Weird NJ Sites (Franklin Lakes, Watchung, Franklin: college, legal, beach)

[STrapani1105]

Has anyone ever been to one? I think it's cool how our state has so many of these odd places, and their all listed in one publication, the one and only Weird NJ magazine. I would like to go out and check out some of these sites, but it's hard to find the time.

I found out about the Devil's Tree, it was near my old house, so I've drove passed it a couple times. That's about all I've seen though. I would've like to have seen Mary's Tower, but they tore that down.

Does anyone have any stories about them visiting the sites?

[Badfish740]

When I used to do a lot of four wheeling in the Pine Barrens occasionally we'd come across a bunch of Goth kids chasing the Jersey Devil and getting hopelessly lost/stuck in the process...

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

When I used to do a lot of four wheeling in the Pine Barrens occasionally we'd come across a bunch of Goth kids chasing the Jersey Devil and getting hopelessly lost/stuck in the process...

I've always wanted to go four wheeling. Is that fun?

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by STrapani1105

I've always wanted to go four wheeling. Is that fun?

It can be a lot of fun. Or it can suck pretty badly if you get stuck bad enough. The pines are basically the only legal place to take a 4x4 off road in New Jersey. The parks and wildlife management areas have miles and miles of roads that not only serve as thoroughfares but also as fire breaks and critical access routes for wildland firefighters. These roads typically run through everything from upland scrub oak/pine forests to cedar swamps, so there's plenty of mud and water crossings, etc... There's not a lot of hill climbing to be done as the pines are mostly flat, but there's the occasional wash you can drive into and fight your way up the other side. I always enjoyed the challenge as well as the ability to get away from the stereotypical "Jersey," see nature, and enjoy the peace and quiet. Many people think that "four wheeling" entails tearing up every last piece of forest, making huge ruts, and destroying plant life, but mostly we just used to head into the pines, ride for a while, stop at a nice sandy beach for lunch, and head back out, having a little fun along the way.

I'm not a big fan of the WeirdNJ crowd because whether they mean to or not (they don't) the articles in their magazine usually attract the worst people to a site. Many ruins of old towns, iron furnaces, and other sites in the pines have been vandalized and littered shortly after appearing in WeirdNJ after they had existed "under the radar" for literally hundreds of years. Once something appears in WeirdNJ it's not long before the site is littered with graffiti, cigarette butts, beer cans, and all manner of other crap. I don't mean to stereotype, but it's usually the spooky looking kids with the black fingernails smoking cloves, etc...looking for somewhere to party.

[dhanu86]

4-wheeling looks fun, i'd prefer a dirtbike or bicycle because they fit anywhere and easier to haul.

I have one story about my search for the "witches grave", i decided to search for it because I read about it in weirdnj and was like cool this is my hometown, so it took a couple months of research and asking around but one day I asked this boy only about 14 he was dressed rugged so I knew he had info. He said his friends saw it before but its hard to get to so we drove there. Got out walked through tons of sticky thorns and deep mud, then found a brown creek we had to cross, so being the curious boys who came to far and close after argueing whose gonna swim across it first, i jump in with my clothes on, its cold as hell [month of april] and maybe 10ft deep 30 ft across but very gently flowing. Once we swam acorss we had to climb up a steep hill of leaves and trees. Once up after slipping a few times, we saw the farm field and grave yard. Found the 220 year old grave of the witch but the engravement has faded to much to read [1978 a guy read it and took a photo] but since then it faded??? I duno acid rain??

History says that a witch was drown with her baby in the delaware river for practising witchcraft type rituals on the delaware waterfront in burlington city, well we found that witch. The stone use to say"here lay's *(&^(*&^&% with her baby, killed for being a witch" 1789ish

[Unknown Memory]

I tried the "put your car in neutral" at the bottom of the Franklin Lakes exit ramp a few years ago. (Which, in Weird NJ or a weird NJ site would call it a "haunted" location of someone pushing your car.) Expectedly, the car went up on its own. But, after visiting a Mystery Spot location in California, it just doesn't seem that special/unique at all. =_= Although, I like these kind of areas of odd gravitational pulls. Would love to put a wooden plank there and see if someone can be taller than me on the lower slope.

[Kevin1975]

Originally Posted by Unknown Memory

I tried the "put your car in neutral" at the bottom of the Franklin Lakes exit ramp a few years ago. (Which, in Weird NJ or a weird NJ site would call it a "haunted" location of someone pushing your car.) Expectedly, the car went up on its own. But, after visiting a Mystery Spot location in California, it just doesn't seem that special/unique at all. =_= Although, I like these kind of areas of odd gravitational pulls. Would love to put a wooden plank there and see if someone can be taller than me on the lower slope.

Haha, have definitely done that one, Watch though, cops will give you a ticket if they see you doing it. Its off 208 I believe. We even rolled a tennis ball.

[Unknown Memory]

^ Ah! Don't worry. ^_^ I'm not going to go back and try it since Mystery Spot was good enough for me. Wouldn't actually know where to get a wooden board in the first place. ^^; But, glad to know that you went as far as a tennis ball!

(If only NJ had a Mystery Spot business set up there to make it safe/legal. I would spend the entire day there...)

[STrapani1105]

yea, the Devil's Tree, the only weird nj place i've ever checked out was just a tree, lol. actually as I approached the tree, my iPod was on shuffle, and Sympathy for the Devil came on... haha, it was weird.

i heard about this street somewhere in Warren county, near Shades of Death Road. where you drive down like a mile down the road. the road is like dark from all the trees that cover it, no sunlight gets in. and there are some sharp curves and stuff you have to drive through. then you get out of your car, and then like something just comes up and scares the *bleep* out of you. i'll see if I can find the source of this story and post it. i read about it online. it's also near a place called Ghost Lake, i think.

[tommyc_37]

I've been to the following sites:

- Clinton Road
- 13 bumps/witches in Watchung
- Hookerman
- Midgetville
- Annie's Road
- Whipporwill Road (great story from that one)
- Some creepy insane assylum in Middletown, I believe

These were all quite a few years ago...was mainly in college.