Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in South Orange, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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In the early 1830s the Morris Canal opened across northern New Jersey, from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River to Newark, and later to Jersey City on the Hudson River. It provided a thoroughfare for...
The Union Transportation Trail follows the path of the former Pemberton & Hightstown Railroad, which began operating in 1868. The original purpose of the railroad was to allow local farms and dairies...
You might expect a 4-mile rail-trail that passes through three downtowns to be excessively urban, but the quaint town centers on the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail are compact and surrounded by...
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 Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
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Built on the former Erie Railroad main line, the 15-mile Heritage Trail runs through the small Orange County towns of Goshen, Chester, Monroe, and Harriman. The shaded trail runs through different...
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 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...
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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 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...
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...
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 Randolph Trail system covers 16 miles of pathways through five parks, the Clyde Potts Reservoir watershed and 2,000 acres of pristine open space. The trails link schools and neighborhoods and also...
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...
The South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
The old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
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 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....
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 Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) offers more than 19 miles of pathway on a developing loop through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships, about 5 miles north of Trenton. The...
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...
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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 Landsdown Trail runs 1.8 miles between Lower Landsdown Road and W. Main in Clinton. The trail passes among open fields, woodlands and wetlands and provides access to the South Branch of the...
This trail goes through the Black River Wildlife Management area along streambeds and forest. Equestrians must have a NJ Wildlife Permit, which is available from NJ DEP for a fee. The trail follows...
In the mid 1800s Chester, New Jersey, was the home of the iron ore industry; railroads shipped the ore all over the county. With the end of the industry, however, the rail lines were abandoned, turned...
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 Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) offers more than 19 miles of pathway on a developing loop through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell Townships, about 5 miles north of Trenton. The...
The Paulinskill Valley Trail follows a creek by the same name through a section of rural New Jersey with a strong German influence. In fact, the word kill is Dutch for “riverbed or stream channel.”...
The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway is a 12-mile linear park that runs from the town of Ossining north to Westchester County's Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The trail is built on land...
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 Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
A former right-of-way of the NY & NJ Railroad. Near historical Mount Ivy which was the center of a Quaker settlement in the 18th century. Hiking along railroad bed and wildlife observation and...
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....
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 old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
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...
Built on the former Erie Railroad main line, the 15-mile Heritage Trail runs through the small Orange County towns of Goshen, Chester, Monroe, and Harriman. The shaded trail runs through different...
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...
This trail is located in the Mahlon Dickerson Reservation which is a unit of the Morris County Park Commission. The trail follows an abandoned railroad bed through hardwood forests, past ponds, swamps...
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 West Essex Trail follows a short distance (just under 3 miles) of the former rail bed of the Caldwell Branch on the old Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. The trail runs between the EssexPassiac county...
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 old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
Splayed over 1,146 acres in northwest Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park has a lot going on. The park is New York City's fourth largest and is home to the oldest municipal golf course in America. There are...
The Union Transportation Trail follows the path of the former Pemberton & Hightstown Railroad, which began operating in 1868. The original purpose of the railroad was to allow local farms and dairies...
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...
Tallman Mountain State Park Bike Path is partially paved and bisects the Tallman Mountain State Park. The route provides a motor-vehicle-free way for bicyclists using US Route 9W to connect with...
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 City of Port Jervis is the latest community to save a portion of the former D&H Canal and turn it into a greenway for use by residents and visitors. A section of the canal, which is approximately...
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...
In the early 1830s the Morris Canal opened across northern New Jersey, from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River to Newark, and later to Jersey City on the Hudson River. It provided a thoroughfare for...
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 Karamac Trail is a short walking trail that starts under the Interstate 80 bridge on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. The trail follows an old railroad right-of-way; there is a railroad...
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...
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 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....
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 Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
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...
In the mid 1800s Chester, New Jersey, was the home of the iron ore industry; railroads shipped the ore all over the county. With the end of the industry, however, the rail lines were abandoned, turned...
My son and I traveled from Kingston NY. We went to Harriman to start but there is NO access to the trail from Mary Harriman Park. If you ride out of the park and down the road you can not access the trail because it is blocked off due to a broken bridge and is all grown over in weeds and over growth. We got in our car and went to the beginning of the trail in Goshen where there is a parking lot and the official start of the trail. The trail is great! You take the trail 12.30 (give or take) miles to where a huge fence says "TRAIL ENDS HERE." Therefore this is not a 15 mile trail. It is just over 12 miles one way and over 24 miles round trip. Minus the misinformation at the Harriman end, this was a great trail and I would definitely go back again. It is completely paved!
I road this trail for the first time this past week. It's nice but way too short! I did take a detour into Piermont which extended it nicely and stopped at the bike friendly Bunbury's.
Parked at the trail head in Millwood & rode North. Did total 35 miles. 17 1/2 one way.Rode into the Putnam railway,as they run into each other.The trail is very scenic.You ride pass some towns. But is hilly & can be challenging ..for some..There are sections that are bumpy.. (tree roots) a lot are marked..just have to pay attention..There are some road crossing..all & all we had a good ride..but don't think this trail is for everyone,not just an easy flat trail.. We had lunch at the Tazza cafe on Rt 133,near where we parked,it was great. Toward the healthy side,loved it..
Before we began we talked to some people at the trail head, and decided to use it to explore the town of Piermont NY which has a nice little downtown and a beautiful pier. About 1/4 mile into the trail there is a dirt path going to the right...went on that until we found a tiny hut labeled 'Piermont' (it is a small museum). Getting advice from a jogger, we went down the steep hills there into town..had coffee at a neat little shop then and eventually found the pier. We had to walk up the steep hills on our return. This was an unexpected adventure, Next time we will do the entire trail.
Best maintained trail I ever rode on. Great places to eat as the trail passes through towns every few miles. Many of the old railroad stations have been turned into eateries. Almost completely flat from end to end. Just a slight grade that’s hardly noticeable. New Jersey does a great job with this trail.
Sad. Wanted to take my small dog for a walk here but sign posted no pets.
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.
Trail is in great shape. The only Negative was that their was no signage to help you traverse the incomplete section in Allentown.
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.
Little of this trail is paved as of 6/19. Not suitable for road bicycles.
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