Columbia Trail Bike Ride
The Columbia Trail is easily the most pleasant and scenic rail-trail in New Jersey. The trail is a multi-use trail that follows, for the most part, the former Central Railroad of the New Jersey-Central division of the High Bridge Line. The trail is named for the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation which donated the land in return for the permit to install a gas pipeline from Hellerton, Pennsylvania to Hanover Township, New Jersey.
Official start of the Columbia Trail at High Bridge Boro
Looking down at the Raritan River from the Columbia Trail
Further along the Columbia Trail
Heading across the bridge over the Ken Lockwood Gorge of the Raritan River on the Columbia Trail
Bridge across the Raritan River by the Ken Lockwood Gorge on the Columbia Trail
The entire trail runs about 15 miles from downtown High Bridge in Hunterdon County to the border of Mt. Olive and Washington Townships in Morris County skirting the mountain side atop the South Branch of the Raritan River for most of the way.
Califon Old Rail Station
Riding through Califon Boro on the Columbia Trail
My sons and I only did about 10 miles of the total trail, starting from the parking lot at High Bridge to the Robert Jenkinson Nurseries, just across West Mill Road from the parking lot for the start of the Long Valley section of the Columbia trail.
Hoffmans Crossing Road on the Columbia Trail
The Columbia trail is hard packed crushed stones or gravel and is very smooth – except where horse traffic is heavy, making the 20 miles or so ride very fast for us. The trail is multi-use so expect to encounter equestrians, joggers, mothers with strollers, dog walkers, hikers, and of course, mountain bikers, and follow trail etiquette for shared use trails. When we were there, we even came across two fixed speed or single speed roadies.
The end of our ride at the Robert Jenkinson Nurseries
The trail is very kid and family friendly. The trail is fairly flat. There are slight and gradual climbs and down hills from High Bridge to Hoffmans Crossing Road. The rest of the trail from Hoffmans Crossing Road to West Mill Road is flat. While some section of the trail is about 70 feet about the river below, there are no real dangers of falling over – unless you are careless or fooling around by the edge of the trail. But with small children, you have to watch them every second to make sure they are safe from harm.
Directions to the Trailhead at High Bridge:
From the junction of Route 78 and Route 31 in Clinton, go north on Route 31 for 1.7 miles to Route 513 north and follow Route 513 into Main Street of High Bridge. Turn left into High Bridge Commons, just before Route 513 turns right at the top of the hill.
Looking South on Route 513 from across the street from the High Bridge Commons parking lot for the Columbia Trail
Looking toward the High Bridge Common parking lot from the gazebo.
There was one Porta John at the High Bridge Commons parking lot. There were no facilities at the other parking areas.
See the Columbia Trail Map for other parking along the Columbia Trail.
See more pictures taken along the Columbia Trail.
April 4th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids Published under Recreation | send this post Tags: camping, camping tips, Hiking, hiking boots [...]
April 4th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 4th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 4th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 12:00 am
It seems like you guys had a lot of fun on this trail. We love this time because the landscape has much more colors.
My family and I spent the whole afternoon today on the “city trail.” (Midwood-Prospect Park-Sunset Park-Brooklyn Bridge-Chinatown and back). It was our first time ever on this exciting excursion. With 70 degree weather and the cherry blossoms lining the streets, the 5+ hours biking passed by quickly.
April 5th, 2010 at 1:05 am
I miss riding in traffic!
April 5th, 2010 at 2:06 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 2:08 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 4:01 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 6:30 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 6:33 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
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[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
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[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Climbing wіtһ Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 8:55 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 9:38 am
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 5th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
[...] Columbia Trail Bike Ride | Biking Hiking with Kids [...]
April 7th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
[...] day after my mountain bike ride with my sons on the wonderful Columbia Trail, I went on my own to check out another section of the Patriots Path. I decided to check out the [...]
April 29th, 2010 at 9:00 am
[...] Policy « Columbia Trail Bike Ride Patriots’ Path – Black River Wildlife Management Area [...]
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:59 am
[...] of the Columbia Trail. This time my mountain bike ride started where I ended my last ride on the Columbia Trail – at the West Mill Road parking lot (across the road from Robert Jenkinson Nursery) and ended [...]