Explore the best rated trails in Colonia, NJ. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Palmer Township Recreation Trail (Towpath Bike Trail) and Bronx River Greenway. With more than 100 trails covering 835 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Columbia Trail has the distinction of being named for a natural gas pipeline that runs beneath it for 15 miles in rural northern New Jersey. The crushed-stone trail rolls along the South Branch of...
The Oxford Bikeway is a .9 mile long pave trail constructed on an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail can be accessed at three points. To the north the trail ends at Pequest Road, however there...
The tree-lined 22.5-mile Henry Hudson Trail is the definition of scenic variety. Traversing both urban and natural environments, the route passes wetlands, streams, fields, and the Garden State...
Prepare to be whisked into the past when you take the Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway. The paved trail follows a short-line railroad corridor from the coastal city of Manasquan to a village at Allaire...
The Bronx River travels from the mouth of the East River north to the Kensico Dam, providing views of the natural history of the area. Because the trail is under development, there are several gaps...
The Perth Amboy Harbor Walk offers scenic views of the Raritan Bay and Raritan River as it hugs the shoreline of the City of Perth Amboy, founded in 1683 and home to one of the nation's oldest ports....
The Ocean Parkway Trail closely follows its eponymous thoroughfare nearly 5 miles through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, ending only a block from the popular Coney Island boardwalk. Those traveling...
The Saddle River County Park Bike Path is a beautiful suburban trail that winds alongside the Saddle River. Most of the trail runs through moderately dense suburban development, with residential and...
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The Patriots' Path covers roughly 35 miles of terrain and is open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking. The multi-use trails links parks, open space, recreational...
The Ramsey Bike Path is a recreational path built on the former Paterson to Suffern trolley line right-of-way. The path extends along a north-south route from one end of Ramsey to the other....
The nicely paved Bethpage Bikeway runs alongside suburban roads for long segments of the route, but it’s much more than a suburban trail. Each on-road suburban stretch is broken up by one of three...
The Cross Island Parkway Trail closely follows its namesake thoroughfare through northeastern Queens. From its northern end, you will soon enter Little Bay Park, which offers lovely views of the...
The Eastern Parkway Trail is a 2-mile route along a tree-lined boulevard in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood. The path begins at Prospect Park, which houses some of Brooklyn's most popular...
It’s hard to believe that a noisy locomotive once ran through here, given that stillness is a defining characteristic of the Middlesex Greenway. Even when people pour onto the trail from the adjacent...
The Doylestown Bike and Hike Trails system provides a convenient car-free network of paved pathways to get around this eastern Pennsylvania community, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. With more...
Brooklyn's Flatbush Avenue Greenway parallels its namesake roadway for just over a mile from Marine Parkway Bridge to a connection with the Shore Parkway Greenway Trail. The two trails are part of the...
The Pennypack Trail travels through wooded parks in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties along Pennypack Creek, which derives its name from a local American Indian term for a slow-moving creek....
While not a "rail-trail," the Hook Mountain/Nyack Beach Bikeway is a very scenic trail along the Hudson River in Rockland County. The southern half of this trail is flat and runs right along the...
Since it opened as a railroad spur in the 1800s, this pretty trail has always been about connections. In 1834 the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad launched the spur to carry goods from Bristol,...
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The Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
This trail is in an area rich in geological history. Zinc and Iron Ores were transported along this branch from mines in the area that operated for over 200 years. The trail is scenic with a slight...
The trail winds along the Bushkill Creek connects the old Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street to Third Street at the base of the stone stairs leading up to Lafayette College. The trail is paved and though...
The tree-lined 22.5-mile Henry Hudson Trail is the definition of scenic variety. Traversing both urban and natural environments, the route passes wetlands, streams, fields, and the Garden State...
The Oxford Bikeway is a .9 mile long pave trail constructed on an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail can be accessed at three points. To the north the trail ends at Pequest Road, however there...
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The Wood Duck Nature Trail, appropriately named for the secretive duck, was made possible through the hard work and dedication of refuge volunteers. This beautiful trail now extends about 1.5 miles on...
The Hudson River Greenway (HRG) is one of the most popular places to ride, walk, and jog in New York City. It makes up part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway loop, the cross-state Empire State...
The 2.8-mile eastern phase of the Bedminster Hike and Bikeway allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely traverse part of Bedminster Township by crossing over I-287 and US 206/202 via a series of three...
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The Palmer Township Recreation Trail (a.k.a. the Towpath Bike Trail) is a terrific community asset for Palmer and Bethlehem township residents and a great destination for visitors as well. Three modes...
The Manasquan Reservoir Trail is located in the Howell Township and provides a great natural destination in the heart of the town. The trail forms a perimeter loop around the 770 acre reservoir...
The Perth Amboy Harbor Walk offers scenic views of the Raritan Bay and Raritan River as it hugs the shoreline of the City of Perth Amboy, founded in 1683 and home to one of the nation's oldest ports....
The paved pathway running through West Hudson Park offers a scenic, tree-lined escape between Harrison and Kearny, NJ. The trail provides access to the park’s stocked lake, water park, athletic...
The Great Valley Trail, built on the former Lehigh & New England Railroad, offers an unpaved, natural experience through quiet woodlands between the townships of Hampton and Frankford. Although...
The Kinkora Rail Trail will one day span 13 miles between Mansfield and Springfield Township. In 2014, Springfield Township completed a small segment of the rail-trail that connects with the...
The nicely paved Bethpage Bikeway runs alongside suburban roads for long segments of the route, but it’s much more than a suburban trail. Each on-road suburban stretch is broken up by one of three...
Eventually, the Barnegat Branch Trail will travel nearly 16 miles from Barnegat Township north to Toms River along a branch of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey. As of 2019, three disconnected...
The Columbia Trail has the distinction of being named for a natural gas pipeline that runs beneath it for 15 miles in rural northern New Jersey. The crushed-stone trail rolls along the South Branch of...
Tyler State Park, located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, covers over 1,700 acres on the grounds of an old farm in a charming woodland setting. The park features a network of interconnected trails,...
The John Kieran Nature Trail is a short loop that borders Van Cortlandt Lake and its associated wetlands. It is a wonderful site for bird-watching. The trail also passes several sites of significance...
The Patriots' Path covers roughly 35 miles of terrain and is open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking. The multi-use trails links parks, open space, recreational...
The system of trails in Loantaka Brook Reservation are open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians, although the trails are marked as to which uses are permitted on each segment. Loantaka Brook...
The Kingston Branch Loop Trail is a trip up one side and down the other of the scenic tree-lined Delaware and Raritan Canal. The eastern half of the loop follows the bed of the Rocky Hill Railroad and...
The 2.8-mile eastern phase of the Bedminster Hike and Bikeway allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely traverse part of Bedminster Township by crossing over I-287 and US 206/202 via a series of three...
This is the first phase of the proposed Lehigh & Hudson River Rail Trail. The second phase will connect Hillside Park to Kittatinny Valley State Park. It is hoped that there will be an eventual...
The Pennypack Trail travels through wooded parks in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties along Pennypack Creek, which derives its name from a local American Indian term for a slow-moving creek....
While not a "rail-trail," the Hook Mountain/Nyack Beach Bikeway is a very scenic trail along the Hudson River in Rockland County. The southern half of this trail is flat and runs right along the...
The John Kieran Nature Trail is a short loop that borders Van Cortlandt Lake and its associated wetlands. It is a wonderful site for bird-watching. The trail also passes several sites of significance...
The corridor now home to the Sussex Branch Trail was originally the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, which opened in 1851 to haul iron ore from mines in Andover to the Morris Canal....
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous; please refer to the interactive maps on the websites in the Related Content section. The D&L Trail runs for more than 140 miles through...
The Wood Duck Nature Trail, appropriately named for the secretive duck, was made possible through the hard work and dedication of refuge volunteers. This beautiful trail now extends about 1.5 miles on...
The New Springville Greenway stretches just over 3 miles, primarily paralleling Richmond Avenue on New York's Staten Island. A highlight of the paved pathway is its proximity to Freshkills Park, a...
Tatamy Trail begins in West Easton and heads north to Tatamy Borough, primarily along a former railroad corridor. On its southern end, it meets the Palmer Township Recreation Trail, which connects the...
The paved pathway running through West Hudson Park offers a scenic, tree-lined escape between Harrison and Kearny, NJ. The trail provides access to the park’s stocked lake, water park, athletic...
When Jones Beach State Park opened on Long Island’s South Shore in the late 1920s, a series of scenic parkways was built on infill dredged from nearby towns to connect New Yorkers to the new public...
The Peace Valley Park Hike & Bike Trail offers 4 miles of blacktop along the shores of Lake Galena, just north of Doylestown in eastern Pennsylvania. The scenic trail travels through woodlands and...
The Hutchinson River Greenway offers a convenient alternative to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which it closely follows. Although adjacent to the busy thoroughfare, trees have been planted along the...
The Old Erie Path reveals spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley as the rail-trail rolls along cliffs that border the river’s western shore. Although fairly short, it joins two other...
The High Line trail runs 30 feet above the bustling Manhattan streets and sidewalks below, which for trail lovers makes it an attraction in the same league as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State...
The Doylestown Bike and Hike Trails system provides a convenient car-free network of paved pathways to get around this eastern Pennsylvania community, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. With more...
Tyler State Park, located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, covers over 1,700 acres on the grounds of an old farm in a charming woodland setting. The park features a network of interconnected trails,...
The former “Old Put” commuter rail corridor that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties is popular once again, only this time it’s for people riding...
Overall a very positive experience! The trail is quite diverse. We started at the Black Diamond Trailhead near Glen Summit and finally got off at Morrisville with a few interruptions.
Section 1- Glen Summit to Jim Thorpe beautiful downhill easy ride with very nice mostly compacted gravel trails. Jim Thorpe should be renamed Jim Thorne because they are a thorn to get around. Trail closes at bridge and resumes on other side of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The town provides no access to connect the trail. We actually drove down to Lehighton and backtracked the trail from Lehighton to the WWTP.
Section 2- Lehighton to Northhampton. This trail was very nice mostly compacted gravel with a few side bar road sections which were low traffic and fairly safe. Trail was well marked and have regular mileage markers. In Lehighton we parked at the Lehigh Canal Park. From there the trail runs along Bridge St. a short section to get across the River. At the T-intersection of Bridge st. the trail loops down and under to the right. Trail sign shows two directions here but down and under is correct. We got off the trail at Northhampton at the Hokendaqua Creek and resumed at Canal Park at East Allentown, we did not try to forge a path through the neighborhoods. To be honest area seemed quite scary.
Section 3 - Canal Park to Delaware St. Park at Easton - This trail was highly varied and sometimes hard to follow as it intertwines with numerous other trails. Surface varied from gravel to dual lane towpath too paved to single path almost mountain bike course. Hybrid bike was perfect for all would not attempt portions on a street bike. The Palmer townships sections were like paved superhighway compared to some sections.
Section 4 - Easton to Morrisville - This trail was also highly varied from wide compacted gravel to narrow single lane gravel or dirt. Trail at times was poorly marked, especially at the Friend of Delaware Canal property on the south side of New Hope. Here the trails ends abruptly at the top of a stairs which would have been a killer if we didn't get stopped. From here you need to walk bikes down the stairs and along the brick sidewalk along mainstreet for about 500 feet, then try to cross mainstreet to enter what looks like an alley which then returns to towpath.
This section abuts many high end properties with buildings right-up-to the trail. Also has many low clearance bridges requiring either dismounting or ducking real low.
Many beautiful sections along the river early on the trail, once the high-end properties start, not much to see.
This section had very few if any mileage markers to speak of
Several small quaint little towns along the way offering many services, access is somewhat limited.
Access to Washington's Crossing Historic Park was nice.
Overall we rode for three days as we had a pick-up ride at the end of each section.
Aside, you can shunt over to the NJ side via a pedestrian/ bike bridge at Lumberville. Trail on the Jersey side was wide and well compacted gravel for most sections except in the towns where it was similar to the PA side. You can cross back to PA at either Bridge St. in Stockton, NJ or Bridge St. in Lambertville, NJ.
Happy trails.
As of June 2019 the paved surfaces ranged from excellent to fair but were mostly good. Branching and intersecting bicycle trails make it very easy to get lost so having a detailed map of the route is essential. Parking at the recommended lot at Orchard Beach costs $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends so you may want to try street parking near one of the entrance points.
We started at the beginning of the trail on south side at Danforth road and rode all the way to Washington headquarters museum in Morristown. We walked around the grounds of the museum. Next time we’ll reserve tickets for the tour of the Ford Mansion. We made a stop at friendly’s for lunch on the way back, discovered the stairs that lead us up to friendly’s! Pretty awesome. It was an easy ride with our 3 years old.
Awesome path. Hoping for it to come up and connect to newtown rail trail for continuous trails into center city philly!
Little of this trail is paved as of 6/19. Not suitable for road bicycles.
My wife and I have been riding the North County Trailway off and on for about 10 years now. Always enjoyable; passes through several small towns but often through unpopulated areas. Trail continues to the south (South County Trailway) and to the north (Putnam County Trailway), so it's possible to start at the NYC border and bike for 40+ miles on well maintained trails.
My friend and I rode round-trip from White Haven to the abandoned railroad tunnel near Great Onoko, 44 miles. It was virtually uninterrupted. The surface is crushed gravel and easy to ride for the most part. For several miles before the tunnel, there are patches of loose gravel so be careful in this section. This part of the trail follows the Lehigh River for most of the way. You can hear the screams of the rafters riding the whitewater. There are many small waterfalls along the way. The abandoned tunnel is worth a walk-through. If you start at the southern trailhead in White Haven, be prepared to start with a lot of people, as this is the location where the bike train and shuttle buses drop off one-way riders. There is a strip mall located at the trailhead if you need snacks or drinks for your ride.
Son-in-law and I rode entire trail round trip--67 miles with excursion into Milford. This is not a flat trail. Lots of tough climbs especially on the large stone gravel at both ends of the trail. Bridges can be slick when wet. Technical downhills. Recommend a mountain bike or gravel bike. Only experienced riders should attempt long distances on this trail. Would consider this a mountain bike trail, not a recreational trail for general public because of the difficulty of the trail. Would rate this as a 4-star or 5-star as a mountain bike trail but only a 2 or 3 as a general rec trail.
Great biking path for those who want moderate exercise and to enjoy nature. There are no Traffic lights or cars to navigate around so it’s great for families with kids. The path is well maintained and wide enough in most spots to easily navigate around walkers. You may have to slow down to pass people so if you are a cyclist looking for a more intense workout or speed you may want to stick to the off hours like early morning or late during the week
First time riding this trail over Memorial Day weekend. Almost entirely shaded with some nice scenery to enjoy along the way. The trail is mainly compact gravel and should be OK for just about all type bikes tires. As you leave High Bridge, you're on a noticeable incline that levels off after about 3 1/2 miles. Both Califon (at abut the 5 mile mark) and Long Valley (about the 11 mile mark) offer a place to take a break, grab a drink or snack or use a restroom (port-a-potty). I did not stray off the trail in either town, but I'm sure there are places to sit down and grab a bite to eat or drink. The trail ends at Bartley Rd. with very limited parking and no comfort facilities.
Use caution when crossing roads. You can also connect to the Gilette Trail which would also take you to the Patriot's Path, but I did not explore it.
This trail is one big downhill ride from 27th street parking lot to Riverview Park. We decided not to go back around the loop to 27th street but took a shortcut back on roads. Constant incline. We prefer occassional up and down hills, not one big 5 mile hilll.
Also signage is horrible. We liked the D&L trail from Riverview into Eason much better.
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