Biking Hiking with Kids

The family and I went for a bike ride on a section of the Delaware and Raritan Feeder Canal trail on the New Jersey side the other day. Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is a 70-mile long trail along the old canal system that runs east to west from New Brunswick to Trenton and then south to north from Trenton to Frenchtown. We started off in the town of Lambertville and headed north on the trail to Bulls Island Recreational Area, checked out the campgrounds there, walked our bikes across the pedestrian bridge over the Delaware River into Lumberville, Pennsylvania and back, and rode back south to Lambertville. The round trip was about 14 miles.

We drove to Lambertville and parked our van on a street by the post office that was only a few feet from an access to the trail. There is plenty of free, street parking north of town, close to trail access points especially if you get there early in the morning. Make sure you read the signs so that you don’t park on private property. There is also a trail parking lot in Stockton, a small town about 4 miles north of Lambertville and in Bulls Island Recreational Area, about 3 miles north of Stockton. There is a convenient store, a gas station, a restaurant, and a few other businesses in Stockton. There are a couple of soda machines and rest rooms at the Bulls Island Recreational Area next to the office building. Lumberville, PA has an ice creams store and a restaurant.

The section we were on is about the middle section of the Delaware and Raritan Feeder Canal trail that, for the most part, is converted railroad bed. The trail consists mostly of hard packed dirt and cinder and is mostly flat. The trail is like a double track – wide enough for one rider each way. There are no real dangerous spots on the trail. However, the section of trail that runs through Lambertville is narrower than most of the rest of the trail, and one side of the trail drops off about 4’ into the canal, when the water level is low. If you are riding with kids who haven’t fully mastered control of their bike, you may want to have them ride close to the landside of the trail.

Most of this section of trail is though relatively dense growth of trees on either side with plenty of canopy overhead. The day we would on the trail, the temperature was in the low 80’s and it got a bit chilly riding in the shade wearing shorts and t-shirts.

The canal passes over a stream.

There weren’t too much to see along the trail. There were a few spots were we were able to see the Delaware River. On the whole, my sons found the trail boring. However, I can imagine the trail being more scenic in the fall when most of the trees are in their autumn colors.

If you have never been to this part of New Jersey, make sure you set aside some time to walk around Lambertville on the New Jersey side and New Hope on the Pennsylvania side – just a short walk across the bridge over the Delaware River.

For more information about the Delaware and Raritan State Park visit their website: Delaware and Raritan State Park

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Check out other bike rides:

Bike Rides in NJ

Cheesequake State Park
Clayton Park
Dorbrook Recreation Area
Hartshorne Woods Park
Henry Hudson Trail
Huber Woods Park
Manasquan Reservoir
Sandy Hook
Tatum Park
Thompson Park

Bike Rides in NY

Minnewaska State Park