Woodbury Creek Park – Woodbury, NJ

Woodbury Creek Park – Woodbury, Gloucester County, NJ
Distance: Trail is 0.6 miles.  With a walk across the bridge and back, it’s about 3/4 of a mile
Type: Loop.
Difficulty:  2 of 10 – a few blow downs at the end
Total score: 6 of 10

Website – City of Woodbury – Parks
Open – Sunrise to Sunset.

Terrain – Woods and marsh

Trailheads –  39°50’29.76″N,  75° 9’16.86″W (next to canoe launch)

Directions – Located at the foot of Wood Street, behind the high school track.

Parking – Small lot with spaces for 7 or 8 cars.

Markings – None, but trail very clear

Map –

Description – After hiking the Stewart Park Nature Trail, The Pres, Tree Rider, and I headed over to Woodbury Creek Park to check out a bridge where folks get their wedding pictures taken.  I figured it had to be scenic.  When checking out the canoe launch that is also there, I spotted a path in the woods.  I figured, why not take it?  Off we went.

What I stumbled on was a 0.6 of a mile loop!  Yay!  I hadn’t realized how long it was, so I ended up carrying Tree Rider instead of putting him the pack, which he loved.  The trail winds along the edge of Woodbury Creek, with some nice views of the water.

Beginning of trail.

Gathering rocks to throw into the creek.

The trail gets to a marshy bit, where it curves to the left to follow the swamp.  The trail will intersect with itself at a T with an absolutely massive tree to mark the intersection.

Really huge tree.

Left would take us back to the parking lot, so we choose right.  The trail winds past a large, ivy covered tree branch (hard to believe its only a branch), edges close to someone’s backyard, then has another nice view of the creek just a few steps from the trail.  Just after this, the trail ends at a blow down.  I didn’t want to risk poison ivy for the kids (we had worn shorts today, expecting to hike in something a bit tamer), so that was the end of the line for us.  I don’t know how much farther back the trail goes, but Google Earth shows that there isn’t a ton of woods between people’s homes and the marsh, so it might not be much farther.

That’s only a branch. For serious.

Marshy.

Last view.

Almost done.

End of the line for us.

You’ll then backtrack to that intersection with the big tree.

Berries.

Coolest shed ever.

Back at the tree.

From this intersection, left would take you back the way you started.  Straight will send you back to the parking lot pretty much in a straight line.  We opted for the-way-not-yet-taken.  Unfortunately, as would be expected from this summer, we ran into blow downs.  So in retrospect, go back by way of the creek.  Not that we turned around, we went right through them.

Guh, over the tree.

Children first.

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The Pres is in that branch… somewhere.

We made it!

While the trail may be over, walk up the bank to the bridge.  You’ll want to cross it, because it’s there.  The other side is a town sports complex, but you can always just turn around and come right back.

Canoe launch by the trailhead.

Rules.

On the way to the bridge, monument to Private First Class George Benjamin, Jr, who was killed in action in the Philippines during World War II, and posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions there.

Another monument, this to Woodbury’s H. Browing Ross, a two time Olympian who was in the steeplechase finals at the 1948 Olympics (he placed 7th).

Zaehring Bridge over Woodbury Creek.

Just two brothers walking over a bridge.

Creek from the middle of the bridge.

Overall recommendation – This is a great hike and park!  Worth pairing it up with  We’ll be back to canoe!

Nearby – Woodbury has a walking tour brochure. If you want a sneak peak of some highlights from the walking tour, check out the excellent Yummygal’s South Jersey History & Adventures A Walk in Woodbury, NJ. Other nearby hikes are like Wenonah Woods East or West Trails or Stewart Park in town.