The Jersey Devil Hunt

Bikepacking, is self-supported travel by bicycle, on journeys longer than one day, typically focusing on off-road riding and camping. As the name suggests, it’s like backpacking…but on a bike. “Bike touring” means much the same thing, though it usually connotes longer trips (weeks or months rather than days) and more pavement riding.

If you have the right kind of bike (see “What bike should I bring?” below) and are interested in trying it out, the Jersey Devil Hunt is a great route no matter your experience level!

If this is all totally new to you, check out an article on Bikepacking 101.

No, it’s a route meant for people to ride solo or with friends! This site has all the information you need to plan your own trip.

If you’d like to find people to ride with, check out the community Facebook group to see who’s up for it.

At this time, no organized events will be taking place around the route (at least not organized by me) for the foreseeable future, due to the high amount of effort and expense needed to obtain the permits that would be required.

Join the community Facebook group to look for other riders who might want to plan a trip with you!

It’s the Pine Barrens’ very own local cryptid! Dating back to the 18th century, this legend has been the source of alleged sightings all over the Pinelands and sometimes beyond. The location most associated with the Jersey Devil, the Leeds House in Leeds Point, is nowhere near the route, as it’s in an area much too built-up for bikepacking.

But most supposed sightings have occurred in the vast woods you’ll be riding through. If you’re peering into a swamp in the twilight and see a tall, eldritch form with batlike wings and a horse’s head, maybe you’ve been one of the lucky few to lay eyes on the creature! Or maybe you, like many others who have spotted the Devil, just had a little too much backwoods moonshine and you’re seeing a heron. You should probably go lie down in your tent for a while.

If you have the good fortune to spot this mythical creature while fully sober, please refrain from shooting at it or otherwise disturbing it. We only have one.

The northern section from Whitesbog to Batsto is all beautiful, and extremely wild and remote.

In the southern section, the route from Mays Landing to Dennisville also has lots of remote riding and the greatest variety of landscapes anywhere on the route, and can easily be extended for a finish at the shore in Sea Isle City.

You can use the Hammonton and Egg Harbor City train stations as bases to split the route in half and do part of it, or take two 2-day weekends to complete, rather than 3 days all at once.

The wider your tires, the better. You can do the route on a gravel bike, but be prepared for some walking (hike-and-bike) due to soft sand in places, mainly around miles 45-47.

See the Basic Info page for more information on this.

E-bikes are prohibited on one segment of the route: the Penn Branch singletrack from mile 76.8 to 81.6. This covers all types of e-bikes, including pedal-assist only. E-bikers should use Devious Mount Road, which parallels the JDH route, to connect to Washington Turnpike. Take Washington Turnpike to Batsto, then rejoin the JDH route at the Batsto Visitor Center.

The Plan a Trip page has details!

From Philly: The SEPTA Trenton line (not to be confused with the West Trenton line) and the NJT Atlantic City line both connect to 30th St. Station.

From NYC: Take the NJT Northeast Corridor train to Trenton. From Atlantic City, take the NJT Atlantic City line to Philadelphia 30th St, then the SEPTA Trenton line back to Trenton and return the way you came. Alternatively, you can take Amtrak from Philadelphia to Penn Station (see the caveat below about whether your bike will fit).

DC, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, and other big eastern cities: Take Amtrak to Philadelphia but check that your bike’s wheels can fit on their bike hooks! Unfortunately this option may not be possible for those with plus or fat bikes, as these wheels are likely too large to fit. Once in Philadelphia, see above for directions.

Driving: You can always park your car at any of the termini (Philadelphia 30th St, Trenton Transit Center, Atlantic City Convention Center) and then return to it by the train connections above.

Yes, the Hammonton and Egg Harbor City stations are on the Atlantic City Line (the same one where the route ends). You could use these as bases to create loops using part of the JDH route.

If you want to split the route and do it over two weekends, those train connections are at roughly the halfway point, so they make it easy to cut in half.

Certainly, but you’ll have to figure out transportation for yourself. The reason the route has so much pavement (60%) is in order to connect it to train stations, so that it is rideable without needing to use cars.

If you have the option for a two-car shuttle or to be dropped off and picked up, you could start in Whitesbog (you’d need to find street parking in a nearby town) and finish around Sea Isle City—or even Dennisville if you aren’t interested in the beach.

You might also look into NJ Transit buses, which have good but infrequent coverage through many communities in the area. These buses usually have bike racks on the front, but be aware that fat-tired bikes may have problems fitting in them.

Spring (March-May) and fall (late September-November) are excellent times to ride.

Winter is doable if you don’t mind the cold and short days—plan very carefully to make sure you can stay warm, and have reliable lighting for riding after dark! Also be aware that some campground facilities (e.g. water pumps) may be disabled or closed in winter.

Summer is doable if you don’t mind the heat and biting insects. This is not to be taken lightly! Pine Barrens summers can be sweltering. The thin canopy of the pine forests provides much less cooling shade than other eastern forests. And while the mosquitoes, blackflies, greenheads, chiggers, and ticks may not be found everywhere, they are very difficult to avoid if traveling a long distance.

Camping is only legal in established campsites in the Pinelands’ state forests. All these campgrounds are shown on the route map along with some private RV parks/campgrounds and other accommodations.

If booking more than a day in advance, unfortunately yes. Brendan T. Byrne and Belleplain State Forest Campground both have the very annoying policy, found at many popular parks, of requiring a two-night minimum.

However, if you book the morning of, or on-site when you arrive, this does not apply and you can book for just one night. In the case of Belleplain, forest rangers advise that this very large campground virtually never sells out except on holidays (July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day). If you’re camping on one of those days/weekends, it may be worth eating the cost of the extra night in order to ensure you’ll get a site. Otherwise, you’ll most likely be fine with last-minute arrangements.

A small backpacking filter is a nice item to have on many trips, but not really necessary on this route given how often you’ll pass pumps, stores, and other water resupply points.

The longest stretch between reliable water resupplies is from Brendan T. Byrne Campground (off-route near mile 35.5) and Godfrey Bridge (mile 73.5). The only water sources in between (Cedar Bridge Tavern & Lucille’s Luncheonette) may not be options due to their opening hours, and Cedar Bridge Tavern is not reliably open even during stated open hours. Plan on bringing enough water to cover these 40 miles.

Many Pine Barrens creeks are very clean, but be aware that much of the flowing water you pass on the route is downstream from at least some form of agriculture (usually former or active cranberry bogs) or residential areas. These are not mountain streams, so be advised that the water may not be suitable for drinking even after filtration.

I recommend not relying on stream water for drinking, and instead bringing enough water with you from each town/resupply point that you pass.

As of spring 2026, the route is known to be all rideable. Note that there are a few sections of deep sugar sand (mainly in miles 45 to 47) where many people will need to hike-and-bike (HAB) for a short time.

The main obstacles that might appear on the route are expanding puddles, flooding or collapsed bridges, overgrowth. Storms can also cause blowdowns which can slow your progress. As of spring 2026, some sections of trail in Belleplain State Forest and nearby are affected by a high volume of blowdowns and deadfall; budget time to HAB through these conditions. All of these can be caused by erosion from motor vehicles, storms, blowdowns, wildfires, or beaver activity.

While I make outings whenever I can to ride parts of the route and monitor the conditions, it’s not a one-person job! If you’ve ridden the route recently, please send trip reports to info@jerseydevilhunt.com or share them on the JDH Facebook Group. Reports of bad conditions are helpful, but so are reports that the trip was a success!

Camping is only legal in established campgrounds in the state forest, which limits the options for the suggested itinerary.

Unfortunately, the stretch between Brendan Byrne and Godfrey Bridge campgrounds (40mi) and Godfrey and Belleplain (54mi) means that there will be a very long day anywhere in a 3-day itinerary. 75 miles in a day is definitely preferable to 90+, since sandy riding will mean you go slower than you’re used to.

Check out “other itinerary options” for some ideas!

One option is to break the route into 4 days, camping at Brendan Byrne, Godfrey Bridge, and Belleplain. This will make for very short days, particularly the first two.

Another option might be to split the route in half and do it over two weekends. The Hammonton station on the NJT Atlantic City line is not too far off the route and makes this very easy, particularly if you’re based in Philadelphia.

On the northern section (most of which you will cover on Day 1 of the Suggested Itinerary) there are a few water refill options but no food resupply. Note that there is a 40-mile stretch between reliable water resupply options between Brendan T. Byrne Campground and Godfrey Bridge, due to the limited opening hours of the only water options (Cedar Bridge Tavern & Lucille’s).

On Day 2 you will pass several towns with grocery stores and lunch/dinner options. On Day 3, you will pass developed areas regularly.

At the start of the route, pack enough food to get you to the halfway point (Mullica). For a 3-day itinerary, this means bringing lunch, dinner, and snacks for day 1, and breakfast for day 2. You can restock as you go starting at Mullica.

It depends! Ocean City and Atlantic City both have boardwalks where bikes are only legal to ride at certain dates and times. If you are on the beach sections of the route during times when the boardwalk is open for bicycles, riding on the boardwalks is better than following the official route – it’s much more scenic and enjoyable!

The official Jersey Devil Hunt route does not follow the boardwalks except to reach the official end point of JFK Plaza; riders should dismount and walk their bikes if reaching the end point during hours when bikes are not allowed.

Both boardwalks are generally open to bikes in the off-season, and open during restricted hours (5 or 6 am until noon) during the summer season. Please see the links below for details.

Ocean City’s list of dates and exceptions for when bikes are allowed on the boardwalk

Atlantic City’s rules for boardwalk and beach access

No. The route is fully on public land and rights-of-way and is possible to ride at any time. See also “Can I ride on the boardwalks?” above.

There is cell service at many points on the route, particularly on paved sections. However, it is not reliable when you’re in the woods. Plan ahead by downloading maps to your phone before you leave home, and don’t depend on making a phone call in an emergency situation. If you are concerned about the ability to contact someone in an emergency, consider a satellite phone or backcountry GPS tracker.

Relying on a single piece of electronic equipment for navigation is always a bad idea. If traveling alone, bring a paper map or GPS unit along with your smartphone. If traveling in a group, make sure everyone in the group has basemaps and the route file downloaded for offline use.

Several portions of the Jersey Devil Hunt are in areas where hunting is sometimes allowed, in Brendan T. Byrne, Bass River, and Wharton State Forests. More than 100 days of the year are open for some form of hunting, either by firearm or bow.

Check HuntWise for details on when hunting is permitted. Consider wearing bright colors or a high-vis vest in order to make yourself very visible. A high-vis vest is also a great choice for safety when riding on busy paved roads.

Other than local news reports, which can often be vague about geography, I have been using https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/ to get this information. If you know of a better resource than this one, please share it with info@jerseydevilhunt.com!