rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
in rural northwestern
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. It was created from portions of the former
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...
High Bridge Branch
The High Bridge Branch was a branch line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) that started in High Bridge, New Jersey at a connection with the CNJ main line and continued north to iron-ore mines in Morris County. The High Bridge Branch ...
Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,Washington Township, in Morris County for a total of . The trail surface is relatively flat and consists mostly of fine crushed stone.
History
Lewis H Taylor, a member of the trustees of the Central Jersey Railroad, brought the railroad to High Bridge in 1876. The branch line was originally built to transport coal and
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
foundries
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
High Bridge Branch
The High Bridge Branch was a branch line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) that started in High Bridge, New Jersey at a connection with the CNJ main line and continued north to iron-ore mines in Morris County. The High Bridge Branch ...
was also used for passenger traffic until 1935.
In 1976, the branch was deemed redundant by its new owner,
Conrail
Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...
, and the rails were dismantled in 1980. In the mid-1990s, the
Columbia Gas Transmission
Columbia Gas Transmission is a natural gas pipeline that gathers gas in the Gulf of Mexico and transports it to New York (state), New York. Its pipelines are in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. It is owned by T ...
company bought the trail right-of-way and laid an underground
gas
Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).
A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...
pipeline under the
right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
along the length of the trail. The trail and bridges were resurfaced in 2004. Since then, it has been a recreational trail serving the surrounding communities.
The Hunterdon County Division of Parks and Recreation and Morris County Park Commission now operate and maintain the trail under lease, although ownership of the right-of-way remains with the Columbia Gas Company.
A train wreck occurred on the
Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge
The Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge is a steel plate girder bridge built for the High Bridge Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) to cross the South Branch Raritan River in Ken Lockwood Gorge of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is now op ...
on April 18, 1885. An iron ore train led by the coincidentally named Columbia Engine derailed on the trestle and crashed into the river below. ''Iron Mine Railroads of Northern New Jersey'', by Larry Lowenthal, indicates this was engine 112 and does not indicate it had a name. A contemporary account of the wreck in the Iron Era newspaper does not cite a name, only the engine number. If the locomotive had a name it's probable it would have been mentioned in those days. The trail is, instead, most likely named for the Columbia Gas Pipeline. Minutes of meetings in Hunterdon Parks indicate that Hunterdon suggested the name "Columbia Trail", much to the satisfaction of the gas company. Recent oppositions to gas utilities, and their relationship to
hydraulic fracturing
Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...
(aka "Fracking") have spurred public outcry to rename the route "High Bridge Branch Trail", a more historically accurate and less controversial tag. Furthermore, it may be considered a conflict of interest for a government agency to promote a private industry such as Columbia Gas in name and associated publications (tax payer funded maps, guides, interpretive signage, etc.).
Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,Washington Township in Morris County. The route is scenic, as the meandering South Branch of the Raritan River parallels the trail along most of its route across two counties. The trail passes through Califon in Hunterdon County and Long Valley in Morris County. Just north of Long Valley,
Patriots' Path
The Patriots' Path is a multi-use trail system in Morris County, New Jersey, open to cyclists, hikers, and horseback riders, consisting of a main trail and of spur trails. The main trail is marked with white blazes or a white circular blaz ...
provides links east towards County Route 513 and west towards Schooley's Mountain Park. Also in Long Valley the trail runs adjacent to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection South Branch Wildlife Management Area which has some unmarked trails to the north.
Beyond the northeastern end of the trail on the border of Washington and Mt. Olive Townships, an active rail line is still in service and operated by the
Morristown and Erie Railway
Morristown & Erie Railway is a short-line railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey, chartered in 1895 as the Whippany River Railroad. It operates freight rail service in Morris County, New Jersey and surrounding areas on the original Whippany ...
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
Raritan Valley Line
The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. Th ...
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
with recreational activities, especially
fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...
. A trestle carries the trail over the river in the gorge.
There are few remnants of the former rail line along the trail, except for the occasional rotting railroad cross ties along the trail. There is a small section of track preserved in Califon and a small and rarely open museum dedicated to the rail line history is located in the preserved train station in the town center.
Trail access
The southern trailhead is located in High Bridge at 79 Main Street. The trail begins on the east side of Main Street across from the entrance to Commons Park, where parking is available.
The northern trailhead is located in Washington Twp at the border with Mt. Olive on Bartley Road (Morris Cty 625). There is a small public parking area across from the current end of the Morristown & Erie rail line. There is another public parking area in Long Valley off Schooley's Mountain Road between Fairview Avenue and Maple Lane, across from The Coffee Potter (the old Long Valley train station when the
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...
train line passed through the area).
Gallery
File:Trailside view of Lake Solitude, High Bridge, NJ.jpg, Trailside view of Lake Solitude and Waterfall in High Bridge
File:Columbia Trail, Lebanon Township, NJ.jpg, Passing through the Ken Lockwood Gorge
File:Columbia Trail bridge, Ken Lockwood Gorge, NJ - looking southwest.jpg, Approaching the
Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge
The Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge is a steel plate girder bridge built for the High Bridge Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) to cross the South Branch Raritan River in Ken Lockwood Gorge of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is now op ...