Authored By: The Circuit Trails | October 15, 2024

There are few places where you can enjoy fitness, nature, history and community at the same time– within the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park you can access all that, and it’s free.

Fifty years ago, on Oct. 10, New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne signed legislation to create the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, a 70-mile linear park in central New Jersey. Today, the D&R Canal State Park is the second most visited park in the state and one of the most popular trails in the more than 411-mile Circuit Trails network.

The D&R Canal was built in the 1830s and operated for nearly 100 years, bringing coal, agricultural products and other goods to New York City from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Before the days of steam engines, canal boats were towed by mules that used the towpath parallel to the canal. Once its work was supplanted by freight trains, the canal was abandoned and reverted to state ownership. After several decades, the state decided to preserve the canal and use it as a recreation resource and public water supply.

The D&R Canal State Park trail follows a “V-shaped” route alongside two canal systems for 70 miles—the Main Canal, which stretches from New Brunswick to Trenton, and the Feeder Canal, which follows the Delaware River from Trenton to Frenchtown.

Linda Barth, president of D&R Canal Watch, a nonprofit group that organizes volunteer projects and raises funds for the park, believes that the park is one of the state’s best outdoor recreation resources. And her husband, Bob agrees.

For those who use the park regularly, there’s a sense of ownership and belonging.

“I’ve been on a lot of state parks in New Jersey, but the D&R is unique in that when you talk to people about the park, they say ‘It’s my park, the D&R is mine.’ It’s very personal to the people who use it,” said Bob Barth, a member of the D&R Canal Watch’s Board of Trustees.

But its status as a hidden gem to so many in the park’s neighboring communities and this milestone anniversary inspired D&R Canal Watch to create the Tour de Towpath, a series of cycling, running and walking events along the towpath. The Tour de Towpath is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26. The event includes four different routes for exploration at all different fitness levels. Those interested, can register here.

“Approximately 310,000 people live within a mile of the D&R Canal State Park, and yet, a remarkable number of people do not know about it. People will commute past the park, driving over or through it, without even realizing,” said Brad Fay, founder of Discover Central New Jersey. “The park and trail go through suburbs, rural agricultural areas and urban areas such as Trenton and New Brunswick, where access to the outdoors is sometimes very limited, but very necessary. Our goal with the Tour de Towpath is to expand the number of people who are taking advantage of this public resource.”

The Tour de Towpath is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26. The event includes four different routes for exploration at all different fitness levels. For bicyclists, there’s a flagship 50-mile bicycle ride to Colonial Park in Franklin Township and a 20-mile cycling route to Princeton’s Turning Basin Park. Walkers and runners can participate in a non-competitive half-marathon run/walk to Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell and a 5k fun run/walk. A festival at the City of Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, featuring music and a community village with local nonprofits will await participants at the finish line.

“We are grateful for the support of the New Jersey State Parks, the Canal Commission, the City of Trenton, and more than a dozen businesses and nonprofit groups, including our lead sponsor, Capital Health,” said Linda Barth.

Don’t miss your chance to explore the Towpath during this unique event on Oct. 26! All pre-registered volunteers and participants will receive an event T-shirt. Visit https://www.bikereg.com/tour-de-towpath-2024 to learn more, register or donate. Registration is $50 in advance and $60 the morning of the event; volunteer registration is free.