The Paulinskill Valley Trail is a rail trail along the Paulins Kill river in New Jersey . It is the sixth longest trail in the state at 27 miles (43 km). It was originally a right-of-way of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and the Blairstown Railway .
7-517: Vestiges of the railroad remain including several bridges, stations, mileage markers, telegraph poles and other railway artifacts. There are also numerous benches and signs explaining the history of the trail and its artifacts. Over 200 species of birds have been sighted on the trail as well as a multitude of other wildlife. The Paulinskill Valley Trail intersects the Sussex Branch Trail at Warbasse Junction just north of Newton as well as
14-649: Is a rail trail in New Jersey , United States , with a total length of 20 miles (32 km). The Sussex Branch Trail follows a portion of the Sussex Branch line of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad (and predecessor Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad that traverses through Sussex County from Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Byram Township to Branchville . New Jersey acquired
21-691: Is now the trail. In 1962, the railroad ceased its operations on this line, and the tracks were removed. In 1985, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection organized a meeting in Blairstown to decide what should be done with the intention of buying the land. A year later, in 1986, the NJDEP bought the land. 41°00′49″N 74°52′51″W / 41.0136807°N 74.8807643°W / 41.0136807; -74.8807643 Sussex Branch Trail The Sussex Branch Trail
28-490: The 3.5-mile Great Valley Rail Trail, along Paulins Kill Lake. The trail is frequented by hikers, bicyclists, joggers and people who are just out for a stroll. Horseback riding is also permitted. Access is denied to motor vehicles, however, although trailheads typically provide some modest amount of parking. Although the trail is generally well-maintained from the Paulinskill Viaduct north, south of that location
35-471: The quality of the trail is somewhat uneven. Over the years there have been surprisingly few encroachments onto the right-of-way. The most notable encroachment is at Blairstown Airport where the trail ceases to exist for about a half-mile (1 km). Signage directs the hiker to where the trail continues. In 1886, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad built the first part of the railway tracks that
42-537: The right-of-way for the trail in two transactions during 1979 and 1982. The trail transects swamps, lakes, fields and several small communities. There are many features of the trail's former life as a railroad, including cuts through bedrock, underpasses for farm equipment and bridges crossing the Pequest River and Paulinskill River . It goes under the Pequest Fill south of Andover . The cinder base of
49-569: The trail is suitable for hiking, horseback riding, biking and cross-country skiing. The Sussex Branch Trail also crosses through Kittatinny Valley State Park . The Sussex Branch Trail intersects the Paulinskill Valley Trail at Warbasse Junction just north of Newton as well as the 3.5-mile Great Valley Rail Trail in Augusta , south of Branchville, New Jersey. This United States trail or long-distance path–related article
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