This list of rail trails in New Jersey lists former railroad right-of-ways in

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 ...

that have been

converted Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

for public use, as well as proposed rail trails.

Established rail trails

Atlantic County Bikeway The Atlantic County Bikeway is a rail trail in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It occupies a abandoned rail corridor of the West Jersey and Atlantic Railroad later the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in Atlantic County that extends from The S ...

- former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines; extends from the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township, near Garden State Parkway exit 36, to the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in Hamilton Township *

Barnegat Branch Trail The Barnegat Branch Trail is a rail trail in Ocean County, New Jersey. The trail occupies a abandoned rail corridor in Ocean County, New Jersey, that extends from Barnegat Township to Toms River. The trail was built on the former Barnegat Bran ...

- former Central Railroad of New Jersey Barnegat Branch, formerly known as

Toms River Railroad The Toms River Railroad was a railroad in Ocean County, New Jersey, established in 1866 with a stop at the county seat of Toms River, New Jersey.Beaver Lake Trail
- former

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in th ...

Hanford Branch. Trail is 3 miles long and is in Ogdensburg, NJ
Berkshire Valley Management Area Trail
- follows the Right-of-Way of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey's

Lake Hopatcong Railroad A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

from Gordon Road in Roxbury, NJ to Minisink Road in Jefferson, NJ.
Black River Trail
part of the

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 ...

- former Central Railroad of New Jersey Hacklebarney Branch, accessed from the Elizabeth D. Kay Environmental Center in

Black River County Park The Black River County Park is a public park in Morris County, New Jersey operated by the Morris County Park Commission. The park covers an area of along the eastern shore of the Black River and is located between Long Valley and Chester. It ...

, Morris County
Capoolong Creek Trail
- former

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, w ...

Pittstown Branch. Starts in Pittstown, NJ and runs about 3.7 miles in Landsdown, NJ. *

Columbia Trail The Columbia Trail is a rail trail in rural northwestern New Jersey. It was created from portions of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch and stretches from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, through Washington Township, ...

- former Central Railroad of New Jersey

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 ...

; trail runs for approximately and follows South Branch of the Raritan River for most of its length. * D&R Canal Trail Along Delaware River - 32 miles of the D&R Canal Trail along 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 ...

between

Trenton, NJ Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Frenchtown, NJ utilizes the former Belvidere Delaware Railroad grade, later owned by the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company which itself became a subsidiary of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. Portions of the rail bed were built on the original canal towpath. Track remains intact in

Lambertville, NJ Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 3,906,Edgar Felix Bikeway The Edgar Felix Bikeway is a rail trail in New Jersey between Manasquan and Allaire State Park. The trail was constructed on a former roadbed of the Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad and the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. ...

- former Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad and

Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was a short-line railroad in New Jersey. The railroad traversed through the Raritan Valley communities of Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Manalapan Township, Englishtown Borough, Monroe To ...

.
Great Valley Rail Trail
- former Lehigh & New England Railroad. The trail is a 3.5-mile rail trail in Augusta, New Jersey, south of Branchville, New Jersey. * Henry Hudson Trail - former Central Railroad of New Jersey Seashore Branch (extension to Freehold on former Freehold Branch was completed in 2006)
Landsdown Trail
- former

Clinton Branch runs from the southern edge of downtown Clinton, NJ to a rural area approximately 3.75 miles to the south * Middlesex Greenway - former Lehigh Valley Railroad rail line between

Metuchen Metuchen ( ) is a suburban borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along wit ...

and

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of ** Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

; part of the planned East Coast Greenway trail
Ogden Mine Rail Trail
- former

Ogden Mine Railroad The Ogden Mine Railroad was a mine railroad in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1866 until 1941. History It was built in 1866 to transport iron ore from the mines on Sparta Mountain in New Jersey. Ore was carried to Nolan's Point on Lake Hopa ...

right-of-way, part of Mahlon Dickerson Reservation in Morris County *

(Speedwell Lake to Woodland Road) - former Rockaway Valley Railroad; only portions of the Speedwell Lake to Woodland Road section of Patriots' Path use the former rail bed *

Paulinskill Valley Trail The Paulinskill Valley Trail is a rail trail along the Paulins Kill river in New Jersey. It is the sixth longest trail in the state at . It was originally a right-of-way of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and the Blairstown Railway. ...

- former main line of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway to their former connection with the Lackawanna Railroad *

Pemberton Rail-Trail The Pemberton Rail-Trail is a rail trail in Pemberton, New Jersey. It occupies a abandoned rail corridor in Burlington County, New Jersey, that extends from Hanover Street in Pemberton to Birmingham Road in Juliustown, New Jersey. The trail s ...

- extends from Hanover Street in Pemberton to Birmingham Road in Juliustown in Burlington County * Rocky Hill Branch Trail - former Rocky Hill Branch of the

. Runs along the east bank of the Delaware and Raritan Canal from Route 27 in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

to Rocky Hill. Most of the former rail

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 ...

further east to

Monmouth Junction Monmouth Junction is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) located within South Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.Sussex Branch Trail The Sussex Branch Trail is a rail trail in New Jersey, United States, with a total length of . The Sussex Branch Trail follows a portion of the Sussex Branch line of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad (and predecessor Delaware, Lackawanna and Wes ...

- former

Sussex Branch The Sussex Railroad (later known as the Sussex Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad) was a short-line railroad in northwestern New Jersey. It replaced its predecessor, the Sussex Mine Railroad, in 1853 and operated under the Su ...

of Erie Lackawanna Railroad * Thomas F. Hampton Memorial Trail - a portion of the trail follows an abandoned "donkey" railroad once located at Crossley *

Traction Line Recreation Trail The Traction Line Recreation Trail is a multi-use rail trail located in Morristown, New Jersey. This trail uses a rail corridor which was built for the Morris County Traction Company trolley line, which runs alongside New Jersey Transit's Morris ...

- former

Morris County Traction Company The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown Dover, New Jersey in July 1904. It was expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 to Newark, New Jersey. Service lasted until 1928. Routes and service ...

trolley line. A two-mile (3 km) portion of the former trolley line along New Jersey Transit's

Morris and Essex The Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. History The M&E was incorporated January 29, 1835, to build a line from Newark in Essex Coun ...

line in Morris Township serves as a bike trail under the supervision of the Morris County Park System. *

Union Transportation Trail The Union Transportation Trail is a rail trail situated in western Monmouth County, New Jersey. It extends from Hornerstown, New Jersey, to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. The trail occupies the former roadbed of the Pennsylvania Rail ...

- A 9.0 mi rail trail in Monmouth County, New Jersey located on the former

Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad The Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. state of New Jersey. History The Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad was chartered in 1864 and completed in 1868; it linked the towns of Pemberton and Hightstown, a total of .See Br ...

West Essex Trail West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

- former Caldwell Branch of Erie Railroad, part of the Lenape Trail system in Essex County
West Morris Greenway
- a 2-mile rail trail that follows the former Lackawanna Railroad Chester Branch; it has terminuses near Horseshoe Lake in

Succasunna, NJ Succasunna-Kenvil is a former census-designated place (CDP) located within Roxbury Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the CDP's population was 12,569. For the 2010 Census, the area was spl ...

and north of the town center in

Chester, NJ Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 7,838, reflecting an increase of 556 (+7.6%) from the 7,282 counted in the 2000 Census, which had ...

Wharton Rail Trail
- runs along the former

Mount Hope Mineral Railroad Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

right-of-way in

Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, Ch ...

; a short rail trail (approximately ) that is paved and has two covered bridges
Wood Duck Nature Trail
- former Hanford Branch of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway extends about 1.5 miles on the former railroad bed ending at the Wallkill River

Proposed rail trails

* Camden County - The

William Penn Foundation The William Penn Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by businessman Otto Haas and his wife Phoebe, and initially called the Phoebe Waterman Foundation. It strives to improve "the quality of ...

has granted $77,000 to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to study the development of rail trails on unused rail lines in and around the city of

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

and surrounding suburban areas. The study is a one-year project called the Camden Metro Region Trails Strategy. * Former Central Railroad of NJ line from Lakehurst to Winslow Junction - Momentum is increasing for support of the proposed Wharton Rail-trail in southern Jersey. The line was a remnant of the Conrail bailout of 1976 and has been abandoned since that date. Since then, trees have grown up through the rails. Most bridges remain intact and the right-of-way and its access roads are being used by rogue ATVs, mountain bikers and hikers. The area eastward beyond the Batsto River is barren, uneventful, and impossible to ride. However, westward to County Route 536, there are several interesting trestles over tea-colored cedar water streams and hardwood groves amongst the solitude of pine trees. This latter route is mostly single track and double track in places west of

U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delawa ...

at Atsion. The

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

will be studying the conversion of the line.
Highlands Rail Trail
- Passaic County Highlands Rail Trail is a proposed contiguous recreational trail that will provide a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly pathway through the adaptive reuse of the former New York & Greenwood Lake Railway right-of-way in the Highlands communities of northern Passaic County. *

Rahway Valley Railroad The Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR) was a short-line railroad in the Northeastern United States which connected the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Roselle Park and the Central Railroad of New Jersey in Cranford, New Jersey, Cranford with the Delaware, La ...

main line. Union County residents have proposed a 7.3-mile pedestrian

linear park A linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide. These linear parks are strips of public land running along canals, rivers, streams, defensive walls, electrical lines, or highways and shorelines. Examples of linear p ...

along the main line of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad. The

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 ...

would run eastbound from

Overlook Medical Center Overlook Hospital is a 504-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in Summit, New Jersey, United States, 20 miles west of New York City. On a hill in the center of the city, the hospital is one of Summit's three largest employers and offers medic ...

on the edge of downtown

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

and head south along the old railbed through

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, over the Rahway River via an abandoned

trestle ATLAS-I (Air Force Weapons Lab Transmission-Line Aircraft Simulator), better known as Trestle, was a unique electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generation and testing apparatus built between 1972 and 1980 during the Cold War at Sandia National Laborato ...

, through

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

, then

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...

and ending at the southwest edge of

Roselle Park Roselle may refer to: * Roselle (plant), a species of hibiscus (''Hibiscus sabdariffa'') **A drink made from that plant, also called "Hibiscus tea" Roselle is the/a name of: ; People * Mike Roselle - American environmental activist and author ; ...

at the Cranford border. A northern portion of the 7.3 mile rail trail on the RVRR main line is already under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. In parallel, advocates have been pushing for immediate development of the portion south of Route 22, running past the

Galloping Hill Golf Course Galloping Hill Golf Course is a golf course in Kenilworth, New Jersey, with part of the course located in Union Township, New Jersey. It was designed by Willard G. Wilkinson in 1928, who had previously worked for A. W. Tillinghast's firm, and w ...

through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. The New Jersey Department of Transportion, which owns the railbed, has been working to clear it in anticipation of possible future trail use. * The inactive Staten Island Rapid Transit line has also been proposed as a Union County rail trail. The ending of the railway is on Westfield Avenue in

. The Staten Island Rapid Transit runs from Cranford to the

Arthur Kill The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It is a major navigational channel of the Port of ...

Linden, New Jersey Linden is a city in southeastern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area, located about southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a borough of New York City, across the Arthur Kill ...

and onward to

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

, although the project would only include the section that runs from Cranford to Linden. The possible beginning in Cranford would be a lot adjacent to the railroad right-of-way on South Avenue East. The lot is currently owned by Lehigh Acquisition. The ending of this trail would be in Linden along another empty lot. A boardwalk could be placed over the existing tracks due to the possibility of the line being reactivated. * Essex - Hudson Greenway along a portion of Erie Railroad's New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, later NJ Tranist's Boonton Line, bypassed by the

Montclair Connection The Montclair Connection is a short section of double-track railroad on the NJ Transit Rail Operations system in New Jersey, United States, connecting the former end of the Montclair Branch at Bay Street station to the old Boonton Line southeast ...

from

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Montclair

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rail trails in New Jersey Rail trails