Belleplain exploration leads — October 2, 2026

Stories drafted

  • entry/belleplain-lake-nummy-ccc-bog.html: NJDEP documents the 1928 forest establishment, camps S-53/S-63/S-80, and the CCC conversion of Meisle Cranberry Bog to Lake Nummy. The NJ State Park Service trail brochure gives short marked walks from the day-use area and the longer East Creek route. Sources: https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/belleplain-state-forest/ ; https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/docs/am_Belleplain.pdf ; https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/trailguides/docs/Belleplain.pdf ; https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/maps/bellplainwhole.pdf .
  • entry/belleplain-seashore-line-rail-trail.html: The state trail guide identifies the former Pennsylvania-Reading corridor, two sections, motorized-use rules, and the gap at Route 605. The current rail operator’s Woodbine history documents a nearby former crossing and the separate 1898 bridge at 1356 Dehirsch Avenue. Sources: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/trailguides/docs/Belleplain.pdf ; https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/maps/BelleplainTrailBrochureFinalDraft_reduced_tb.pdf ; https://www.seashorelines.org/Passenger/stations . The bridge is not a state trailhead, and the two intersecting historical lines must not be conflated.

Map candidates and coordinate basis

  • Lake Nummy Day Use Area / Nature Trail 1 is an appropriate public arrival pin. NJ State Park Service explicitly names its parking lot as Nature Trail 1 and East Creek Trail trailhead and draws parking on its trail and area maps. Independent NJHiking gives 39.24503, -74.85780 as “Parking” for its Lake Nummy trailhead (https://www.njhiking.com/nj-hikes-belleplain-state-forest/). An older field account gives 39.244861, -74.857285 for interpretive-center parking (https://gonehikin.blogspot.com/2010/12/belleplain-state-forest-nj.html); the points are close but name different parking details. Verify visually against the state map before choosing one, and label it as a public arrival, not CCC camp ruins. NJDEP visitor source: https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/belleplain-state-forest/ ; official trail map: https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/maps/belleplain-trail.pdf .
  • Seashore Line Trail can be a historical line/area pin if geocoded to the corridor, but I do not recommend a turn-by-turn arrival pin yet. The state names Weatherby Road and Hunters Mill Road trailheads without a parking address or GPS coordinate; the trail is discontinuous at Route 605 and most of it permits road-legal motor vehicles. The operator’s 1356 Dehirsch Avenue address is for a separate bridge, not trail parking. Ask park staff or obtain a verified parking coordinate before treating this as a visitable stop.

Editorial cautions

  • The park’s current fees, swimming schedule, closures and trail conditions should be read from NJDEP immediately before a visit; trail use is sunrise to sunset under its guide.
  • Avoid the familiar unsupported claim that Nummy was the “last Lenape chief.” A New York State Museum scholarly gazetteer connects the name to a historical man called Nummy, but the broad “last chief” designation needs a tighter primary basis: https://nysm.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/nysmrecord-vol5-1.pdf .
  • Belleplain State Forest already has scattered mentions in the index but no dedicated Lake Nummy or Seashore Line story as of this check.