Columbia Trail is a 15.1-mile former railroad corridor in northwestern New Jersey that now serves walkers and cyclists on a mostly flat crushed-stone route from High Bridge to Washington Township. Built as the Central Railroad of New Jersey’s High Bridge Branch, it reached High Bridge in 1876 to haul coal and iron ore from Morris County mines to ironworks and foundries, and it also carried passengers until 1935. Declared redundant in 1976, the line lost its tracks in 1980 and was later adapted for recreation after Columbia Gas installed a pipeline. Its scenic highlights include Ken Lockwood Gorge, while traces of the old railroad and memories of an 1885 derailment remain along the route.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Washington Township, New Jersey · USA