Northeast - Mount Olive Station NJ to Port Jervis Station NY

These are my unchecked notes:

There were only a couple of places where the shoulder disappeared but was able to navigate them by timing a gap in the traffic.
Food was hard to come by so you should pack a bit extra. I did not go into the Delaware Water Gap because I did not bring enough.
40 mi, hilly with some steep climbs.
I suggest you buy a map of Sussex County and perhaps Warren County.

Start at WTC Path station if possible get an NJT ticket Hoboken to Mount Olive.
7:30 Path to Hoboken $1.5
7:56 NJT Hoboken to Mount Olive $8, WEEKDAYS ONLY!!!
9:43 Arrive Mt Olive.
Exit train at the end of the parking area make left cross tracks.
Travel down International Drive to the first 4 way interesction
Look for bike path sign
Enter bike path
When bike path ends keep going along Kays Rd.
Go to Allamuchy park parking area.
Take trail
Tail exists Rt 206 and Tamarack Rd.

Follow 206 until Spring st Newton.
Main St to the end, Spring St
Spring St Make Left
Spring to the end, 519
519 Make Left
After one block make left on Mills St also called Trinity St

***Scenic Route*** [Possibly more direct route: Saying on 519 might work out as there is a wide shoulder.]
519 to Plotts RD /N Park Dr.
Plotts Rd make Left
Plotts Rd to the end cross Junciton Rd to Parsons Rd
Parsons rd to the end 626
626 make left
626 becomes 521
(At the point where 521 and 206 meet there is a restaurant Blue Ribbon Culver Lake That is the only place within about 10 mi)
521 to 653
635 To the end 23
23 make Left
23 becomes 15 and then 6.
Following 6 now main street is not the most direct route to the station.
Jersey Ave goes directly to the station.
Also follow signs for 'The Erie Turn Table' which is next to the station.

9:27 NJT Pt Jervis to Hoboken arrives in Hoboken midnight. $14
PATH to WTC $1.50

If you want to ride more of the rail trail, instead of exiting onto 206 at Tamarack Rd, continue along the trail (going north on the southbound side of 206) until Whitehall Hill Road. This portion of the trail has been washed out and damaged by the construction of 206. Follow Whitehall Hill Road uphill then down until it swings back towards 206. The entrance back onto the trail is not marked, but not too difficult to find if you look. If you miss it, pass under the railroad overpass, onto 206 very briefly, and then head up the hill to the left before the service station (I think it's a Sunoco) to reconnect to the trail.

You can then ride the trail for ~5 miles. It cuts through some residential areas, but if you look at Google satellite maps, you can see it. Toughest place to follow it is where it becomes Railroad Ave. for a very short distance, but that's simple enough to remember. You'll eventually cross 206 and ride through Kittatinny Valley State Park (outhouse available).

I've only gone as far as 616 (Sparta Rd.) I believe you can reconnect to the trail again and take it to Branchville, or you can take 616 northwest until it becomes Spring Street, then onto 519...

Parts of the trail run through wetlands, so the trails may be muddy or have large puddles. You can always default to 206 quite easily if that's the case.

Here's a link to someone's notes (http://dlw-sussexbranch.com/Trail_guide/guide.html) on that trail, the Sussex Branch. Dated, but it has some dining establishments listed (assuming they are still in business).

Here's a link to Kittatinny Valley State Park (http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/kittval.html).

If you follow geo8rge's route to the end, you also pass very close to High Point State Park (http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/highpoint.html), the highest point in NJ. Quite a climb to that park, though I imagine the route geo8rge took climbed most of that elevation.

Couple questions for OP or anyone who knows. I've been planning to ride to Pt Jervis from lower Bergen or Essex counties and train back.

It looks like 23 can take you a lot of the way there, is it safe, legal and otherwise ok for riding?

Can you take 6 across the bridge to PA? I'd want to roll in all three states.

Couple questions for OP or anyone who knows. I've been planning to ride to Pt Jervis from lower Bergen or Essex counties and train back.

It looks like 23 can take you a lot of the way there, is it safe, legal and otherwise ok for riding?

Can you take 6 across the bridge to PA? I'd want to roll in all three states.

Doesn't appear to be restricted: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/highways.shtm

The southern portion of 23 becomes a 4 and 6 lane highway, with higher speeds. I've never cycled it, but from my experience having lived in the area near 23, I would would feel much safer north of the West Milford area, where the traffic becomes lighter and there are wide shoulders along most of the highway.

North of Stockholm, it becomes a two lane highway, with a more narrow shoulder. Traffic increases a bit, and the highway winds more, but car speeds decrease somewhat.

That being said, having spent many years living and travelling on 23, I can't say I've seen many cyclists on it.

You might consider trying to map a route through West Milford.

Where I road near Pt Jervis 23 had a wide shoulder. I would suggest you get the paper Sussex co map. It is very helpful to get the big picture as to route choices you have.

6 is not a major highway, I would be surprised if there was no way for pedestrians to cross from Pt Jervis to Matamoros PA. I think I saw stuff on the net that said people biked across. I think I saw the bridge it was not very big.

Also, I was really surprised at how much that 40 mi took out of me. I was starting to have pain in my right tendon. I have no trouble doing 80+mi along the Jersey shore.

Thanks for the JunkYardBike advice.

Doesn't appear to be restricted: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/highways.shtm

The southern portion of 23 becomes a 4 and 6 lane highway, with higher speeds. I've never cycled it, but from my experience having lived in the area near 23, I would would feel much safer north of the West Milford area, where the traffic becomes lighter and there are wide shoulders along most of the highway.

North of Stockholm, it becomes a two lane highway, with a more narrow shoulder. Traffic increases a bit, and the highway winds more, but car speeds decrease somewhat.

That being said, having spent many years living and travelling on 23, I can't say I've seen many cyclists on it.

You might consider trying to map a route through West Milford.

I've checked that link but don't trust it. For example, it doesn't have Rt 3 through the Meadowlands or Rt. 4 from GWB through Teneck. Maybe its not illegal to ride on them, but it's highly unsafe.

I'd avoid the lower part of 23, which I'm familiar with. "Flying" on maps.google, it doesn't look bad for a lot of other parts but I realize it'd not a common bike route so thought I'd ask about it here. Maybe I'll just have to drive it. I see some alternative routes, but I shoot for as few turns as possible when I'm going on a long solo trip.