Wharton State Forest has a few campsites available for primitive camping (my preferred choice). This is a review for HAWKINS BRIDGE.
Hawkin's Bridge campsite is located in the western portion of Wharton State Forest along the Wading River. The Pine Barrens overall have a fascinating ecosystem. Nutrient poor, sandy soil limits the amount of foliage, and the barrens are primarily populated with fast-growing pines that grow tall, die, and fall. These decaying trees give the rivers in the barrens its signature dark color (it's not dangerous or sewage, it's completely natural).
The unique ecosystem of the barrens give campers some advantages: the ground is soft and comfortable to sleep on (NOT rocky at all, like almost weird how few rocks there are). It also means that there is plenty of kindling to gather for fires.
Hawkins Bridge is very quiet and doesn't see a lot of traffic. There are three larger group campsites and a few smaller campsites. All are large and fairly quiet. It's not a busy site, so there's a high likelihood that you'll have a few sites to yourself.
There's water access behind Group Campsite A for kayaking or canoeing. The path down to it is steep and a little slippery, so use caution. If you're camping with a group, aim for this site. Each of the private campsites have a parking spot. It's really all the benefits of backwoods camping (the quiet, the solitude) with all the conveniences of car camping.
PROS:
- Soft, even ground for sleeping.
- Drinking water at a pump central to all campsites.
- Quiet, private, relaxing.
- Ease of access with a car.
- Lots of fallen trees for kindling.
CONS:
- No picnic table at the campsite. Bring a folding table or a cooler for a cooking surface.
- No trail access - you have to drive to a trail head or hike along the road for a good ways before accessing a trailhead.
- Pretty close to a road, so you'll get a bit of truck noise every once in a while.
Overall, highly recommended campsite.
