Thread: NE Rail Trails
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Old 11-05-13, 01:43 PM
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indyfabz
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Columbia Trail north from High Bridge, NJ to Califon is very scenic. Haven't ridden it beyond that point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Trail

The Paulinskill Valley Trail in west central NJ (Columbia area) is supposed to be nice, but it sounds like it can be messy in places, at least after prolonged rain.

Further west in PA is the Allegheny River Train and connections trail. I plan to ride it next year as part of a tour across PA.

And, of course, there is the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD. Rode it in September during a tour acorss PA. Extremely user friendly. Makes for a nice three-day trip either camping or staying one of the many inns/B&Bs/guest houses along the route.

I have backpacked Pine Creek Gorge Trail twice, It's on the other side of the creek from the trail. Used Pine Creek Outfitters for a shuttle to the souther trail terminus. The owner is a nice guy. He's a former grant writer for SEPTA who got tired of the 9-5 world and bought the business when it went up for sale many years ago. It turns out we used to live about 5 blocks from each other in Philly.


Re: The Black Diamond Trail, I believe the lack of continuity in the right-of-way is due in part to the fact that when Conrail inherited the properties of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the CNJ, they cut and pasted the lines in order to take advantage of the better pieces of each. The Black Diamond starts out on the former CNJ line. (In fact, that shopping center in White Haven is right where the CNJ used to run. The still active LV line runs a little to the west of the old CNJ line. When you come to that first crossing on the Black Diamond Trail (Middleburg Rd) make a left, and then a right to get back on the trail, you have now switched to the former right of way of the LV and the active railroad continues on what was the old CNJ. Probably more tban you wanted to know.
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