Petty's Island in Camden, New Jersey

Off the coast of Philadelphia (or more accurately, Camden County, New Jersey), sitting in the Delaware river and heavily covered in trees and brush, is a deserted island. Once home to CITGO industrial operations, the island has been overgrown and uninhabited by human life for years. Usually, it’s off limits to visitors, but thanks to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Center for Aquatic Sciences, a conservation easement allows the occasional group of visitors for educational purposes. Cradled between two Urban centers, Petty’s Island is a beautiful greenspace made...