458:
431:
29:
443:
271:, by Larry Lowenthal, indicates this was engine 112 and does not indicate it had a name. A contemporary account of the wreck in the Iron Era newspaper does not cite a name, only the engine number. If the locomotive had a name it's probable it would have been mentioned in those days. The trail is, instead, most likely named for the Columbia Gas Pipeline. Minutes of meetings in Hunterdon Parks indicate that Hunterdon suggested the name "Columbia Trail", much to the satisfaction of the gas company. Recent oppositions to gas utilities, and their relationship to
275:(aka "Fracking") have spurred public outcry to rename the route "High Bridge Branch Trail", a more historically accurate and less controversial tag. Furthermore, it may be considered a conflict of interest for a government agency to promote a private industry such as Columbia Gas in name and associated publications (tax payer funded maps, guides, interpretive signage, etc.).
640:
390:
There are few remnants of the former rail line along the trail, except for the occasional rotting railroad cross ties along the trail. There is a small section of track preserved in
Califon and a small and rarely open museum dedicated to the rail line history is located in the preserved train station
319:
and west towards
Schooley's Mountain Park. Also in Long Valley the trail runs adjacent to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection South Branch Wildlife Management Area which has some unmarked trails to the north.
259:
The
Hunterdon County Division of Parks and Recreation and Morris County Park Commission now operate and maintain the trail under lease, although ownership of the right-of-way remains with the Columbia Gas Company.
410:
at the border with Mt. Olive on
Bartley Road (Morris Cty 625). There is a small public parking area across from the current end of the Morristown & Erie rail line. There is another public parking area in
457:
430:
650:
865:
880:
875:
217:
Lewis H Taylor, a member of the trustees of the
Central Jersey Railroad, brought the railroad to High Bridge in 1876. The branch line was originally built to transport coal and
870:
707:
135:
407:
292:
202:
71:
256:
along the length of the trail. The trail and bridges were resurfaced in 2004. Since then, it has been a recreational trail serving the surrounding communities.
323:
Beyond the northeastern end of the trail on the border of
Washington and Mt. Olive Townships, an active rail line is still in service and operated by the
621:
442:
512:
496:
665:
700:
267:
on April 18, 1885. An iron ore train led by the coincidentally named
Columbia Engine derailed on the trestle and crashed into the river below.
415:
off
Schooley's Mountain Road between Fairview Avenue and Maple Lane, across from The Coffee Potter (the old Long Valley train station when the
403:
at 79 Main Street. The trail begins on the east side of Main Street across from the entrance to
Commons Park, where parking is available.
860:
693:
716:
530:
772:
590:
757:
416:
187:
125:
222:
316:
209:
for a total of 15.1 miles (24.3 km). The trail surface is relatively flat and consists mostly of fine crushed stone.
120:
288:
198:
50:
28:
324:
813:
777:
551:
372:
300:
644:
464:
296:
264:
245:
206:
54:
829:
762:
565:
484:
566:"The 1880s - the Iron Era Newspaper Online: Rockaway Township Free Public Library - Rockaway, New Jersey, NJ"
500:
747:
412:
400:
354:
339:
308:
284:
253:
194:
67:
767:
732:
752:
798:
272:
673:
839:
742:
350:
335:
328:
304:
230:
737:
449:
346:
332:
234:
190:
793:
834:
615:
312:
803:
548:"The Gorge Bridge Train Wreck. The High Bridge Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey"
534:
516:
303:
parallels the trail along most of its route across two counties. The trail passes through
655:
527:
384:
854:
685:
597:
108:
380:
249:
183:
179:
113:
661:
151:
137:
226:
61:
639:
375:
parallels the trail through the gorge, and is a scenic fast-flowing small
218:
724:
241:
85:
680:
547:
81:
569:
376:
689:
244:, and the rails were dismantled in 1980. In the mid-1990s, the
248:
company bought the trail right-of-way and laid an underground
436:
Trailside view of Lake
Solitude and Waterfall in High Bridge
240:
In 1976, the branch was deemed redundant by its new owner,
546:
County of Hunterdon - Department of Parks and Recreation.
225:, the oldest foundry in United States History, and other
822:
786:
723:
119:
107:
99:
91:
77:
60:
46:
38:
21:
656:Rails to Trails Conservancy Trail Information Page
338:at High Bridge and connects to Patriots Path in
237:was also used for passenger traffic until 1935.
866:Protected areas of Hunterdon County, New Jersey
387:carries the trail over the river in the gorge.
345:A notable portion of the Columbia Trail is the
881:Transportation in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
311:in Morris County. Just north of Long Valley,
701:
186:. It was created from portions of the former
8:
876:Protected areas of Morris County, New Jersey
871:Transportation in Morris County, New Jersey
674:"Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Columbia Trail"
221:from mines in Morris County for use in the
708:
694:
686:
676:. NY–NJ Trail Conference. 21 October 2016.
269:Iron Mine Railroads of Northern New Jersey
379:with recreational activities, especially
299:. The route is scenic, as the meandering
33:Columbia Trail in High Bridge, New Jersey
477:
426:
620:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
613:
497:"Official Web site - Hunterdon County"
18:
419:train line passed through the area).
406:The northern trailhead is located in
399:The southern trailhead is located in
223:Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company
7:
666:New York–New Jersey Trail Conference
371:miles north of High Bridge). The
14:
717:List of Rail Trails in New Jersey
528:Official Web site - Morris County
373:South Branch of the Raritan River
301:South Branch of the Raritan River
638:
456:
441:
429:
27:
758:Traction Line Recreation Trail
651:Columbia Trail mountain biking
417:Central Railroad of New Jersey
263:A train wreck occurred on the
188:Central Railroad of New Jersey
126:Central Railroad of New Jersey
1:
283:The Columbia Trail runs from
331:. The trail connects to the
315:provides links east towards
16:Rail trail in New Jersey, US
325:Morristown and Erie Railway
42:15.0 mi (24.1 km)
897:
814:Union Transportation Trail
778:United States Avenue Trail
552:Historical Marker Database
861:Rail trails in New Jersey
465:Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge
265:Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge
246:Columbia Gas Transmission
26:
830:Paulinskill Valley Trail
763:Monroe Township Bikepath
383:. A 60-foot (18 m)
307:in Hunterdon County and
748:Atlantic County Bikeway
768:Somers Point Bike Path
733:Capital to Coast Trail
182:in rural northwestern
753:Barnegat Branch Trail
152:40.74722°N 74.82611°W
823:Ballast/dirt/natural
799:Pemberton Rail-Trail
647:at Wikimedia Commons
448:Passing through the
391:in the town center.
273:hydraulic fracturing
840:Sussex Branch Trail
794:D&R Canal Trail
743:Edgar Felix Bikeway
336:Raritan Valley Line
293:Washington Township
252:pipeline under the
203:Washington Township
193:and stretches from
157:40.74722; -74.82611
147: /
72:Washington Township
773:Middlesex Greenway
738:Henry Hudson Trail
668:. 21 October 2016.
533:2014-05-14 at the
515:2017-10-03 at the
450:Ken Lockwood Gorge
347:Ken Lockwood Gorge
333:New Jersey Transit
235:High Bridge Branch
229:at High Bridge or
191:High Bridge Branch
70:, Bartley Road in
848:
847:
643:Media related to
131:
130:
888:
804:West Essex Trail
710:
703:
696:
687:
677:
669:
662:"Columbia Trail"
642:
626:
625:
619:
611:
609:
608:
602:
596:. Archived from
595:
587:
581:
580:
578:
577:
568:. Archived from
562:
556:
555:
543:
537:
525:
519:
511:
509:
508:
499:. Archived from
493:
487:
485:Connecting trail
482:
463:Approaching the
460:
445:
433:
370:
369:
365:
362:
317:County Route 513
289:Hunterdon County
199:Hunterdon County
171:
170:
168:
167:
166:
164:
159:
158:
153:
148:
145:
144:
143:
140:
51:Hunterdon County
31:
19:
896:
895:
891:
890:
889:
887:
886:
885:
851:
850:
849:
844:
818:
782:
719:
714:
672:
660:
635:
630:
629:
612:
606:
604:
600:
593:
591:"Archived copy"
589:
588:
584:
575:
573:
564:
563:
559:
545:
544:
540:
535:Wayback Machine
526:
522:
517:Wayback Machine
506:
504:
495:
494:
490:
483:
479:
474:
467:
461:
452:
446:
437:
434:
425:
397:
367:
363:
360:
358:
281:
215:
162:
160:
156:
154:
150:
149:
146:
141:
138:
136:
134:
133:
66:Main Street in
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
894:
892:
884:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
853:
852:
846:
845:
843:
842:
837:
835:Patriots' Path
832:
826:
824:
820:
819:
817:
816:
811:
809:Columbia Trail
806:
801:
796:
790:
788:
784:
783:
781:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
729:
727:
721:
720:
715:
713:
712:
705:
698:
690:
684:
683:
678:
670:
658:
653:
648:
645:Columbia Trail
634:
633:External links
631:
628:
627:
582:
557:
538:
520:
488:
476:
475:
473:
470:
469:
468:
462:
455:
453:
447:
440:
438:
435:
428:
424:
421:
408:Washington Twp
396:
393:
313:Patriots' Path
280:
277:
214:
211:
176:Columbia Trail
163:Columbia Trail
129:
128:
123:
117:
116:
111:
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
79:
75:
74:
64:
58:
57:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
22:Columbia Trail
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
893:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
858:
856:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
827:
825:
821:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
791:
789:
785:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
730:
728:
726:
722:
718:
711:
706:
704:
699:
697:
692:
691:
688:
682:
681:Photo Gallery
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
646:
641:
637:
636:
632:
623:
617:
603:on 2014-10-17
599:
592:
586:
583:
572:on 2014-10-17
571:
567:
561:
558:
553:
549:
542:
539:
536:
532:
529:
524:
521:
518:
514:
503:on 2017-10-03
502:
498:
492:
489:
486:
481:
478:
471:
466:
459:
454:
451:
444:
439:
432:
427:
422:
420:
418:
414:
409:
404:
402:
394:
392:
388:
386:
382:
378:
374:
356:
352:
348:
343:
341:
337:
334:
330:
326:
321:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
297:Morris County
294:
291:northeast to
290:
286:
278:
276:
274:
270:
266:
261:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
238:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
212:
210:
208:
207:Morris County
204:
200:
196:
192:
189:
185:
181:
177:
172:
169:
127:
124:
122:
118:
115:
112:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73:
69:
65:
63:
59:
56:
55:Morris County
52:
49:
45:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
808:
605:. Retrieved
598:the original
585:
574:. Retrieved
570:the original
560:
541:
523:
505:. Retrieved
501:the original
491:
480:
405:
398:
395:Trail access
389:
344:
322:
282:
268:
262:
258:
254:right-of-way
239:
216:
175:
173:
132:
121:Right of way
413:Long Valley
401:High Bridge
381:fly fishing
355:High Bridge
340:Long Valley
309:Long Valley
285:High Bridge
195:High Bridge
155: /
68:High Bridge
855:Categories
787:Stone Dust
607:2014-10-13
576:2014-10-13
507:2018-12-12
472:References
349:, between
201:, through
184:New Jersey
180:rail trail
161: (
142:74°49′34″W
139:40°44′50″N
114:Stone dust
103:Year round
92:Difficulty
62:Trailheads
227:foundries
616:cite web
531:Archived
513:Archived
219:iron ore
47:Location
725:Asphalt
423:Gallery
385:trestle
366:⁄
351:Califon
329:Wharton
305:Califon
242:Conrail
231:Wharton
213:History
109:Surface
86:Cycling
233:. The
100:Season
82:Hiking
53:&
39:Length
601:(PDF)
594:(PDF)
377:river
279:Route
205:, in
197:, in
178:is a
622:link
353:and
174:The
95:Easy
327:to
295:in
287:in
250:gas
78:Use
857::
664:.
618:}}
614:{{
550:.
342:.
84:,
709:e
702:t
695:v
624:)
610:.
579:.
554:.
510:.
368:2
364:1
361:+
359:2
357:(
165:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
