I copied this from my response to a 4wd mag writer... Hope this helps... This is just my humble opinion/ observation... Enjoy.
I want to start when i asked a NJ resident where to wheel. she suggested Wharton state forrest. and so i googled it and you tube it. I researced their website
http://www.pineypower.com/offroading.htm, found out one can do offroad as long as the car is street legal and preferrably 4x4. so i posted it in ih8tMud and GCLC yahoo email for a month. Only 3 of us went that day but we had a blast. We started out by going to the Atsion park ranger station to get a map, they said we can wheel till dusk- i think its a safety issue... its hard to get help at night and hard to locate you if you need help. We did not register ( i guess its not required) and they did not collect any fees. we started out on one of the unpaved roads that is actually in the map- i think there was no name its just labeled as unpaved road. I dont remember any posting/ warnings or marks of the trail when we were entering it. When I was already on the trail i found out the road actually has a street name based from my google maps out of iphone( this was while i have a signal). On that particular trail its sandy with water puddles and one can get stuck if the tires at not right . Some are very deep.
heres some video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Ha__PprMo,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=744R-ScXbb4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDWwvWNTkhQ&list=UUiGeHEtLD99pS3SytSjV4iA&index=2&feature=plcp
I was on the white landcruiser.
Winches and at least 2 buddies ( total of 3 trucks) is the ideal one in my opinion ,only because i experienced to be winched out when i got stuck . The first truck tried to pull me out with a winch but it seems i was stuck deep bec water starts seeping inside the truck( i have a 4inch lift and 35 inch mtr tires) and so the second Lexus 450 helped too. they have to do the winching and pulling at the same time. I thought they cannot pull me out but i got out fine. Since I dont have a winch they positioned me in the middle. It turned out i have to pull the one infront of me as well as the one at the back. Most of the time we have to use our common sense bec. we dont know whats before us- due to no warning signs??? Luckily the lead truck has been there couple of times and even so he still got stuck couple of times.
We did not encounter any park ranger that day, there is very minimal signs and warnings. If i went to offroad alone, i probably have to stay overnight until help arrives. I am sure one can get stuck very easily.
From what i observed the place is good for nature lovers. you can kayak, camp, trail walk/ jog, ride a mountain bike. My only concern is security although we did not encounter any bad incidents. the trail we tackled is basically 1-2 trails that went back to the Atsion ranger station and it almost took the whole day of wheeling. if you will look at the map the trail we did is only a string of hair . I would love to come back and do it again in winter. i am sure it will look a postcard in the picture.
I think they have to collect a small fee from offroad enthusiast to maintain the trails and in my opinion everybody should register and sign out everyday ( which might be difficult bec the trails are long and winding and one could end up far from where he started), they should also require a gps like device for rent as an option to find you if you got stuck/ or needed assistance, its really hard to find your way if you are a first timer.
From what i heard the trails are not solely used by offroaders, its also being used by hunters.
I hope this helps.
Goodluck
