History
In 1960, Dale Knapschafer, suggested a trail be built linking Wharton and Lebanon State Forests. The next year, Batona Hiking Club president, Morris Bardock, contacted the Department of Conservation and Economic Development in New Jersey for permission to construct such a trail. After receiving permission from the state, Morris Bardock and Walter Korszniak made exploratory trips to figure out a route in the winter and spring of 1961 for the future trail. Through the help of volunteers, the first thirty miles of the trail were completed over the summer and the final pink blaze was painted on a tree near NJ 70 in Lebanon State Forest on September 16, 1961. Bardock chose pink blazes for the Batona Trail. The trail originally connected Carpenter Spring in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest) and Batsto in Wharton State Forest. At this time Batsto (batstu meaning bath place in Swedish) was being developed by the state and continued to be inhabited by a few people. More recently the trail has been extended
In 2012 the trail was rerouted in two areas. The first was in Bass River State Forest which is the Southern most part of the trail. The second area is around Chatsworth. Both of the rerouted sections go through quieter areas and bypass paved roads and power lines where the trail originally ran. The Chatsworth section puts the trail through the northern section of the Franklin Parker Perserve. Both of these reroutings have added about 2 miles to the overall trail length.
Read more about this topic: Batona Trail
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