Route ideas for North New Jersey, Eastern PA, southern upstate NY

[Payton MacDonald]

Hi guys,

First post, hope I'm not going over something that's already been discussed, but I couldn't find any other posts on this.  Just wondering if there are any recommended bikepacking trails in the North Jersey, Eastern PA, southern NY area?  I'd like to start doing some shorter (1-3 day) trips in the next year or so.  Bike most of the day, camp, wake up and trail run for a few hours, then bike some more, repeat. 

Someday I'd love to do the Tour Divide, but with two little kids at home I'm not sure that's the best idea for my marriage ha ha!  So, shorter trips for now. 

Thanks for any tips, awesome forum and site by the way.

Payton

[mikemack]

Hey Payton,

If you're interested in a delightful ride in the New Hampshire north country, I've recently revisited an overnight loop in the White Mountain National Park that I'm going to write up for the forum in the next week after down loading some pics of the ride.  It's a wonderful ride on old logging railroad beds, gravel access roads, great single track, meadows, bogs and hiking trails.  It's a trail system that I've done over the last 15 years many times with friends and family.  It'll be a ride that you'll be able to bring your youngsters on once they're comfortable with riding mountain bikes.  My three kids first rode it in their preteens.

I'll have it posted after the weekend.  So stay tuned!

Mike

[bikeny]

Dragging up an old thread here because there were no answers, and because I am in the area and need some ideas too! Maybe someone has some new routes or areas to check out around here. Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mark

[jhl99]

A couple of us on the forum reconned a North-South route across PA in 2012... the idea was sparked from this thread:
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2564.0.html  (NOTE:  all the links to Windsteam URLs are dead).

We are putting the finishing touches on complete documentation of the route.... it should be released in 4-6 weeks.   This route runs as a point to point through central PA.

JHL99

[Hubcap29erMan]

Yep - jhl99 has put some serious work into putting this route together, it may be exactly what you are looking for.  Stay posted.

[Aurora]

Hey folks --

I am new to bikepacking -- but hoping to get out for a couple of trips this year with my Salsa vaya.  I am in NYC -- so N. NJ, S. NY are all within reach!  Would love to know of some routes. 

Thanks!

[roadpacker]

I've got you covered for Central and South Jersey, South-East PA, NE, NW MD.

Any of those work

[sean salach]

I used to have a lot of North Jersey routes on google earth on my old computer, but that's gone now. Didn't bother saving them as I don't live there anymore. Pretty easy to connect Ringwood, Jungle Habitat, Wildcat Ridge WMA, Mahlon Dickerson, Rockaway River WMA, Berkshire Valley WMA Minnisink County Park, Stephen's/Allamuchy/Deer Park, Lackawana Cutoff and possibly north to Stokes, definitely back east via the Paulinskill Trail and Sussex Branch Trail to KVSP.

Resources:

http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/wmaland.htm
http://www.morrisparks.net/locatormap.asp
http://www.traillink.com/trail/paulinskill-valley-trail.aspx

Lackawanna Cutoff is an abandoned rail bed, that has a 4 wheeler trail running all the way across the Delaware River. Starts in Landing(south end of Lake Hopatcong) behind the Pathmark. Lackawana Cutoff-Paulinskill Trail-Sussex Branch Trail is a @80 mile loop that can be done in a day.


EDIT: Looks like they're rebuilding rail service on the Lackawanna Cutoff! Glad I got to ride it before they started construction, but the rail service is needed too, so I'm glad to see that as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lackawanna_Cut-Off_(NJ_Transit)

[sean salach]

The Rail Trails and Canal Paths can make for a nice tour as well with some short road connectors. Sussex Branch-Paulinskill-road to Easton. Then either west to Allentown and north to Jim Thorpe on canal/rail trails, or down to Philly and out on the Schyukill and connecting trails or over to New Brunswick on the Delaware and Raritan Canal trail.

Resources:

http://www.schuylkillriver.org/trail_pages/first_map_paths.pdf
http://www.dandrcanal.com/park_map03.html
http://www.traillink.com/trail/paulinskill-valley-trail.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/sussex-branch-trail.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--l-trail---delaware-canal-towpath.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--l-trail---lehigh-canal-north.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--l-trail---lehigh-gorge-state-park-trail.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--l-trail---lehigh-canal-south.aspx
http://www.traillink.com/trail/switchback-railroad-trail.aspx

Train maps for traffic free connections:
http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf
http://www.septa.org/maps/system/index.html

[roadpacker]

delaware/raritan is 110 mi, I've done all of 5 of it but I love the area deeply. I'm sure the rest is good too.

[sean salach]

I've ridden all of the trails I mentioned and they're all great touring with minimal road connectors and easy access to peripheral mountain bike trails if you want some more technical and fun options.

Lackawana Cut off is the only one that would require a mountain bike due to ballast, the rest could be done on a cross bike.

[sean salach]

A Great trip would be to start and finish in White Haven, PA and take the following route:

-Lehigh Gorge Trail
-Lehigh Canal Trail North
-Connect Allentown to Green Lane via: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Allentown,+PA+to+Green+Lane,+PA&saddr=Allentown,+PA&daddr=Green+Lane,+PA&hl=en&ll=40.478292,-75.476074&spn=0.310766,0.535583&sll=40.606655,-75.478821&sspn=0.620339,1.071167&geocode=Fa6iawIdeRyA-ynh3EqfkjnEiTGhJGgkS9_56g%3BFX99ZwId9W6A-ykttsQro53GiTHbEYuNXtfkZg&oq=Allentown,+PA+to+green&t=h&dirflg=b&z=11&lci=bike
-Perkiomen Trail
-Schyukill Trail
-Connect to the Delaware Canal Trail trail via a route of your choice. You could go through Philly and North to Bristol or detour around North Philly via backroads from Manayunk to Bristol. Or hop on Septa to Bristol and avoid all of the city traffic and complicated route.  
-Take it all the way up to the crossing at Bull's Island
-D&R trail to New Brunswick
-connect to Stanhope via @45 miles of road.
-Access the Lackawanna Cutoff where it crosses Wills Ave/CR 602 https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=New+brunswick,+nj&daddr=40.902058,-74.7049444+to:Co+Rd+602&hl=en&ll=40.870041,-74.681797&spn=0.077237,0.133896&sll=40.901317,-74.695702&sspn=0.0772,0.133896&geocode=FUjFaQIdlfSP-ymlkmrwVcPDiTEMI455BlWSJQ%3BFaodcAId0BeM-ykLYhh5GXbDiTFrzGCL7QjYZQ%3BFf5ScAId1FCM-w&t=h&dirflg=b&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=13&via=1&z=13&lci=bike
-Sussex Branch to Paulinskill Trail could be substituted for the Cutoff
-at the end of the Cutoff, head south @23 miles on roads to Easton.
-Lehigh Canal Trail South to Allentown
-Connect back to the Lehigh Canal Trail North and the Lehigh Gorge Trail.


Looks like a circa 425 mile route, that could easily be chopped down by eliminating either the Allentown to White Haven portions(100 miles for both legs), the Morrisville to Bull Island portion(@45 miles total), or the New Jersey portion(@85 miles) all together.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Church+St&daddr=40.6055333,-75.4598309+to:40.377116,-75.5145155+to:40.015492,-75.2086479+to:40.079068,-75.225988+to:40.0897727,-75.0701224+to:40.0435964,-75.019672+to:40.1112801,-74.8490837+to:40.123033,-74.8410604+to:40.2314059,-74.8195281+to:40.3138734,-74.9026767+to:40.4058953,-75.0104381+to:40.408741,-75.011617+to:40.2527943,-74.7206615+to:40.3022211,-74.6888044+to:40.5420021,-74.5666541+to:40.6669545,-74.8935045+to:41.0423825,-74.7386642+to:41.089915,-74.765959+to:40.9479375,-75.0601305+to:40.8571322,-75.2702507+to:40.7032788,-75.2496785+to:40.6832587,-75.249278+to:40.6073546,-75.4298242+to:Erie+St&hl=en&ll=40.440676,-75.231628&spn=1.258392,2.158813&sll=40.634799,-75.206909&sspn=0.313689,0.539703&geocode=Fd2FcgIdULt7-w%3BFV2XawIdCpOA-ykDqKO6ZznEiTF3oRletVbgOA%3BFRwbaAIdbb1_-ynTvk0I7yfEiTH-kssOliGUzA%3BFYSWYgIdOWiE-ynPQnh8j7jGiTEOs0_TWWTMtA%3BFdyOYwIdfCSE-ykrkRVAXbnGiTHRBcJTx6qNPg%3BFay4YwIdVoWG-yl_M-a-Z7HGiTFvYdxDgvzxJg%3BFUwEYwIdaEqH-ymPeJ4xYbTGiTGaW8rQdFlyDg%3BFbAMZAIdxeSJ-ylDJw-zI07BiTGXlplLWKnnFQ%3BFZk6ZAIdHASK-ymtO9Qo2lHBiTEQz86S5DsB7g%3BFe3hZQIdOFiK-ykHy-koB1fBiTEMPMLAC3n92w%3BFREkZwIdbBOJ-ykRP_u9a_7DiTG4YBhJIvZsUQ%3BFYeLaAIdem6H-ykJN6vt4QbEiTEiQI2z48PHOw%3BFaWWaAId32mH-ylFFr82GwfEiTF4JUUmqLOH9g%3BFXo1ZgIda9qL-yknNfOynVjBiTGb_cdtcv9nNA%3BFY32ZgId3FaM-ynVode11OPDiTFs8_y2mAeaYA%3BFTKfagIdAjSO-ylDvY9Re8DDiTH5LUPo0MoYoA%3BFUqHbAIdQDeJ-yn3ww3t64vDiTFd7klQL-r_9g%3BFc5BcgIdGJSL-ylJGqzWNXDDiTEyDdmkIf4d4A%3BFXv7cgIdeSmL-ynnGzOBkG_DiTGR8OWX5u_8vw%3BFeHQcAIdXqyG-ylL2p65rIDEiTEfQrQ-4ja1aw%3BFSxubwIdlneD-ynfeuos82bEiTEYyjeN1r84qg%3BFS4VbQId8seD-ym3bchhimvEiTEanrfiB7d4sA%3BFfrGbAIdgsmD-ynZrIKVfWvEiTH62EXuYJWuqg%3BFXqeawIdQAiB-ylN7IdQvz7EiTH4HDX8vAEITw%3BFYJ9cgIdOch7-w&t=h&dirflg=b&mra=dvme&mrsp=22&sz=11&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&z=9&lci=bike

The map isn't a perfect representation of the route, as google maps doesn't have some of the accessible portions of the trails mapped out and I just clicked through it quickly. I've also modified the route a bit to include Wissahickon park, Pennypack Park and the Columbia Trail in NJ.

[roadpacker]

railstotrails.org

Sign up, and view the map where they list all rail trails. Good resource.

[Badass Buddha]

That's a nice route.  I'd be game to do that at the end of this summer with some folks.  (After the TD.)

[Aurora]

That sounds super fun!  Thanks.

And I would be up for doing it with others!