Mount Misery Loop in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, NJ

Hike Mount Misery Loop Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, NJ

Class 1 9.5 miles Minimal gain 3-5 hrs Loop Aug 14, 2010
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Mount Misery Loop GPX Track

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Brendan T. Byrne State Forest is one of many preserved section of the New Jersey pinelands (pine barrens), where the Jersey Devil is said to live. We're friends, of course.

The area is generally really flat, and the sandy, nutrient-poor ground makes for a unique biodiversity, much of which isn't visible to the untrained eye. To me, it's sort of an endless, unchanging landscape of pitch pines, many of which are blackened from regular forest fires, that is only broken by the occasional stream riddled with cedar trees. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the barrens are the waterways, and more specifically, the deep burnt orange color of the rivers created from the cedar trees. There are swamps and ponds scattered throughout the pine barrens, and cranberry bogs pop out of nowhere. I feel a connection to the pine barrens because they're my local wilderness, but it's definitely a pretty boring area, in my opinion. There are more cranberry bogs in Double Trouble State Park.

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The trail starts at Pakim Pond.
The trail starts at Pakim Pond.
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Typical Pine Barren forests for most of the hike.
Typical Pine Barren forests for most of the hike.
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Occasional swamps that give the barrens some variance with views.
Occasional swamps that give the barrens some variance with views.
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Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!