Double Trouble

This east 54 mile bike tour begins and ends at Double Trouble State Park, which is located at Exit 77 off of the Garden State Parkway. This beautiful park features over 8,000 acres of Pine Barrens habitats, including Cedar Creek, an excellent stream for canoeing and kayaking. The Cedar Creek provides most of the water required for New Jersey's important cranberry culture and also supplies a pure source of water for local wildlife as well as for the transient waterfowl that migrates through the county. The Double Trouble Historic Village, located within the park, is associated with New Jersey's cranberry agriculture as well as with the Atlantic White Cedar logging and milling industries. The village consists of a host of cranberry bogs, along with fourteen original historic structures dating from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries. The historic assemblage includes a general store, a schoolhouse and a few quaint little cottages. The original sawmill was restored in 1995, and the cranberry sorting and packing house was completed in 1996.

There are conflicting stories, about the naming of Double Trouble. Thomas Potter is credited with giving the park its name in the 1770's when heavy rains damaged the dam on the mill pond twice in one week, causing trouble and then - "Double Trouble." Another legend involves local muskrats that gnawed away at the dam causing frequent leaks. Apparently, one day two leaks were discovered, and a worker was overheard shouting "Here's Double Trouble!"

This tour allows a rider to experience a sampling of scenic views and facilities in Ocean County. The terrain is basically flat throughout the ride. West of the Garden State Parkway the route is fairly undeveloped offering long stretches of peaceful open road. The portion of the ride that lies east of the Garden State Parkway is in a more developed area and offers more services for the rider. About half way through the ride, there is a side trip of 7.8 miles roundtrip that ends at the Warren Grove Range Rock with an expansive view of the Dwarf Pine Forest.

The tour passes by Wells Mills Park, the largest park in Ocean County. It includes 900 acres of pine and oak forest, a beautiful lake with canoe rentals, a three-story Nature Center, open playing fields, picnic areas, a playground and public restrooms. Miles of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty can be found throughout the park, including a “VIP” (Visually Impaired Persons) Trail. The Nature Center offers a great display floor, a well-stocked library, and the Elizabeth Meirs Morgan Observation Deck, located on the third floor. Moving eastward, the tour passes by the Albert Music Hall which is the best place on the Jersey Shore to hear live Country, Bluegrass and Old Time Music Concerts.

Albert Music Hall has been inducted in the American Folklore Center, Local Legacies Collection Archive at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. After crossing Route 9, the rider arrives at the Waretown Pier, which was originally known as the Waretown Fishing Station. The picturesque wooden pier offers a great view of the Barnegat Bay.

The ride travels northward and passes the Forked River Marina and the Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant, which provides electricity to more than 600,000 homes in the area. Returning west of the Parkway, the tour loops through the Pine Barrens back to the starting point.

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