Information on parks near Toms River (Old Bridge: buses, pine, transit)

[Johninwestbury]

I would like to visit some parks near Toms River, as I want to start exploring some of the pine barrens in New Jersey. I do not drive, so it cannot be much more than 5 miles or so from the Toms River bus terminal.
I've founding trying to access parks in the pine barrens down there much harder, unlike here on LI, where Suffolk Transit routes run near parks, in Southern NJ there doesn't seem to be much service near there.
One area of woods that is interest to me is north of Double Trouble State Park (the park itself is over 6 miles from Toms River...too far). The woods are on the west side of Double Trouble road and North of Pinewald-Keswick road, these aren't marked as a park though, so I wonder if they are even open to the public or posted.
There is a "Jake's Branch Park" near there and some named, but unpaved, roads such as Tamarack road.
In addition there is Winding River park, further north. Are they linked by any trails? Trail maps seem to be hard to find and I am going by what I see on Google Earth.
Any information would be greatly appreciated as I dont want to take a long walk to find an area POSTED or impassible.
The other area of pine barrens close to buses seems to be off Jake Brown road in Old Bridge, however it seems to be of questionable parkland status.