| Brendan T. Byrne State Forest | |
|---|---|
 Cranberry bog in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest | |
| Location | Burlington andOcean Counties |
| Coordinates | 39°53′28″N74°34′47″W / 39.891017°N 74.579619°W /39.891017; -74.579619[1] |
| Area | 37,242-acre (150.71 km2) |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Operated by | New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry |
| Website | Official website |
TheBrendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly theLebanon State Forest) is a 37,242 acres (150.71 km2)state forest in theNew JerseyPine Barrens. Its protected acreage is split betweenBurlington andOcean Counties.[2]
The Brendan T. Byrne State Forest is the state's second largest state forest (afterWharton State Forest). There are 25 miles (40 km) of hiking trails and a camping area. The park is operated and maintained by theNew Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. Originally named for the Lebanon Glassworks, which operated in the 1850s and 1860s, it was renamed forBrendan Byrne in 2004. Byrne served as governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. He championed and signed the Pinelands Protection Act in February 1979 which preserved thousand of acres in southern New Jersey. The park was renamed for him during the 25th anniversary of the Pinelands legislation by then GovernorJames McGreevey.
The forest lies within theAtlantic coastal pine barrensecoregion. It includes the 735-acre (2.97 km2) Cedar Swamp Natural Area: with uplandpine–oak forest, oak-pine forest,pitch pine lowland forest, andAtlantic white cedarswamp forestplant communities. The Natural Area protectshabitat of the threatenedSwamp pink and other endangeredplant species.[3]
The Mount Misery Trail is a multi-use trail and allows mountain biking. The Cranberry Trail is wheelchair-accessible. TheBatona Trail, designed forhiking,cross country skiing, andsnowshoeing, is almost 50 miles (80 km) in length; it links the Brendan T. Byrne, Wharton, andBass River State Forests. There is a loop trail of about 2 miles (3.2 km), starting at the forest office, and a 1 mile (1.6 km) loop at Pakim Pond. By combining different trails with the Batona Trail, loops of 6 miles (9.7 km) and 14 miles (23 km) provide day hikes.[4]
The forest also contains Whitesbog Village, a historiccompany town, founded in the 1870s by Joseph J. White which was once one of the largestcranberry andblueberry farms in the state, active through the mid-20th century. The cultivated blueberry, a hybrid of thenativeVaccinium caesariense, was developed and commercialized here byElizabeth Coleman White andFrank Coville. The now silent Whitesbog Village exemplifies the changes in agriculture in this state. The site has been leased to the nonprofit Whitesbog Preservation Trust for restoration.[5]
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