What to expect when canoe camping on the Mullica River:
The Mullica River is a 50.6 mile-long river that runs through southern New Jersey. During our canoe camping trip we travelled approximately 12.5 miles down a narrow and windy portion of the river that was interspersed with marshlands. The paddle itself was beautiful and required some skill in order to maneuver the turns in the narrow river. Overall, we had an awesome time and would recommend canoe camping on the Mullica River for a fun weekend trip!
Where to camp on the Mullica River for an overnight canoe trip:
Goshen Pond Campground
We started our weekend by camping at Goshen Pond Campground in the Wharton State Forest. This is a primitive campground with mostly walk up sites, a pit toilet, and no picnic tables (though there were some stumps that we made use of for cooking on). Another thing to note is that the road leading to the campground may be treacherous without an SUV or a truck. While the campground is not luxurious the sites are spacious, and if you walk to the water there is a beautiful view of the Mullica River. It was also very affordable and reservations can be made online through the NJ Outdoors website.
Mullica River Campground:
The Mullica River Campground is a wilderness campground in the Wharton State Forest that can only be accessed by paddling or hiking in. There are 10 campsites in total, and 2 of those are group sites. The sites themselves are spacious and spread out, and there are two pit toilets and a pump for potable water. Reservations for this campground can be made on the NJ Outdoors website.
Put ins and Take Outs
We put the boat in at the Atsion Lake Spillway near Route 206 (GPS coordinates 39.739776, -74.725431). We left the other car at Pleasant Mills (the takeout) (GPS coordinates 39.63974700, -74.65937500). Both the put in and the take out had ample parking as well space to prepare and maneuvre the boat.
Water Levels
Paddling on the Mullica River:
Day 1
Entering the river at the Atsion Spillway we were able to launch with ease and start our journey. The first major obstacle was a railroad trestle that we were able to navigate under. The first 2 or so miles of the river are narrow and windy and require some skill to make the turns without crashing from side to side. There are also obstacles above and below the water (read: tree stumps). Eventually we reached a marshy area of the river that was less forested, called “the ponds”. This area was a bit easier to navigate through as it was wider and calmer. Eventually we left the ponds and entered the third phase of the river, this area was forested but a bit wider than the first two miles. We continued until we arrived at the Mullica River Campground. According to my GPS watch we traveled about 6.75 miles the first day. Interestingly, this didn’t align with the mile markers along the river.
Day 2
Overall the Mullica river was a great canoe trail for a weekend getaway and we can’t wait to get back! It was a lot of technical paddling and a lot of fun. If you like canoe camping you should definitely put this one on your list!
