind of stuff.

One of the gems of the nj pine barrons. Beautiful lake and trails.

The museum was great! I never knew there were so many types of dirt in New Jersey.

Followed the white trail. It was well marked. I enjoyed being in the pine barrens. I went on a Tuesday in March and the mansion was closed.