The Paulinskill Valley Trail is a

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 ...

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 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 ...

and the

Blairstown Railway {{Blairstown Railway The Blairstown Railway (BRWY) opened in 1877 and ran between Blairstown and Delaware, New Jersey, a distance of approximately 12 miles (19 km). The single-track railroad was built under the direction of railroad magnat ...

Description

Vestiges of the railroad remain including several bridges, stations, mileage markers, telegraph poles and other railway artifacts. There are also numerous benches and signs explaining the history of the trail and its artifacts. Over 200 species of birds have been sighted on the trail as well as a multitude of other wildlife. The Paulinskill Valley Trail intersects the

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 ...

at Warbasse Junction just north of Newton as well as the 3.5-mile Great Valley Rail Trail, along Paulins Kill Lake. The trail is frequented by hikers, bicyclists, joggers and people who are just out for a stroll. Horseback riding is also permitted. Access is denied to motor vehicles, however, although trailheads typically provide some modest amount of parking. Although the trail is generally well-maintained from the

Paulinskill Viaduct The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey, Knowlton Township, New Jersey. When completed in 1910, it was the largest rein ...

north, south of that location the quality of the trail is somewhat uneven. Over the years there have been surprisingly few encroachments onto the right-of-way. The most notable encroachment is at Blairstown Airport where the trail ceases to exist for about a half-mile (1 km). Signage directs the hiker to where the trail continues.

History

In 1886, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad built the first part of the railway tracks that is now the trail. In 1962 the railroad ceased its operations on this line, and the tracks were removed. In 1985 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection organized a meeting in Blairstown to decide what should be done with the intention of buying the land. A year later, in 1986, the NJDEP bought the land.

References

External links

Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee

Trail history & Breakdown of each section

{{Rail trails in New Jersey Rail trails in New Jersey Protected areas of Sussex County, New Jersey Protected areas of Warren County, New Jersey Bike paths in New Jersey