The Jersey Devil: A Legend of the Pine Barrens

by Mary Sparago
jersey devil pine barrens

The Pine Barrens span 1.1 million acres across South Jersey, where visitors can explore hiking trails, canoe, camp, and ride horses. The Pines are even home to many abandoned or forgotten towns, which may entice explorers in search of an eerie atmosphere. However, while guidebooks may rave about the many interesting aspects of the heavily wooded region, they often leave out one important detail–the Pine Barrens may be haunted by the Jersey Devil.

Between the sandy, quiet roads and the abandoned towns strewn throughout, the folklore behind the region’s hauntings may seem scarily believable. Some residents today still believe the tales. Yet, as with most folklore, there’s debate as to how the hauntings began. One devilish recount of the haunting’s origin does, however, overshadow the rest. 

The Jersey Devil’s Origin Story

The year was 1735; a horrible storm was crashing over Leeds Point in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. Winds howled, whipping the trees as thunder crashed over a small, quaint home in the rural community. A woman by the name of Mrs. Leeds cried as the storm raged, giving birth to her 13th child. Distraught by her pregnancy, she cursed him.

“Oh, let this one be the devil!” she yelled

The legend claims that, upon cursing the child, he was born a devil. The creature was said to release a horrifying screech, unfold its wings, and escape through the chimney. From that point forward, the Leeds Devil, now infamously known as the Jersey Devil, was born. 

Its alleged appearance is rather disturbing. According to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, the Jersey Devil is described as “a kangaroo-like creature with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, bat-like wings, horns and a tail,” roaming the Pines’ marshes for 250 years. 

The Devil’s presence has been noted in over 50 towns. 

Jersey Devil Flying

A First Encounter

Around the start of the 19th century, several residents reported sightings of the Devil. In 1812, the former King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, reported seeing the Jersey Devil while out hunting. Though this particular claim lacked sufficient detail, it was the start of numerous encounters with the creature.

Good Aim

Following this incident, in 1909, Commodore Stephen Decatur was practicing shooting cannonballs with other members of the Navy. According to his reports, a cannonball struck the Jersey Devil but didn’t damage the creature at all. Some witnesses claim there were tracks in the snow, the shape of hoofprints. However, the bloodhounds refused to track the trail. 

Since the report came from Navy officials, the public was sent into a state of panic. Over 1,000 reports were made by residents claiming encounters. As a result of the mayhem, schools surrounding the Pine Barrens were closed out of fear of the Jersey Devil. 

jersey devil pine barrens

New Jersey Pine Barrens Marsh l Image by Jenn V

All Tired Out

Events calmed for almost 20 years, with hardly any mention of the creature. However, in 1927, someone suddenly reported another sighting.

In the middle of the night in Salem City, NJ, a cab driver reportedly pulled over for a flat tire. During this time, there weren’t any street lights to illuminate the tree-surrounded roads. It was pitch dark. 

As the taxi driver left his vehicle to fix the tire, he heard terrifying screeches. Suddenly, a large creature appeared from the woods and attacked him. Though the driver rushed back into his vehicle, the being continued to pound on his car, as though it were trying to reach him. The man reported the incident to police, but nobody could determine what animal attacked him. 

A Crossroads

Reports of the Devil once again died down, this time for nearly 50 years. Although artists released songs and books describing the folklore tales of the Jersey Devil, mainstream media eased their panic. 

That was until 1972.

Mary Ritzer Christianson was driving alone down Greentree Road in Southern New Jersey, heading towards Glassboro. The road is lengthy and, at times, largely isolated.

As she drove, Christianson reported seeing a creature cross the street behind her, appearing in her rearview mirror. The beast had the head of a horse, standing upright like a man, with large haunches and a set of wings. 

Although the area doesn’t technically pass through the Pine Barrens, her description matches that of the Jersey Devil. This story sparked new beliefs that the creature could fly to various areas of New Jersey, outside of the Pines.

A Horrifying Hog

The next encounter was in 1980 at Wharton State Forest, which is in the direct center of the Pine Barrens. This forest is also home to Batsto Village, established in the 1700s. 

At the time, chief forest ranger Alan MacFarlane received an urgent call to visit a farm in the area. The sight was otherworldly. 

All of the farmer’s pigs had been slaughtered during the night. Most alarming, however, was that something had eaten the back of each pig’s head. History Collection described the scene as if “something perched on their backs and ate their brains,” especially given that their backs were all scratched. The rest of their bodies remained untouched. 

The mystery has never been solved, though locals attribute the attack to the Jersey Devil.

jersey devil pine barrens

Historic Batso Village l Image by Melba Losiewicz

The Roaring ‘80s

Several more incidents occurred in the 1980s, including an Asbury Park Press reporter claiming to encounter the Jersey Devil several years ago. He provided a full description of the creature, which matched that of the folklore depiction. 

In the late 1980s, a group of friends rode dirt bikes around the Pine Barrens a few miles from their camp. Suddenly, all their bikes and ATVs simultaneously stalled. Then, they all reported hearing horrible screams of an unknown origin. Many dropped their bikes and fled, but the few who stayed behind continued to hear the screeching into the night.

On their way home, the bikers paused at a bar, describing their incident to the workers. The bartender explained that they likely encountered the Jersey Devil.

Recent Stories

The most recent story was reported by David Black, who in 2015 alleged he saw the Jersey Devil on Route 9 in Egg Harbor Township, near a golf course. Black claimed he saw a llama suddenly spread wings and take flight, capturing the below photo as proof of his encounter. 

Though many people have refuted his photo and claims, another person, Emily Martin, shared a video taken nine miles from Black’s encounter, which depicts a similar creature. However, since both incidents took place around the time of Halloween, many have regarded their allegations as pranks.

Jersey Devil sign

So, is the Jersey Devil Real?

While its origin story is shrouded in mystery and folklore, encounters with the Jersey Devil are quite legitimate. Stories are recorded through police records from reliable sources, including prominent businessmen, government officials, and police themselves. Given the claims derived from reliable sources, fears of the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens solidified. Even today, many people believe the Devil continues to plague the region. 

Whether or not the tales are true, the Jersey Devil has certainly made its way into New Jersey culture. The New Jersey Devils hockey team derived its name from the legend, and many locals still hold true to the tales. 

If nothing else, the Jersey Devil remains a mascot that details New Jersey’s rich history and remarkable community. However, should the legend prove true, it’s a good thing New Jersey now has streetlights. 

Have you ever spotted the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens? Let us know in the comments below. 

Main image by Imat Bagja Gumilar

About the Author/s

All posts

Mary Sparago is 22-year-old creative writing and policy enthusiast who's always looking for new dogs to pet. In her spare time, Mary enjoys listening to K-pop and playing video games.

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4 comments

James Gannon September 29, 2021 - 2:15 pm

SATAN lives in the house behind me I’m being serious & he knows I know who he is it’s really scary the Voice’s I hear are all to real.Yeah I read into psychosis & it’s similar but I know it’s real at least for me.I need an Army of Light to Battle the Army of Darkness.❤️✌️🙏

Reply
Steven Holloway November 19, 2022 - 8:54 am

My Brother and I saw what I believed
to be Big Foot in the pines about 1975 or so. It walked in front of my car I had to stop , it stopped in front on my car 4 feet from the hood. It stopped turned its large head looked down at us sitting in the car than turned its head and walked down into the pines. I know it was real we surprised it coming up on the road. We were scared to death. It was late at night in the middle of no where, I made a quick turn at a stop sign because no cars were coming I could see that because it was so dark out no lights were coming so I paused and turned right and it was coming up on the road I had to hit the breaks and it stopped right in front on us. It was real real real. Tall big head big shoulders long arms high hips matted fur
long strides. It did not get excited it stopped looked down on us turned and walked away.
I saw on tv a drawing of what someone saw in California a couple years after I saw it and that’s what we saw same thing
I’ll never forget it and it was real I know , we surprised it.

Reply
Nj Brady May 19, 2023 - 11:43 am

Sounds like the big foot sightings. Saskatchewan.

Reply
Shadow Lake Dr November 16, 2023 - 12:01 am

I lived in the Pine Barrens for many years. There are no Big Foots. There is some wildlife in the area. The legend in the area came from the Native Americans and past settlers. The odds of the Jersey Devil being real in a 50/50. If it still is alive it hides. I got the impression living there that the possibilities of Aliens in the area was real as well as past landing sites. If this is real the Native Americans could have intel from another state. Most of the wildlife is in remote areas close to the shore or in the swamp areas. There are problems with fires at times and this could be Arson related. The Devil is either dead and replaced, off the planet or hiding. There was a rumor of a Poltergeist in the area due to the death of Jen D. Rumor has it the Poltergeist still lives in the bottom floor of her Indian Mills Home. I got the impression her mother may of been involved with Witchcraft. Her brother told me he saw evil demons in her room at night. This could explain her death and current sightings. She likes to eat spiders also.

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