Hike Distance: 5.98 miles
My Map:
February was a busy month, and received much snow. Having gotten some hiking gifts form the holidays, I waited for the first good weekend day. There is store nearby that sells hiking and camping supplies of which I have been the beneficiary (Canyon Pass Provisions) and today was the day to put them to the test. When I figure out how I’ll handle product reviews, I’ll start including them here.
This is part 1, part 2 will be included in the next post.
The pandemic has kept me busy with work and unable to hike. I figured, before I start tackling more challenging terrain I had better get back into hiking shape. A jaunt down the Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath should do just the trick.
I started at Bull’s Island recreation center and immediately was presented by the canal.
For this section of the hike, you will hike on the Eastern side of the canal. The trail is flat and shaded in this section with benches every so often.
If you are looking for silence, this is not the hike for you. On your left (for the whole hike) will be Route 29, which is fairly busy. Sometimes you are 10 feet from the road, sometimes a little more. But, it is always there, and there is always traffic. The canal will be on your right, and sometimes a handful of yards away, and sometimes you cannot even see it.
Spring is just starting, so there is not much green. I did find this interesting mile marker which I believe from an old route.
This section of the trail is actually routed over the old Delaware & Belvidere railbed, though I did not see evidence of that. The trail is crushed gravel and makes for easy walking. There are signs every so often with explanations of how the canal worked and archaeological finds.
I reached Prallsville Mills earlier than I anticipated, and none of the buildings were open. This means I’ll be back another day to visit.
As I reached Prallsville Mills earlier than expected, I decided to beast it back to the car and do a second section of the D&R Canal that I was saving for a second day.
This is a great park and a long trail (almost 70 miles) and was a perfect way to get back into hiking shape. You cannot really get lost, there’s one trail. On this section of the trail I passed a bunch of people walking and numerous bikes, but it was not overly crowded – even on a gorgeous sunny day.
Ticks: 0
Blazes: (none, but mile markers every so often.)
Hiked: 3/13/2021