canal ride

antgold

antgold

Member
thinking on riding some of the canal roads this weekend .
what is the closest starting point from someone driving from jersey shore ?
what are the possible way to go ?
if going with kids -is there recommended path to do that kids can enjoy some attraction on the way ?
 
I assume D&R canal? Will it be dry enough? I'll let someone else answer that because I don't know, but if the answer is yes, I suggest starting in Kingston and traveling through Princeton. You can go into town, grab some lunch, see some waterfalls (albeit small ones), and other pretty scenery there.

If you didn't mean D&R, then how about the New Hope area? Same thing...town, shops, food, pretty...
 
Mare45 said:
I assume D&R canal? Will it be dry enough? I'll let someone else answer that because I don't know, but if the answer is yes, I suggest starting in Kingston and traveling through Princeton. You can go into town, grab some lunch, see some waterfalls (albeit small ones), and other pretty scenery there.

If you didn't mean D&R, then how about the New Hope area? Same thing...town, shops, food, pretty...
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In my experience, the tow path along the delaware dries faster and is generally in better condition compared to the one through princeton. In any case, both should be ok this weekend.

My recommendation is: Use the parking lots at washington crossing (the jersey side). Ride to Lambertville (6.4 miles), have lunch in lambertville or new hope. Ride back. There are also a few historical house and such at the parking lot in washington x-ing and in the park, which you can take the ped bridge too from the parking lot.

This section has better scenary then the path through princeton/kingston and the path runs right into Lambertville. If you family can't make the trip both ways, you can ride back alone and drive up to lambertville.
 
If you want to get in some miles I would park in Johnson park in New Brunswick/Piscataway and ride from there. I believe Princeton is about 20 miles down more or less.
 
Yeah, the closest point for you to start will be in Johnson Park off Landing Lane. I've ridden the entire canal, neither side is better than the other;)

I'm on there a few times a week so I can give you up-to-date trail conditions...

-Jim.
 
jimvreeland said:
Yeah, the closest point for you to start will be in Johnson Park off Landing Lane. I've ridden the entire canal, neither side is better than the other;)

I'm on there a few times a week so I can give you up-to-date trail conditions...

-Jim.
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How will it be this weekend? Up here around Bound Brook and headed south...?
 
jShort said:
How will it be this weekend? Up here around Bound Brook and headed south...?
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The section between the Bound Brook circle and Canal Road is made of this weird red dirt that gets pretty soft and gross when it's wet. I'll usually jump onto Canal Road out of the BB circle and parallel the towpath until the school entrance on the right-hand side of the road, maybe 2 miles or so down. The rest of the canal in that area is made of crushed up rocks and doesn't get muddy:D

A bunch of the historic canal sites are in the 2 sections between Canal Road and Blackwells Mills Road as well, except the ill locks, which are in the Landing Lane section.

-Jim.
 
I went running on the Delaware Canal on the PA side last night. It was ok for running, but very soft with wet spots and patches of 2-4" of slushy snow in places. Not ideal for riding. From what I have seen driving past the D&R Canal in Princeton yesterday, the conditions look similar. Around Carnegie Lake there are areas that can remain wet for a long time.
 
I rode the section of the D&R from Rocky Hill to Zarapath today. It's mostly firm with a few random snow patches here and there. It's totally rideable. If you have fenders, I would recommend you slap them on before you go.
 
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