West Essex Trail
Encyclopedia
The West Essex Trail trail is an Essex County
park, situated on the former right-of-way of the Caldwell Branch of the old Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, in Verona, New Jersey
, and Cedar Grove, New Jersey
. A distinguishing feature of the trail is a trestle bridge 20 feet above the Peckman River
, and most notably, the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center
Acquired in 1985 through Green Acre funding, the 2.84 mile trail runs from the Passaic County line near the Lenape Trail
, southwest through the Cedar Grove Community Park by the Peckman River
, across Route 23, across Durrell Street next to Bahr Lumber, across Fairview Avenue, past Verona High School, and ending at Arnold Way.
Public debate delayed the County acquisition long enough for the railroad company to sell off some intervening parcels, effectively preventing the county from extending the trail as far as Grover Cleveland Park
in Caldwell
, as originally planned.
The Lenape Indian Trail crosses the West Essex Trail near the Passaic/Essex County
line..
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
park, situated on the former right-of-way of the Caldwell Branch of the old Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, in Verona, New Jersey
Verona, New Jersey
Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,332.In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as "Top Places to Live in New Jersey".-History:Verona and several...
, and Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....
. A distinguishing feature of the trail is a trestle bridge 20 feet above the Peckman River
Peckman River
The Peckman River is a tributary of the Passaic River in Essex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey in the United States.The Peckman River originates in the township of West Orange and flows northeasterly through the townships of Verona, Cedar Grove and Little Falls to its confluence with the Passaic...
, and most notably, the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center
Essex County Hospital Center
The Essex County Hospital Center is a defunct psychiatric hospital that is located in the Township of Cedar Grove, New Jersey. The hospital was used as a normal hospital then converted to house mentally ill patients that were in need of care...
Acquired in 1985 through Green Acre funding, the 2.84 mile trail runs from the Passaic County line near the Lenape Trail
Lenape Trail
The Lenape Trail is a trail connecting Newark, New Jersey with Roseland, New Jersey. It was established in 1982. It is the fifth longest trail in the state behind the Delaware and Raritan Canal Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the completed section of the Highlands Trail in the state and the Batona...
, southwest through the Cedar Grove Community Park by the Peckman River
Peckman River
The Peckman River is a tributary of the Passaic River in Essex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey in the United States.The Peckman River originates in the township of West Orange and flows northeasterly through the townships of Verona, Cedar Grove and Little Falls to its confluence with the Passaic...
, across Route 23, across Durrell Street next to Bahr Lumber, across Fairview Avenue, past Verona High School, and ending at Arnold Way.
Public debate delayed the County acquisition long enough for the railroad company to sell off some intervening parcels, effectively preventing the county from extending the trail as far as Grover Cleveland Park
Grover Cleveland Park
Grover Cleveland Park, the seventh largest park in the Essex County, New Jersey, USA county park system, is a heavily wooded park covering in the western section of Essex County along the Caldwell-Essex Fells border....
in Caldwell
Caldwell, New Jersey
Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, about outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822....
, as originally planned.
The Lenape Indian Trail crosses the West Essex Trail near the Passaic/Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
line..