Get Outside!
Brave the cold and have some fun

 

Don’t let the cold keep you cooped up. SJ offers a winter wonderland of fun right outside your front door. Whether you want to stay active, enjoy a family outing or just get some fresh air, adventurers of all ages can find something to do. So bundle up, grab a thermos and get going – the great outdoors await.

 

Fit & Fun

Get moving for a good cause at the Burlington County Food Pantry’s "Race for the Hungry” on December 3. Let the kids enjoy the 1K Fun Run while you challenge yourself in the 5K Race. The race starts and ends at Green Acres Park. The pantry asks that all participants bring a non-perishable food donation. The first 200 5K registrants receive a free T-shirt.

Explore SJ’s big backyard of forests and parks on a guided hike. Join fellow nature-lovers on December 10 for the "Full Moon Hike” through the cranberry bogs and wilderness trails of historic Double Trouble State Park in Bayville. No flashlight is needed for this moonlit walk. Hike begins at 7 pm and costs $6 per person.

Hike the grounds of the historic Smithville Village on December 15. Following the 4-5 mile hike, the group will take a guided tour of the Victorian Christmas Mansion. The hike is led by NJ Sierra Club members. Make a reservation at 609-259-3734.

The "Verge of Winter” hike throughout Wharton State Forest on December 17 is another great escape from the hustle and bustle of the season. This brisk guided walk will take you through the largest single tract of land in the New Jersey Park System. Be on the lookout for bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, fox and deer – just a few of the animals that call this forest home. 

Give your legs a rest and pick up a paddle for a winter canoe excursion. Join water enthusiasts for an 8-mile paddle along the Oswego River on December 11. The group will meet at Lake Oswego at 10 am for this canoe trail on "the jewel of the Pinelands.” Or, climb aboard the "Search for Santa” ride. Wear your Santa hat and keep your eyes wide for the "big guy” on this 10-mile canoe trip from Burlington County Community College to Smithville. Both trips are for experienced paddlers only. For information, call 609-259-3734.

 

Family Fun

Take a trip to the Palmyra Cove Nature Park and explore 250 acres of sprawling upland forests, wetlands and meadows along the Delaware River. Sign up for one of Palmyra Cove’s year-round, family-oriented nature excursions. Enjoy the "Wildlife Observation Hike,” a program just for kids where they can classify and categorize living things by observing signs and actual sightings of wildlife. Or, take a "Night Hike” and get an up-close look at life in the park after dark. The park is also hosting a special seasonal event, the "Preparing for Winter Family Hike,” to show how certain animals prepare for the coming cold.

To learn more about the winged-creatures that inhabit SJ’s forests, attend the family-friendly "Winter Crafts are for the Birds” hike on December 18 at the Woodland Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford. Enjoy a naturalist-led troop through preserved forests after creating an edible treat for the birds that make their nests there.

Take a tour of historic Batsto Village this winter

For a different kind of outing, tour historic Batsto Village nestled in the Wharton State Forest. Step back in time as you walk through the village streets and visit the restored historical buildings of this iron- and glass-making town founded in 1766. Schedule a guided tour or take a self-guided tour using your cellphone. Accompanied by a walking brochure (found at the visitor center kiosk), the cell phone tour highlights 18 historic sites in the village. Visitors need only dial 609-503-9377 and then enter the site number to hear the pre-recorded message (each approximately two to three minutes in length).

 

Just Plain Ole’ Fun

Our advice: just jump in – to frigid waters, that is – for The Polar Bear Plunge. Before you hide under your blanket, consider this: the plunge is all about raising funds to support Special Olympics athletes of New Jersey. The first plunge takes place January 14 at the Wildwoods Convention Center. The second is scheduled for February 25 in Seaside Heights.

If you manage to muster up the courage, you won’t be out there alone – more than 5,000 participants rose to the occasion in past plunges at Seaside Heights.

Support Special Olympics athletes during Wildwood's Polar Bear Plunge

 

If you’re searching for a milder outdoor excursion then stay seaside for the annual Christkindlmarkt at Tuckerton Seaport. The event, modeled after the old-fashioned German holiday street market, features strolling carolers, children’s rides, horse-drawn carriages, decoy carvers, quilt-making, crafters and much more under huge heated tents. Last year’s seaport spectacular showcased 100 vendors, so expect plenty of gifts, crafts, entertainment, food and refreshments. Get into the holiday spirit with some hot mulled cider and roasted chestnuts. Or sip some wine at a tasting by SJ wineries Valenzano, DiMatteo and Tomasello. Little ones can enter the gingerbread contest. The fun runs from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday, December 10 and 11.