D&R Canal Trail
Encyclopedia
The D&R Canal trail is a recreational trail in the U.S. state
of New Jersey
. The 77 miles (123.9 km) trail is made up of three segments that transverse three counties: a canal towpath
from New Brunswick
to Trenton
; a canal towpath / rail trail
from Trenton to Bull's Island; and a rail trail
from Bull's Island to Frenchtown
. The three combined trails together form the largest completed trail entirely in New Jersey
.
Much of the trail runs along the existing Delaware & Raritan Canal inside the New Jersey state park of the same name.
The proposed Capital to Coast Trail
is planned to connect to the D&R Canal Trail.
Note: There is no direct connection between the main canal and the feeder canal paths along the Delaware River. Signed on-street connections are required to traverse the entire trail system.
trail is 29 miles (46.7 km) long and constructed on the earthen towpath used by mule
s to pull barge
s along the canal, the surface is packed dirt, gravel and crushed stone
. Parts become muddy in wet weather; parts are covered with coarse sharp stones similar to track ballast
and dangerous to road bike tires. However, the majority of the path was resurfaced in early 2011 and is rideable by all but the thinnest road tires. The main entrance in New Brunswick
is at the Landing Lane Bridge
.
Major Access Points (with parking)
, this towpath eventually had rail laid along its length which provides a firm foundation common to rail-trails
; the surface is crushed stone. The feeder canal, including the rail-trail to Frenchtown is 28.7 miles (46.2 km) long.
Major Access Points (with parking)
Public restrooms can be found at Washington's Crossing, Prallsville Mills, and Bulls' Island.
Food can be found "on trail" at Washington's Crossing, Lambertville, and Stockton.
The state of New Jersey has published this guide to cycling the feeder path.
; the surface is crushed stone
. Boarded by Route 29 on the east, and the Delaware River
on the west there are few access points along its length, the path is also less heavily traveled than the southern feeder canal segment. During the summer months much of the rail-trail segment is shaded with an overhead canopy of foliage providing a cool hiking or biking environment.
Major Access Points (with parking)
Public restrooms can be found at Bulls' Island.
Food can be found "on trail" at Frenchtown.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The 77 miles (123.9 km) trail is made up of three segments that transverse three counties: a canal towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
from New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
to Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
; a canal towpath / rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
from Trenton to Bull's Island; and a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
from Bull's Island to Frenchtown
Frenchtown, New Jersey
Frenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373....
. The three combined trails together form the largest completed trail entirely in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Much of the trail runs along the existing Delaware & Raritan Canal inside the New Jersey state park of the same name.
The proposed Capital to Coast Trail
Capital to Coast Trail
The Capital to Coast Trail is a cross-state multi-use trail network that is designed to span the state of New Jersey from the Delaware River in Trenton to the beach front town of Manasquan on the Atlantic Ocean...
is planned to connect to the D&R Canal Trail.
Note: There is no direct connection between the main canal and the feeder canal paths along the Delaware River. Signed on-street connections are required to traverse the entire trail system.
Main Canal Towpath
The main canal towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
trail is 29 miles (46.7 km) long and constructed on the earthen towpath used by mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s to pull barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s along the canal, the surface is packed dirt, gravel and crushed stone
Crushed stone
Crushed stone or angular rock is a form of construction aggregate, typically produced by mining a suitable rock deposit and breaking the removed rock down to the desired size using crushers...
. Parts become muddy in wet weather; parts are covered with coarse sharp stones similar to track ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
and dangerous to road bike tires. However, the majority of the path was resurfaced in early 2011 and is rideable by all but the thinnest road tires. The main entrance in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
is at the Landing Lane Bridge
Landing Lane Bridge
The Landing Lane Bridge, is part of County Route 609 and spans the Raritan River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Jersey. The two lane bridge connects Piscataway to the north with New Brunswick and Franklin Township to the south...
.
Major Access Points (with parking)
- New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
/Landing Lane BridgeLanding Lane BridgeThe Landing Lane Bridge, is part of County Route 609 and spans the Raritan River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Jersey. The two lane bridge connects Piscataway to the north with New Brunswick and Franklin Township to the south... - Route 287Route 287-United States:* Interstate 287* U.S. Route 287* Alabama State Route 287* Arizona State Route 287* Connecticut Route 287* Georgia State Route 287* Iowa Highway 287 *Kentucky Route 287* Maryland Route 287* Minnesota State Highway 287...
/SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the... - Bound BrookBound BrookBound Brook may mean:*Bound Brook, New Jersey, a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey**Battle of Bound Brook**Bound Brook , a railroad station in the borough...
- Manville Causeway/WestonWeston, New JerseyWeston is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Situated on the east side of the Millstone River north of East Millstone and south of Zarephath , early names used for the area were Schenck's Mill, Van Neste's Mill and Frogtown...
- Amwell RoadCounty Route 514 (New Jersey)County Route 514 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from US 202 in East Amwell Township to Bayway Avenue in Elizabeth...
- Griggstown Causeway, PrincetonPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
- Alexander Street, PrincetonPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
Feeder Canal Towpath/Rail-trail
The feeder canal was used to supply water to the main canal from the Delaware RiverDelaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, this towpath eventually had rail laid along its length which provides a firm foundation common to rail-trails
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
; the surface is crushed stone. The feeder canal, including the rail-trail to Frenchtown is 28.7 miles (46.2 km) long.
Major Access Points (with parking)
- Washington Crossing State ParkWashington Crossing State ParkWashington Crossing State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of Washington's Crossing, a U.S. National Historic Landmark area. It is located in the Titusville section of Hopewell Township in Mercer County, north of Trenton along the Delaware River...
- LambertvilleLambertville, New JerseyLambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...
(on street parking) - Jimison Farm (~1 mile+ north of Lambertville) Jimison Farm website
- StocktonStockton, New JerseyStockton is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The borough sits on the Delaware River at the western end of Amwell Valley...
- Prallsville Mills
- Bull's IslandBull's Island Recreation AreaThe 79-acre Bull's Island Recreation Area is on Bull's Island at Raven Rock along the Delaware River approximately 3 miles north of Stockton, within Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The park is a part of the 3,578-acre Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. It...
Public restrooms can be found at Washington's Crossing, Prallsville Mills, and Bulls' Island.
Food can be found "on trail" at Washington's Crossing, Lambertville, and Stockton.
The state of New Jersey has published this guide to cycling the feeder path.
Rail-Trail
Technically the D&R canal starts at Bull's Island (now a state campground); the trail north of the Bull's Island inlet is strictly a rail-trail on the rail bed of the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal CompanyUnited New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company
The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system in New Jersey, including their main line to New York City...
; the surface is crushed stone
Crushed stone
Crushed stone or angular rock is a form of construction aggregate, typically produced by mining a suitable rock deposit and breaking the removed rock down to the desired size using crushers...
. Boarded by Route 29 on the east, and the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
on the west there are few access points along its length, the path is also less heavily traveled than the southern feeder canal segment. During the summer months much of the rail-trail segment is shaded with an overhead canopy of foliage providing a cool hiking or biking environment.
Major Access Points (with parking)
- Bulls Island
- FrenchtownFrenchtown, New JerseyFrenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373....
Public restrooms can be found at Bulls' Island.
Food can be found "on trail" at Frenchtown.