If this rarely paddled waterway gives the impression of being isolated once it leaves the only practical put-in at Paradise Lake campground, that's because it is. Many fallen trees can make this a difficult slog. The South Jersey Canoe Club, our paddling group, makes an effort every Spring to clear as much as possible, but this can still be a rugged haul. About the only sign of outside influence you'll see here is an abandoned commercial campground that was donated to the state, unfortunately this place was vandalized and trashed recently and will likely not be used for that purpose again.
The Wading has been called the most crowded river in the Pines, however, never having paddled here in anything but the off-season, I cannot comment. The shuttle is very easy and it's called the Wading for a reason. For the most part, it's only a few feet deep with the exception of the eroded turns and the few sand road bridges it passes under. Its very pretty nonetheless and in good weather, makes for a fine daytrip no matter how far you go.
Whenever you talk of paddling the Pine Barrens, most folks think of the Mullica. That's because the put-in is right next to one of Wharton State Forest's headquarters. The well traveled, but beautiful Mullica, like most other rivers in Wharton has its own character. Tight narrow turns, high sandy banks, some wide sections, beaver ponds and campsites make the Mullica unique.
The upper section that begins at Jackson road is a literal jungle. Extremely narrow in places, but a fun ride.
The beautiful Maurice river flows mostly through Cumberland county and is similar in many respects to other Pine Barrens rivers. After miles of the usual "twisties", the Maurice flows into Union Lake near Millville. Soon after that it becomes tidal before joining the Menantico and emptying into Delaware Bay.
This is a nice place to paddle if you live nearby. Unfortunately, not far from the put-in at Rt.70, there is an ever present stench of a garbage dump and a superfund site (are they one in the same?). Alledgedly, this gets considerably worse during hotter weather. Further downriver the air quality improves and one comes upon a interesting mill-type structure complete with water wheel, though I'm unsure what the history of that place may be.
This squirly little rivulet near the bottom of the state has to be among the funnest places to paddle in the Pines. The creek itself is no more than 10-20 feet wide in most places with constant sweepers, strainers, shallow spots, extremely tight turns, not to mention a rather fast current to keep me on my toes. Further down, the creek emerges into a nice chain of ponds with an isolated Adirondack feeling. Exiting the ponds, but before passing under Rt. 47 the creek becomes tidal before joining the Maurice, so you can very well be paddling against the current, even though you are going downstream!
