🌲 Explore the Pine Barrens | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Welcome to the dog days of summer.

These so-called Dog Days mark the climatologically hottest period of the season, which lasts through Aug. 21. That’s right — there’s more sweatiness on the way. But no worries, we’ve got guides to feel fresh and stay safe in the heat so we can still have fun outdoors all season long.

To cool off and unwind, Jason takes us to the only lake in Pennsylvania where you can escape to live the tranquil houseboat life.

But first, we’re exploring the Pine Barrens, a dreamscape of recreation and a beacon of preservation in our region.

☀️ Your weekend weather outlook: Sunny days ahead with a slight reprieve from the oppressive heat. Stay hydrated and apply sunscreen.

— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

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Enter the Pine Barrens, a vast open space spread across South Jersey with so much to soak up.

The Pine Barrens extend as far north as Plumsted, and as far south as mid-Cape May County. The Garden State Parkway forms its eastern border, and parts of four municipalities form its western front, including parts of Mount Holly and Medford.

It’s a forestland, safe from suburban sprawl, with access to hiking trails, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and lookout spots with stellar views.

And good food. We can’t forget the food. (Fun fact: Anthony Bourdain visited a diner here in 2015!)

Before you go, there’s a few things you should know:

📱 Cell reception may be spotty, so grab a physical map in case your coverage stops you in your tracks

🐛 Bugs are a problem, especially ticks, biting flies, and mosquitoes, so don’t forget to pack anti-bug sprays and wear appropriate clothing.

🚗 Be careful driving, because some dirt roads may be not be as reasonably maintained as paved ones. Also, avoid going through puddles if you are unsure about their depth.

🏠 Remember the “Pineys,” the people who live there. This landscape, while it is more or less nature’s theme park, is home to proud locals.

Ready? Let us show you exactly where to start your journey through the Pine Barrens.

🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Jason Nark. You’ll always find his work here.

In the Deep South, in places far from the surf, “lake life” is a big deal, and boating is more than a hobby.

There’s a slew of country songs about the lifestyle, too, tunes about specific rivers where it gets hotter than a “hoochie coochie,” as described in Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” and others about particular boats like the pontoon. There’s even a Merle Haggard song about houseboats, which are like pontoons with small houses on them, an aquatic RV more or less.

Jeremy Hetrick, a South Carolina native, knows all about lake life, but mostly because he’s the administrative assistant at Seven Points Marina on Raystown Lake, the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania (the state has 77 miles of Lake Erie shoreline). Raystown, created by a hydroelectric dam process in 1973, is a whopping 8,300 acres. The lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and, unlike other large bodies of water in Pennsylvania, like Lake Wallenpaupack and Harveys and Conneaut Lakes, Raystown has undergone almost no development.

There’s not a single house on its 118 miles of shoreline, but there’s a ton of houseboats, like the eight-person model Hetrick is about to board on the marina’s long network of docks. — Jason Nark

Go deeper into the lake’s houseboat culture — and what you can expect if you rent one.

🎤 Jason says: This is in Hammersley Wild Area in Western Pennsylvania.

So soothing.

Mike Schultheis of Royersford, Montgomery County, shared this delightful image and story with us:

My wife and I used to disappear for our annual fall getaway, staying at Cherry Mills Lodge in Dushore in October. Alas it was bought, changed and now closed but was a great, well run laid back B&B where the Little Loyalsock Creek splashing below our window sent you off to a most peaceful sleep. The trip also included well deserved respite at Eagles Mere Inn’s, A.C. Little’s Drinkery for great food and camaraderie after a day of traipsing around Ricketts Glen, feeding Kahlo and Valerie at Artisan Alpacas, drinking in the sunset from High Knob and finding fossils in Loyalsock Creek. Then in 2019, there was Cold Run “road” to the canyon vista. Barely a car wide with a shear cliff on one side that I will forever be grateful to our Subaru “Forrest” for getting us up top and for no car coming the other way. Even though the leaves were past peak this view made it so worthwhile. Our world then breathed relief and put an end to any worries. I think we sat and stared for almost an hour of calm. Also think we should go back. What’s a little terror if the end justifies the journey? Hmmm…

My thoughts exactly.

📮 Give us a review of your outdoors experience for a chance to be featured in this newsletter by emailing me back.

👋🏽 I hope you get a moment to bask in the glory of nature very soon. See you again next week.

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