Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park

State park in New Jersey, United States

40°22′7.27″N 74°36′58.14″W / 40.3686861°N 74.6161500°W / 40.3686861; -74.6161500^[1]Area6,595 acres (26.69 km²)Opened1974Operated byNew Jersey Division of Parks and ForestryWebsiteOfficial website

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is a New Jersey state park along the Delaware and Raritan Canal.^[2]

History

In 1974, most of the canal system was declared a New Jersey state park. It remains one today, and is used for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. A graded natural-surface trail along the side of the canal, which was the tow path that mules used to tow barges on the canal before steam powered barges, is now used for hiking, jogging, bicycling, and horseback riding. These trail connect with the trails in Pennsylvania's Delaware Canal State Park by way of five bridges that cross the Delaware River. Some 36 miles (58 km) of the main canal, and all 22 miles (35 km) of the feeder canal, still exist. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.

The canal is accessible from many points along its route, with small parking areas providing access at most road crossings. One of the most scenic and popular sections of the D&R Canal state park is the segment along Lake Carnegie in Princeton, New Jersey, which features the canal on one side of the path and the lake on the other side. Another attractive section borders the Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens in East Millstone.

When the canal was used for transportation, New Jersey's landscape was mostly rural, and its primary business was agriculture. Research director of the New Jersey Historical Commission Howard Green is quoted as saying, "it is one of the most beloved parks in the state, a sinewy, snake-like greenway through one of the most heavily populated parts of the world. It has gone from being the machine in the garden, to being the garden in the machine."

References

^ https://www.njparksandforests.org/parks/drcanalstatepark.html
^ Venutolo, Anthony (September 3, 2009). "You can soak up the history or just take in the scenery at New Jersey's gem of a park". Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 23, 2012.

External links

Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission
NY-NJTC: Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail Details and Info
Trailink

Protected areas of New Jersey

Federal

National historical parks	Morristown Paterson Great Falls Thomas Edison
National monuments	Statue of Liberty
National recreation areas	Delaware Water Gap Gateway
Other protected areas	Pinelands National Reserve
National scenic trails	Appalachian Trail
National wild and scenic rivers	Delaware River Great Egg Harbor River Maurice River Musconetcong River
National wildlife refuges	Cape May Edwin B. Forsythe Great Swamp Supawna Meadows Wallkill River
National Estuarine Research Reserves	Jacques Cousteau

State

State parks	Allaire Allamuchy Mountain Barnegat Lighthouse Cape May Point Cheesequake Corson's Inlet Delaware and Raritan Canal Double Trouble Edison State Park Farny Fort Mott Hacklebarney High Point Hopatcong Island Beach Kittatinny Valley Liberty Long Pond Ironworks Monmouth Battlefield Parvin Pigeon Swamp Princeton Battlefield Rancocas Ringwood Stephens Swartswood Voorhees Washington Crossing Washington Rock Wawayanda
State forests	Abram S. Hewitt Bass River Belleplain Brendan T. Byrne Green Bank Jenny Jump Norvin Green Penn Ramapo Mountain Stokes Wharton Worthington
Recreation areas	Atsion Bull's Island Round Valley Spruce Run
Wildlife management areas	List of New Jersey wildlife management areas

County

Nature parks	Eagle Rock Reservation Garret Mountain Reservation Sourland Mountain Preserve South Mountain Reservation Watchung Reservation New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route