Batona Trail: Ong's Hat to Lebanon Fire Tower is a 10 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Pemberton, New Jersey that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
The Batona Trail is a 53.5-mile (86.1 km) hiking trail through New Jersey's Pine Barrens. This segment runs from the northern trailhead at Ong's Hat to the Lebanon Fire Tower, 5 miles away, and back, through the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in New Jersey's Pinelands National Reserve. The trail was built in 1961 by the Batona Hiking Club of Philadelphia.
April 3, 2021It was a long hike, even if it was relatively flat. The weather cooperated today - only a slight wind and went up to 50 degrees on the trail. There was some foot traffic other than my group, some bikes too, but not too crowded. Highly recommend for trail runners or those looking for long long walks. ;)
April 3, 2021Awesome weather and dogs loved it! My back held up ok. We are on our way to finishing this year with a fully completed BATONA hike!
March 20, 2021
March 20, 2021March 4, 2021Someone asked here about volunteering to maintain the Batona. For many years, the Outdoor Club of South Jersey has maintained the Batona. A friendly, dedicated group of volunteers from the club is out there, currently every Tuesday, on a few miles of the Batona at a time, repainting blazes, clipping branches that are encroaching, bushwhacking, repairing bridges.... (Not sure if they do it in the hotter months, though — just too hot, and too many ticks and bugs. Thus, by late summer the trail may appear overgrown or unkempt in some areas). They also help out with other trails, such as at Wharton. Anyone is welcome to join! Visit ocsj.org. If you look at HIKING, and then —> HIKING SCHEDULE, you will be led to their Meetup page, where their events are actually posted. ...There are people in the group who have been hiking the area for 30+ years and can answer pretty much any question you have about the trails in South Jersey. I just hiked Ong's Hat to Deep Hollow Pond (about 7 miles round trip) with about 20 others from the OCSJ a few days ago.
March 3, 2021February 7, 2021February 7, 2021January 31, 2021beautiful, quiet
January 30, 2021January 29, 2021Great hike on a cold and sunny winter day.
January 27, 2021Cold day. Only saw two people. Trail was great.
January 16, 2021It was a great well marked trail. Pretty hard to get lost. Our dog had the best of times! Absolutely recommend, just needs bathroom facilities. Careful pulling in if it’s wet
December 26, 2020November 28, 2020October 24, 2020October 17, 2020More like a 3.5. Great flat dry, well maintained trail. Lebanon fire tower worth the hike. Hike to the top for great views. Some trees down but easy to get around. Looking forward to continuing past the fire tower throughout the fall.
October 17, 2020October 11, 2020October 4, 2020Very nice, easy walk through the pine barrens. Plenty of shade. The trail is narrow in most areas and requires groups to walk single file. We walked at a fast pace to the Lebanon Fire Tower, climbed to the top to take a few photos (you can see Philly in the distance) and headed back. It took about 3 hours round trip.
October 3, 2020Flat but pretty. Well marked.
September 27, 2020September 13, 2020I only made it to the 2.2 mile mark and turned around. It was beautiful. But where is the ghost town? Also many down trees. Is there a group I could volunteer with to maintain the trail?
September 12, 2020July 9, 2020There were so many ticks.
July 8, 2020great easy trail to hike. very well maintained wound recommend
May 25, 2020March 1, 2020Let's be clear: If you are looking for hills and vistas, you will not find them on this trail (or any trail in South Jersey). Here's what you will find: A unique pine forest, sandy trails covered with pine needles, fresh air, wind whispering through pines, a well-blazed trail, and few people. There are a few places in the segment where you are close enough to hear highways, and a couple of places where you have to cross them, but you should be able to do so safely. This is a good trail to practice intensity, and may be a good training trail for backpackers.
