Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is a New Jersey state park along the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

History

In 1974, most of the canal system was declared a New Jersey state park. It remains one today, and is used for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. A graded natural-surface trail along the side of the canal, which was the tow path that mules used to tow barges on the canal before steam powered barges, is now used for hiking, jogging, bicycling, and horseback riding. These trail connect with the trails in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Delaware Canal State Park Delaware Canal State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Bucks and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania. The main attraction of the park is the Delaware Canal which runs parallel to the Delaware River between Easton and Bristol. The Delawar ...

by way of five bridges that cross the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

. Some of the main canal, and all of the feeder canal, still exist. The park is operated and maintained by the

New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry In the state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is an administrative division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In its most visible role, the Division is directly responsible for the management and ...

. The canal is accessible from many points along its route, with small parking areas providing access at most road crossings. One of the most scenic and popular sections of the D&R Canal state park is the segment along

Lake Carnegie Lake Carnegie is a reservoir that is formed from a dam on the Millstone River, in the far northeastern corner of Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The Delaware and Raritan Canal and its associated tow path are situated along the eastern shor ...

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

, which features the canal on one side of the path and the lake on the other side. Another attractive section borders the

Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens The Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens (144 acres) are gardens and an arboretum located in Colonial Park (651 acres), 150 Mettlers Road, in the East Millstone area of Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. The grounds are open daily ...

in East Millstone. When the canal was used for transportation, New Jersey's landscape was mostly rural, and its primary business was agriculture. Research director of the

New Jersey Historical Commission The New Jersey Historical Commission is a government agency of the U.S. state of 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 N ...

Howard Green is quoted as saying, "it is one of the most beloved parks in the state, a sinewy, snake-like greenway through one of the most heavily populated parts of the world. It has gone from being the machine in the garden, to being the garden in the machine."

References

External links

Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission

NY-NJTC: Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail Details and Info

Trailink
{{authority control State parks of New Jersey Parks in Somerset County, New Jersey Parks in Middlesex County, New Jersey Parks in Mercer County, New Jersey Delaware and Raritan Canal