My wife and I rode the Trail today on our Trek tandem . It was one of the best trails for secenery and interesting things along the way.Parking was great at High Bridge and the views from high up were breathtaking at times.we ride the D&R trails along the canals and many rides in Pa . We have ridden the pine creek trail at the grand canyon of PA and other rails to trails in Elk county Pa. I believe this Columbia trail is in or above them.You have farms ,fields ,rivers,horse ,cows and even a vintage car junk yard.Somebody has placed over 30 small houses ,nomes ,smurfs and numerous birdhouses along the trail to keep your interest. We highly recommed this trail. The best is the ride back which was slightly downhill which is nice for us folks in our 60"s --ggroves44

We (a 70-yr-old and 60-yr old on hybrid and cruiser bikes, respectively) rode this trail on September 26, 2011. The trail is mostly crushed limestone and ballast. A few short portions are asphalt and the bridges are generally concrete. The trail was in really good shape, especially considering the hurricane, tropical storm, and several days of rain that have hit this trail recently. All the downed trees have been removed from the trail, the deepest 'potholes' have been filled with stone or dirt. A few small dips remain and we experienced several areas that were a little muddy. The only real 'hazard' we encountered was the walnuts falling from the trees onto the trail (we initially thought someone was throwing things at us :-) We started our ride in High Bridge after stopping for a quick lunch at the cafe connected to Casa Maya less than a half mile from the trailhead (also serves breakfast). The trail was an easy ride out with a slight uphill grade (we didn't really notice that grade until we were coming back and realized we were rolling quite a bit faster on the return than we had on the way out). Lots to see on this trail: wildlife (squirrels, rabbits, muskrat, ground hog, deer [4]); rural areas with old barns, cows, and fields; a nursery; wildflowers; trees changing color; water running along either side of the trail; canopy of trees over the trail in several places. Benches are placed every so often along the trail. Rest rooms are located only at the High Bridge trail head. We passed through one small town and ended the ride in another small town. Looked like there were places to stop and eat in those towns, tho we didn't explore. All in all, this was a beautiful, easy ride on a gorgeous day!

This was a wonderful trail. The trail is high above the canal with a great view. The canopy of trees makes it cool and also protected us from a bit of rain late in the aftrenoon. Cute towns along the way, friendly people and great riding surface. I can't wait to go back! It was the perfect ride. We went in August and I can imagine that the ride would also be nice in the fall with clearer views of the canal.

I rode from Bartley road to High Bridge on this great trail. I showed 14.8 miles one way - 29.6 round trip - from the begining parking lot to the nice park in High Bridge with picnic tables and a much needed porta- john. The trail is well kept and actually on this trip they were putting down some hard pack in a couple of low areas. There are a number of road crossings but only a few with any amount of traffic. With the leaves off the trees you could see so much more scenery from the trail that you can't see in the summer. This trail is without a doubt a must ride for any rail-to-trailer.

A super trail with easy accesses at both ends and at various places along the way. Immediately from the High Bridge trail-head you are deep in a wooded and shaded envelope. Much of the Hunterdon county section runs along the south branch of the Raritan River which provided some nice ambient water sounds. A great waterfall near High Bridge end is a great diversion.

The trail itself is a well-kept firmly-packed mix of fine gravel and hard surfaces. Only a handful of street interruptions in the 11 miles. And it's not like the cross streets are busy, you're very rural out there. The trail is almost entirely level, no climbs or even hints of climbs. A great ride for kids. A great ride for anybody!

I did the Stamforb to Bloomville section, an out-and-back of about 25 miles. I parked at the old Bloomville station, and was the only car in the lot on a Sunday afternoon, which I found immediately appealing. The treil follows Route 23 and the Scoharie Creek, which is too rocky and low for scads of tubes or rafts, so there is virtually no tourist traffic on the water. If you like riding in relative solitude as I do, this trail is for you. The towns along the route are quiet, forgotten farming hamlets of a couple dozen houses....a real step back in time. In the 3+ hours I spent on the trail, I passed 4 other bikers and 3 hikers. I gorged on black raspberries at severeal spots, as well as some wild grapes (muscadines maybe ?). In some places, the smell of wildflowers and/or cedar is overpowering. Since there is virtually no traffic on Rt. 23 in this area, ther were no fumes to detract from those nature provided. Only a couple of spots where the trail was slightly degraded, but for most of its length you could ride an old school 10 speed without getting stuck. Be prepared with your own drinks and food, since there is almost nothing up there.

Did an out and back on this trail a couple weeks ago. I started from the north end at Long Valley....somewhat limited parking here ( i got the last space), but that helps keep the traffic down on the trail. Well maintained and quiet, the trail doesn't get too close to a main road very often. Most of the crossings are gravel roads to 1 or 2 houses, though you do cross the main drag at one point. There is a good mix of scenery, old houses, corn fields, streams, etc. For being in New Jersey, the traffic on the trail was not bad. There are a number of relatively small parking areas along the route so all the traffic isn't concebtrated in one area.

We love this trail..anytime of year. It is great to walk even in the snow.

Rode part of the Columbia trail today but had to stop due to the rainy weather. Can't wait until next time hopefully we will complete the trial. It only took me living in Long Valley for 13 years to discover this trail.The only complaint I have is what the horse's left behind . One bridge was totally covered. If we have to pick up after our dogs ..I think the same should apply with horses.

What a gorgeous trail! Could not agree more with others. My wife and I took the trail this AM going from High Bridge to the "Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway" (on this site) trail, took it to River Road, and biked the road to Califon (read my post on that trail on how to get to River Road). Not a single car passed us - and about 2 miles of the road is currently closed to traffic. You actually get a better view of the Raritan from the road than the trail. Anyway, third trip - and it's nice to have a loop!

Ditto on Califon General Store (really a small deli) for lunch!

How lucky I am to be able to call this my home town trail. This little bit of heaven on earth is a can't miss for anyone that rides. Park at the Commons in High Bridge and head towards Califon. The first part of the ride is a bit of an up hill battle but just past the second trestle it levels off real nice. Talk about views stop on that trestle and enjoy the scene it is one of the most beautiful the state of New Jersey has to offer!
Continue on to Califon, there is a porta-potty in the Island Park just off the trail and several places to grab a bite to eat or get a drink. If it is not Sunday do Rambo's it's a slice of Americana you will love, it's easy to find when you hit the front of the fire house turn left it's just ahead on your right, it is closed on Sundays so if you need to refuel go a bit further and over the bridge on the left is the Califon General Store.
Back on the trail continue to the county line, where you will have completed 7 miles. You can continue on into Morris County from there (watch for the big dipsy do on the trail a little past the next bridge) once in Long Valley you get a bunch more places to grab food and drinks. For you really good riders the trail will continue into Flanders and at some point, don't ask me where but I do believe it links to the Patriot Trail.
Regardless how far you go it will be a ride you will be glad you did and will want to come back for more.
PS If while you are in Califon and you make it down to Rt. 513 there is a Pet Supply store stop in and say hello.

I have always felt lucky being able to call The Columbia Trail my home town trail. Anyone who has never had the honor to ride this trail is missing something very special.
I regularly ride the 7 mile section from High Bridge thru Califon to the the county line. The parks department keeps it in excellent condition and the views are breath taking.

Rode this trail from Long Valley to High Bridge & back on 05/16/10. This is really a beautiful ride through wooded areas with the South Branch of the Raritan River in view for much of the ride. The trail condition was very good with just a few rough patches. The trail gets more usage near High Bridge but a couple of miles away and you'll probably have long stretches to yourself. You can maintain good speed for long periods with few interruptions.

High Bridge is a great little town with some fun restaurants. I lucked out: as I came to the end of the trail, I could hear live music playing. Circa Restaurant, a block down from the trail head, was holding a free music festival called Mayfest with a great band. Excellent microbrews & BBQ available as well. I didn't want to leave!

Califon is like a Norman Rockwell painting. If you're into fishing, stop off at Shannon's Fly & Tackle shop, just a short block off the trail on Main Street. The owner is a friendly guy who loves to talk fishing.

Warning: there's no convenient places to grab water or snacks along the way, so make sure to bring them along.

One note: the trail is uphill from High Bridge to Long Valley, so take that into consideration when planning your trip if you're a casual rider.

I just did the section starting at the eastern terminus near Flanders and ending at the Morris/Hunterdon border parking lot. This was a very enjoyable ride through forest and farmland, and most of it was in close proximity to the river. The condition of the trail was excellent all along the way, but a bit bumpy on the most western .5 mile. I measured the Morris section just shy of 8 miles.

The trail is generally in great condition: all the washouts from last year were repaired well.

Near the High Bridge trail-head a local Boy Scout is working on a bench overlook of the Lake Solitude lake and Dam. This will be very nice in the summer and fall. Also, he is re-blazing the old "locals" trail that heads down to the Taylor Wharton factory property. This will connect with other trails on preserved land recently acquired by the town. The result will be a great local network that would make any UK preservation group proud!

Cross country skiing is excellent this winter, though many users, perhaps through ignorance, do not respect the ski trials that have been cut. The further you get from the trail-heads, the less foot traffic there is and thus the better the skiing.

late August 2009:

The storms over the past couple of months caused a lot of damage to the trail, and the patches that were made seem to be not as solidly packed as the original surface. (We did see the equipment being used for the repairs parked on the trailside … very cute miniature road construction machines!)

The patches were great the first time we rode them – that was right after they were completed - but by the following weekend the horsey girls had ridden all over them, chopping the softer patched areas into very rough corrugated surfaces. Then when the rains came back, the big hoof divots in the newly repaired areas had caused irregular wash outs again. This has greatly diminished the pleasure of this one smooth and easy ride.

Also, at the nursery, just as you enter the woods going west, there’s a 10-yard stretch where the gravel used to repair the trail is not packed at all, and if you aren’t careful you’ll end up beaching your bike in the “drifts” or sliding to a fall … we found that you’ll want to stay to the far left if you can, where it is a bit firmer.

Does anyone know the current status of the mile markers on the Columbia Trail? I plan to do my marathon training on this trail this summer. I did a few shorter runs this winter, taking me a little over 4 miles out and back from High Bridge and it was well-marked all the way. My understanding is that the full length of the trail from end to end is now about 16 miles. Is this correct, and if so, how far do the markers extend?

The Morris County Park Commission has done considerable work on the trail from Schooley's Mountain Road in the middle of Long Valley to where the trail meets the Hunterdon County line. The trail has been widened and a base of 3/4 inch stone from 2-4" deep, covered with an additional 2" of packed stone dust, has been laid down. The Park Commission is in the process of putting in mile markers continuing from the Hunterdon County line to the Schooley's Mountain Road Parking lot ( A total of 4.1 miles). There is an additional parking lot where the trail crosses 513 close to the Hunterdon County line. Maps are available in the map Kiosks as well as Cycle Craft ( a great bike shop on 513, not far from the Schooley's Mountain parking lot). Plans call for work to be done on the trail starting from the Bartley Road side and continuing until the center of Long Valley and connecting to the finished trail, with extensive trail work to be done behind the Toll brothers development as well as the Steel plant. The trail has been an active trail for many years, with the new work done it has enabled that many more families to get out and enjoy the beautiful countryside of Long Valley. It is great to see the Park District put so much time and effort into the trails for the enjoyment of everyone, hikers, bikers, horseback riders. It is quite apparent that the public agrees: On any given weekend this fall the parking lot was packed, during the week there are quite a few using the trail also. Thanks to all of the Rails to Trails members also as the Park Commission used a Grant from Rails to Trails to help fund it.

Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway / Columbia Trail

ACCESS AND PARKING: Open daily from dawn to dusk. There is good parking at the High Bridge Municipal Parking Lot at the southern end of trail. There is no parking at junctions of trail with area roads. Created by Union Forge Heritage Association in 2007, the Taylor Steelworkers Historical Greenway can be accessed approximately 1/4 mile from the start of the Columbia Trail. The trail can also be accessed from Solitude House Museum (circa 1717), the historical Taylor Ironworker and Steel Company Complex, the oldest standing example of ironworks administrative structure (TISCO)(circa 1742) and Springside Farm (circa 1803). During inclement weather the trails may not be accessible. No motorized vehicles of any kind. Parking is available at the TISCO Complex, Solitude House Museum and Springside Farm.

SITE DESCRIPTION: The seven-mile Columbia trail is formed from the roadbed of the old High Bridge Railroad, which for almost 100 years carried iron ore from the mines of Morris County to local forges; it ceased operation in 1976. The Columbia Trail parallels the South Branch of the Raritan River, passes above Ken Lockwood Gorge and continues through mostly-upland deciduous forests north to the Morris County line. Designated as part of the Highlands Trail (HT), it is now theoretically possible to hike north from High Bridge on the Columbia Trail, connect via the HT to the Appalachian Trail (AT) in North Jersey and hike north to the trail's terminus on Mt.Katahdin in northern Maine, or for that matter, south to the AT's southern end at Springer Mountain in Georgia. The Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway is a 6.5 mile trail that winds its way through High Bridge criss-crossing a number of historical sites and beautiful scenery. This is the perfect trail for wildlife watchers and history buffs alike. Follow the Columbia Trail for approximately 1/4 mile looking on the Right for the trailhead gate that includes a sign and entrance for the famous Lake Solitude Dam. Heading in a southeasterly direction from the Columbia Trail, this trail proceeds to the historic structures of the TISCO Complex and then onto a 100 year old truss bridge. This bridge is impassable at the moment but is due to be refurbished the summer of 2008. After crossing the bridge, the trail proceeds north along the South Branch of the Raritan towards the Lake Solitude and Lake Solitude Dam (circa 1858), Solitude House Museum and the Union Iron Works ruins (circa 1742). From there the trail continues on to the entrance of the Nassau Trail, works its way to Springside Farm (Springside Lane, High Bridge) and its adjoining woods and proceeds from there to its end at Lord Amesbury's Furnace, circa 1752 , located in Clinton Township. For more information about this trail contact Union Forge Heritage Association at 908-638-3200

WILDLIFE: Bald Eagles are a familiar sight in the region. They often are easier to spot in winter when trees are bare of leaves. Check the trees along the trails; seasonal sightings include Brown Creeper, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Palm, Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers and Yellow-throated Vireo. Look a little deeper into the woods for Hermit and Wood Thrushes, Veery, Ovenbird and Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos and Pileated Woodpecker.

DON'T MISS: Several miles north of High Bridge, the Columbia Trail passes over Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge, built 80 feet above the gorge floor. This steel span was built in 1930 to replace the original wooden trestle bridge, which was the site of a memorable 1886 train wreck.

SITE ICONS: Bike Trails Butterflies/Dragonflies Handicap Accessible Hiking Trails Ideal for beginning birders Parking Picnic Restrooms Wildflowers

For more information :
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4901

William Honachefsky Jr
Union Forge Heritage Association

Approx 1/4 mile from the High Bridge municipal parking lot (right side) is the trailhead of the Taylor Steelworkers Historical Greenway a 6.4 mile trail encompassing most of high bridges historical properties.
Connecting bridge over SB Raritan set to open in 2009. Great biking, birding and hiking trail.

In late April 2008 five of us rode the trail from Long Valley where it crosses Route 24. The sign only states Authorizes Vehicles Only. The Morris County section was mostly graded with dirt and a little rough in spots. I missed the go around by a small auto junk yard where the grass was really soggy and muddy. When you come out to Rt 513 near the nursery there were no signs of where the trail picked up again. You have to go south on 513 about 150 yards and ride along the edge of the nursery. Turn in by the tall wooden fence along the nursery border about 100 yards in and you will pick up the trail again. You will know when you cross over into Hunterdon County. The trail now becomes smooth, hard compacted gravel and remains a wider path. If you need food or drinks stop in Claifon. Once you pass through Califon you enter into the Lockwood Gorge, Wow! Its an awsome view all the way to High Bridge. The folliage was just beginning to sprout so we had a great veiw of the gorge all the way through. If you do any part of this trail this is definetly the section to do. Once you get to the parking lot in High Bridge the trail ends. On the return trip we rode the down to the fishermans road along the river. I has a few small hills but its worth the effort. There was a section about 30 yards or so you have to walk beause the gravel has washed away.
I plan on going back again now that the folliage is out and probably again in the fall. The entire ride had less than 3% grade, except for the river trail. If your out of shape and want to ride this is the place to start. If your in shape you can plan a 25+ mile round trip depending on your starting point. If you start and finish in Long Valley there is a Bike shop that rents bikes at the intersection of rts 24 and 513. The Brew Pub is also a nice finish to a great ride.

email if you think we need more work on the trail in Morris County. you can go to the morris county park web site www.morrisparks.net thank you

"My wife and I had a good time biking this trail. We covered the distance from High Bridge to Long Valley where the trail meets up with Route 513 and a tree nursery and back. In the end, our trip odometer read 19.5 miles, travelling between 5-10 mph along the route. The path is mostly gravel. Towards the end of our route, it was dirt. If we wanted to continue on, the trail picks up diagonally across the road ( Route 513) where there is a sign that says only official vehicles permitted beyond that point. It is actually the trail and not someone's private road. I double-checked this on Google Earth which I can suggest to any biker for any trail. For the segment of the Columbia Trail described here, I used my road bike and it was okay, but I think a wider-tired bike would be better. We parked at the municipal parking lot of High Bridge, free of charge, and crossed two streets to the official beginning of the trail. The trailhead is marked. Approximately a mile past the trailhead, we already encountered some deer feeding along the trail and they promply fled downhill towards the river below. At this point, there is a tremendous drop towards the river on your right. The route is shady. Although the greenery is lush and foresty you can still get glimpses of people's properties along the route. Of course, towards the street crossings, things get just a tad populated. Califon is a nice, small town. There is a deli down the street towards the bridge, in case you want a snack. By the way, there is a restaurant on High Bridge's main street serving good lunch. I didn't see any comfort stations along the route so plan accordingly. Overall, this was good outing and a day nicely-spent."

"Came up from DC to ride and it was worth it, amazing trail with little bit of everything, rivers, bridges classic cars, christmas tree farm, views of the gorge. "

This trail is great for those who like to travel uphill one way and downhill on the way back. Fourteen miles of great scenery from High Bridge to the county line and back.

I think this is a great trail for kids who like biking. Sometimes you could see deer (really happened!) and rabbits (really happened!). If you have kids who think they can ride on crushed rock paths I think you should try it.

-Harry

"This trail's scenery truly epitomizes why New Jersey is nicknamed the Garden State.

I finally got to do this trail today as I was home visiting the folks in Flanders. The calm before the storm. It was difficult because of flooding in certain spots, but that's because of the heatwave.

This page does not say where to access it in Flanders but someone posted it's off of Bartley Road. If you're on 206, make a left (or right) on Flanders-Bartley Road (before the bridge across from the shopping plaza). It turns into Bartley Road and you can follow the old railroad tracks on your left. When they cross the road, you turn right with the road and just ahead on your left you will see the tracks end with a triangle stopper (whatever it's called). The trail starts on your right across the road.

There are adequate bridges and many trails leading off into the woods. From Flanders to mid-way of the trail it's mostly singletrack and grass and gravel. A few miles into the trail you will see another trail on your right called ""Gillette Trail"" named after a recent Morris County Parks Commissioner. Follow that to the lot and you'll see a map of the area. It's for hiking and biking and it's a huge park trail system, part of the Patriots Path that connects about 5 large towns in a circle of parks and trails from Schooley's Mountain to Peapack to Mendham and Chester.

Eventually you will come to a company parking lot and you just follow the parking lot until you hit the trail again. Then you will come upon Welsh Farms Dairy and you follow the lot until you come to a bridge. It's very unstable and there's a gate stopping you. You can go around it to the road or carry your bike and walk carefully across it. There's a mini bridge right after it.

This part of the trail is quiet, nothing but the river and wetlands following you and wildlife, such as dogs, cats, squirrels, the occasional turkey vulture and sheep and horse in the farmlands.

Then you'll come across a car junkyard and a nice bridge to rest on. On your right ahead down the river is another bridge, common on the trail that connects neighborhoods and private roads to the trail. On your left in the background is an amazing stone arch connecting an island. In some spots, the trail parallels an existing neighborhood road and the joggers use this.

This part of the course leads you out onto a main road with a beautiful view of mountains in the background and a tree farm/nursery of many hundreds of acres. There is poor signage here. Make a right until you see the farm wood picket fence on your left and turn across the road. Follow the fence until it ends and then take a right back on the trail. Hint: All along the trail are yellow natural gas markers. (If you made a right and kept going down the road you would see a stone bridge abuttment on the right, maybe an existing siding to a farm or dairy of past.

This part of the trail is the best as it's all crushed white gravel and 10 feet wide.
You'll pass through Califon and see adequate bike signage ""Share the Road"" signs. It goes through many neighborhoods and provides many detours to town centers, bridges and swimming holes.

The Califon train station is ahead on the right later on and it's now a historical museum, open the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from May to December. In front is an old section of the railroad tracks, a train signal and a bell.

There is a small rock cut up ahead on the left with glacial ice, not yet melted. Up ahead is a parking lot and park and it will go through a neighborhood on streets but it's very quiet and barely any traffic. Then comes a long bridge with a fence on the top that curves inward and this is the Ken Lockwood Gorge. Amazing. It's only about 100 feet up but the rapids start and in some spots are brackish swimming holes. Down below are joggers and fishers who use the trail below that follows the river. This part of the trail makes the mud in the beginning worthwhile. From here you are on the top of a ridge, and you feel you are high in elevation and you trace the mountains ridge and the river for the next few miles. Then the trail eventually turns to pavement and you know it's about to be over. You'll go under a bridge and it will end just up ahead. Cross the street and you will be in the parking lot/trailhead with picnic tables, playground and gazebo. Right as you enter, on the right the tracks begin again. If you follow them through the woods, it connects to the existing New Jersey Transit tracks. If you don't go to the trailhead, turn left and head downtown. At the top of the hill is the New Jersey Transit High Bridge Station. If you stand on the tracks and look ahead to the right, you will see a track stopper, the same from back in Flanders.

The best part of the trail is the last 8 miles and going through Long Valley and Califon, etc. to explore the old mill and farm towns, antique shops and townsfolk.

I counted 116 trail users in 16 miles. It was 42 right before the gorge and the rest were in the last 5 miles, mostly hikers and families biking.

I rate it a 10, despite lack of one sign."

"The trail section from High Bridge to the Morris County border has been graded and re-surfaced. It is now open and the ride is quite smooth. It was closed for a year, but the improvement has been worth the wait."

"We rode this trail, backwards, as far as we could, at the end of July 2003. It was closed at the High Bridge end. What a shame this trail isn't being used. Some bicycle clubs should adopt it to help maintain it. It is picturesque and a great place to cycle or walk. Though the part that is also used by the pipeline did get a bit uneven and brought up a number of rocks when the pipes were laid."

"This was my third ride on the Columbia Trail in two years. I'm disappointed that the western part of the trail is still closed since I think it's the best part of the trail.

Overall, I like the ease of this trail. Nothing difficult and very tranquil. I finally got the hang of negotiating from where it appears that the trail ends at the tree farm, crossing over Route 513, and picking the trail up on the other side!

It's also tricky finding your way back to the trail when it appears to end in Long Valley. You have to go around to the back of the old Welsh Farms property to find it. Well worth a ride here, especially if you're looking for an intermediate to easy path."

This trail is awesome and though I have never gone past Califon I hope to when it opens for public use. It would be nice had this stayed an active railroad and then the town of High Bridge and the towns around it might have benefitted. But what can ya do now?

"This was our first trail experience, and it was a blast. My wife, a beginner mountain biker, was apprehensive at first but quickly became adjusted to the changing trail environment. The trail starts out pretty smooth and with wide riding space but then miles later, it becomes a little bumpy and narrow. We saw some others with baby-tailers attached to bike, but it probably was too rough for the little ones inside. There were some great places to fish along the way, but no one has caught anything. The trail needs signs showing where it continues as each segment ends especially about 6-miles down the line. Trail map is needed. We were on the trail for about 5 hours and with the weather being so beautiful it was a whole lot of fun."

"A great rail trail if you like it a little agressive. If you're into fishing, bring along a rod; you'll be glad you did. The trail passes many rivers and small lakes to fish. If you're into biking only, well this trail has rocks and roots to satisfy the off, off road junky. We're not talking big hills but there's lots of agressive riding.

P.S. If you like to picnic, stop at Califon."

"Well-maintained trail right-of-ways, firm and dry surface conditions, ample parking at several trail access points, and limited off-trail detours all serve to make this route an ideal destination for the serious off-road bicyclist. However, due to the excessive deployment of fine gravel along some sections of the Morris County trail segment, and some rather rocky conditions just north of High Bridge, I would recommend that you not attempt to travel this trail on a road bike.

I traveled from north to south and then returned to my starting point. I parked my car and accessed the trail on Bartley Road in Flanders, Morris County. I cycled to the route’s southern most trailhead in High Bridge, Hunterdon County. Along the way I noted that in addition to Flanders, ample parking is available immediately adjacent to the trail in Long Valley, Califon, and High Bridge. For those wishing to bring their bikes in via public transportation, the High Bridge trailhead is also within a few short blocks of NJ Transit’s Raritan Line train station in High Bridge.

There are two minor off-trail detours along the route. One is near a steel fabricator and the Welsh Farms complex in Long Valley (dilapidated bridges will force you to walk your bike or use the street). The other is near a nursery on Morris County Route 513 (travel south along the road to the nursery’s fence line and then pick up the trail a few hundred feet east of Route 513 along the fence).

Services such as food and beverages are available very close to the trail in Long Valley, Califon, and High Bridge. Also, several portable toilets are stationed at the trailhead in High Bridge (the only place I saw any along the entire route).

Scenery along the trail consists mostly of very heavily wooded areas, but I did pass by a few farms, quaint business districts in both Long Valley and Califon, and a quiet residential neighborhood in Tewksbury (there are very short on-street trail segments here and in Califon). Oh yes, there were two junkyards along the way as well. The most beautiful of trail views are located within the gorge area between Califon and High Bridge.

The lures of this trail are most definitely its excellent surface conditions and routine right-of-way upkeep. For those seeking a beautiful setting, I would highly recommend the nearby Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail instead."

" I returned to the Columbia Trail today. The bridge over the river in Ken Lockwood Gorge is now completely renovated. The river was full of anglers in hip boots, and the daffodils along the trail in High Bridge were almost at peak bloom. A local scout leader informed me that they were unable to plant new bulbs this past year because the donor did not supply any. But the reblooming existing bulbs are attractive, if not as dense as usual.

Fred"

" This trail is a continuation into Hunterdon County of Morris County's ever-present Patriots Path. The path is generally good for walking and riding. From Valley Brook Rd to Califon, the trail passes through farm lands and past rural-suburban homes. The next 1/3 of the trail goes from small town to river paradise, with the trail gradually becoming higher and higher above the South Branch of the Raritan River.
Soon the trail enters Ken Lockwood Gorge, an extremely scenic and isolated area with cascades and rapids, and views galore. The trail crosses the river on a high trestle, which, as of my last trip, was not completely improved but passable.
The views from the bridge and along the trail above and below the bridge are gorgeous. South of the bridge, the trail passes through a number of cuts and high fills, passing Lake Solitude (massive beds of daffodils bloom here every spring), and enters the town of High Bridge where it ends.
This trail is well worth a visit at any time of year.

Rates an 8 out of 10!

Fred"

great parking in high bridge the trail is a little bumpy at first + you have to carry your bike across 3 bridges one which is awesome.Don't stop when you get to the tree farm keep riding the trail across the street you will pick up the trail again for 5 miles of great riding