Rail-Trails: New Jersey & New York
1st Edition
Copyright © 2019 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Cover and interior photographs copyright © 2019 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Maps: Lohnes+Wright; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Cover design: Scott McGrew
Book design and layout: Annie Long
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, author.
Title: Rail-trails : New Jersey & New York : the definitive guide to the region’s top multiuse trails / Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Other titles: Rail trails New Jersey and New York | Rail trails New Jersey | Rail trails New York
Description: First Edition. | Birmingham, Alabama : Wilderness Press, an imprint of AdventureKEEN, [2019] | Series: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy guidebook | “Distributed by Publishers Group West”—T.p. verso.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018061564| ISBN 9780899979656 (paperback) | ISBN 9780899979663 (ebook)
Classification: LCC GV199.42.N5 R35 2019 | DDC 796.50974—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018061564
Manufactured in the United States of America
Published by:
An imprint of AdventureKEEN
2204 First Ave. S, Ste. 102
Birmingham, AL 35233
800-443-7227; fax 205-326-1012
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Distributed by Publishers Group West
Front and back cover: New York’s Albany County Helderberg–Hudson Rail Trail; front photographed by Kimberly Tate-Brown; back photographed by Brian Housh
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.
SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.
About Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.
Railways helped build America. Spanning from coast to coast, these ribbons of steel linked people, communities, and enterprises, spurring commerce and forging a single nation that bridges a continent. But in recent decades, many of these routes have fallen into disuse, severing communal ties that helped bind Americans together.
When RTC opened its doors in 1986, the rail-trail movement was in its infancy. Most projects focused on single, linear routes in rural areas, created for recreation and conservation. RTC sought broader protection for the unused corridors, incorporating rural, suburban, and urban routes.
Year after year, RTC’s efforts to protect and align public funding with trail building created an environment that allowed trail advocates in communities across the country to initiate trail projects. These ever-growing ranks of trail professionals, volunteers, and RTC supporters have built momentum for the national rail-trails movement. As the number of supporters multiplied, so did the rail-trails.
Americans now enjoy more than 23,000 miles of open rail-trails, and as they flock to the trails to connect with family members and friends, enjoy nature, and get to places in their local neighborhoods and beyond, their economic prosperity, health, and overall well-being continue to flourish.
A signature endeavor of RTC is TrailLink.com, America’s portal to these rail-trails as well as other multiuse trails. When RTC launched TrailLink.com in 2000, our organization was one of the first to compile such detailed trail information on a national scale. Today, the website continues to play a critical role in both encouraging and satisfying the country’s growing need for opportunities to ride, walk, skate, or run for recreation or transportation. This free trail-finder database—which includes detailed descriptions, interactive maps, photo galleries, and firsthand ratings and reviews—can be used as a companion resource to the trails in this guidebook.
With a grassroots community more than 1 million strong, RTC is committed to ensuring a better future for America made possible by trails and the connections they inspire. Learn more at railstotrails.org.
Table of Contents
About Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
3 Cold Spring Bike Path and Middle Township Bike Path
5 Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail
6 Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway