Tucked in the central region of the Pine Barrens is Penn State Forest, 3,338 acres of natural lands that look pretty much they way they have for centuries. So with no fancy amenities, what it is that brings folks back to this little refuge over and over?
Hikers come for the rustic trails that cut through the Forest. Same with the cross-country skiers who know that when the snows fall, the trails and snow-covered trees make for a picturesque trek through the woods.

Canoers, kayakers and anglers come for a quiet day on Lake Oswego, a man-made lake that is a result of an upstream dam. Along its banks grow cedar, sweet gum, and red maple trees surround the lake. And because this is cranberry country – there is a cranberry operation just downstream – if you look along the banks you can spot low-growing cranberry bushes. You’ll know them by their tiny, glossy-green leaves.

For others, it is the unusual Pygmy Forest that captures their attention. For reasons that are still being researched – some experts think it is partly the result of the Pinelands’ fire ecology – most of the trees grow only to a height of about four feet. Which means you can stand and look over the top of the tree canopy. It is one of those odd twists of nature that is exceptionally rare and the world’s largest acreage of pygmy forest is right here in New Jersey.