SJCC: Laurel Traditional Cache

South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge
Checkpoint Laurel



Welcome to Brendan Byrne State Forest in New Lisbon, NJ. This cache will fulfill the “Laurel” requirement for the South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge.

Formerly known as Lebanon State Forest, visitors are greeted by the fresh scent of pines. Today's forested acres are a strong contrast to the barren, cleared land that existed in the 1800s. The Lebanon Glass Works was established in 1851 and was successful until 1867, when it shut down after depleting the supply of wood necessary for the furnace to operate. Today, hikers can follow the sandy trails and roads that crisscross the forest, sometimes passing near the remains of stone or brick structures or where large depressions indicate the location of what was once a bustling town. Pure, iron-rich streams flow through acres of swampy land covered with dense stands of Atlantic white cedar. Brendan T. Byrne State Forest has more than 25 miles of marked trails. The various trails and loops provide challenges ranging from long single track hiking trails to a trail accessible for people with disabilities. The Batona Trail is designed for hiking, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing (weather permitting). The Mount Misery Trail allows visitors the additional option of mountain biking, and the Cranberry Trail allows for access by wheelchairs in addition to all the other uses listed above. The Batona Trail is almost 50 miles in length and links Brendan T. Byrne, Wharton, and Bass River State Forests. This portion of the Batona Trail is maintained by the NJ State Park Service and the Batona Hiking Club. Other trails intersect with the Batona Trail to provide loops of about 6 miles and 14 miles for day hikes. Loops of about 2 miles at the forest office and one mile at Pakim Pond provide short easy hikes with wide pathways which avoid contact with vegetation that may harbor ticks or other insect pests.

Official SJCC Information
The South Jersey Geocachers (SJG) are sponsoring the South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge series. This challenge is intended to take geocachers on a tour of Southern New Jersey (loosely defined as south of I-195) while finding caches placed by members of the SJG. On the tour, we hope you will find South Jersey an interesting and beautiful part of our great state.

Scattered around the area are 26 checkpoint caches and a final challenge cache - South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge (GC1NJDZ). The names of the individual checkpoint caches are based on a phonetic alphabet using plants to represent the diversity of ecosystems that you will encounter on your tour of Southern New Jersey. You may even run into the infamous Jersey Devil while you're there. The 26 checkpoints do not have to be completed in any particular order. See the SJCheckpoint bookmark for the complete list of caches.

Hidden within the 26 checkpoint caches are numbers to be used in determining the coordinates of the final South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge cache – please be sure to note them while you are there.

While there are no special logging requirements for the 26 checkpoint caches, there are special logging requirements for the final challenge cache. Complete information can be found on the South Jersey Checkpoint Challenge (GC1NJDZ) cache page.

This cache is certified South Jersey