Brigantine Wildlife Refuge

Price: $175

Frequent Paddler Price: $100

Location: Bass River State Park, New Gretna, NJ

Venue: Brigantine Wildlife Refuge, rivers in the Pine Barrens

Prerequisite: Core Techniques or equivalent

Meals: Meals are not included.

Brigantine is a large marsh area with many small channels and large bays.

We will do two different day trips. Many of us will camp in the Pine Barrens at Bass River State Forest. If desired, you can stay elsewhere and meet the group at the camp ground each morning.

One day we will paddle in open water near Great Bay and Brigantine Wildlife Refuge. It is an ideal area for bird watching. The weather of the day will determine where we go.

On calm days we head out through a small marsh channel to the southern end of Long Beach Island and into the open water of the Atlantic Ocean. We usually split into two groups, with more adventurous paddlers looking for some rough water to play in. Lunch is on a Sandy Beach facing the ocean. On windy days we stay in the marsh and large bays of the area.

The second day will be spent on a river in the Pine Barrens. These are small winding grade 1 or 2 rivers. Your skills will be tested as we maneuver around many downed trees and tight turns. The cider trees tint the water to a nice tea color. This is a one way trip with a shuttle.