Black Run Summer Hike

I previously posted about the Black Run Preserve (click to read post)  and posted photos from a Black Run hike (click to see photos).  I recently went for a visit and saw some excellent improvements to the entrance and new markings of various trails.  Black Run Preserve will be developed as a multi-use space for non-motorized biking, hiking, nature and bird watching.  There will be no camping or fires permitted.

Although the entrance is now gravel and includes a fence line to welcome you, the rest is presently left natural.  There are talks of a parking lot and restrooms, but that is far off.  For now, we get to enjoy it as a natural and pristine environment.

This land was, at one time, a cranberry bog.  There is little that remains but what remains has created a very rich environment.

The trails are marked clearly and it is an easy walk through the South Jersey sandy soil.

Nature’s abound including wild berries such as blueberries, huckleberries and maybe even some cranberries.

This was interesting.  Does anyone know why butterflies would huddle in one place on the trail?

Thanks for visiting!  Come back again soon.

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Black Run Preserve in Evesham Township New Jersey

Please check out this video and blog. It is from the Black Run Preserve. A lot of good info on the Blog about the history, ecology, etc as well.  I have more photos Black Run Post.
Thanks

Friends of the Black Run Preserve

Thanks to a fan of the Preserve for sharing this video!

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Remains of times long gone

 

 

 

We took a day hike into the Pine Barrens in South Jersey.  We found a lot of what we expected…sand, streams and wildlife. But then we found this old tower.  It appears to have an oven of sorts in it that had been modified over time.  Below is an explanation from Wikipedia.

During colonial times, the Pine Barrens was home to various industries. Bog iron was mined from bogs, streams, and waterways, and was worked in furnaces at Batsto, Lake Atsion, Ferrago, Hanover, and several other locations. Iron from these early furnaces was instrumental in supplying the American military with weapons and camp tools during the American Revolution and the War of 1812 and the Second Barbary War. The bog iron industry fell off in the mid-19th century when iron ore could be mined more cheaply in Pennsylvania. Other industries such as paper mills, sawmills, and gristmills rose and fell throughout the years. Smaller industries such as charcoal-making and glass making also were attempted and met with varying degrees of success.