Towpath Access with Maps

The section contains a a map listing of ALL of the entrances to the towpath of the Main Canal. Each entrance is shown on a google map and there is a short description. Some entrances provide access for pedestrians or bicyclists, whereas others have parking. Canoes, kayaks and boats can also be launched into the canal. Facilities, i.e., toilets, are rare, and are listed on the guide below. There is no access to food and water on the towpath itself or in the nearby properties of the D&R Canal State Park. For some entrances, Towpathguy has listed the location of nearby amenities. The google maps of each entrance allow you to search for nearby restaurants. Hotels are located near to the towpath only at the Davidson Avenue and Bakers Basin Road entrances.

The northern terminus of the towpath is at Landing Lane in New Brunswick in Middlesex County, and the southern terminus is at Mulberry Road in Trenton in Mercer County. In between, the canal and towpath pass through Somerset, South Bound Brook, East Millstone, Griggstown, Rocky Hill, Kingston, Princeton, Lawrence, and Hamilton. The total rideable/hikable/runnable distance is 33.9 miles (54.6 km).

If you live in any of these towns, you have easy access to the towpath and canal from one or more of a variety of entrances (see the map below). In addition, for much its length the towpath runs right along the border of two towns, so the residents of Highland Park, Piscataway, Bound Brook, Manville, Millstone, Hillsborough, and Montgomery also have easy to this haven for bicyclists and runners.

The official website of the D&R state park has maps and a mileage chart for the Main Canal (and also,of course, for the Feeder Canal on the Delaware River). The D&R maps and charts show parking and picnic areas. The availability of parking obviously increases access especially if you live far from the towpath, dread biking on the street or have children who are not quite ready for fighting NJ traffic. A bonus not evident from the D&R maps is that several of the park entrances are near a NJ Transit station which makes access for bicyclists from northern NJ, New York City or Philadelphia possible!

The list provided here (below the map) details the towpath access points from north to south. This list includes information not available elsewhere including restrooms (rare), restaurants, hotels, museums, and, where needed, detailed directions for both drivers and bicyclists.

Access Points to the Main Canal. Green dots indicate entrances with parking; red dots indicates the presence of parking and toilets; blue dots are for pedestrian and/or bicycle accss. View Larger Map

The access points to the Main Canal towpath from north to south.

1. Landing Lane (parking in Johnson Park, close to Rutgers University and UMDNJ, 1 mile from NJ Transit in New Brunswick)


2. DeMott Lane Footbridge (parking)


3. Davidson Avenue Lock - 5 Mile Lock (parking, hotels, close to I-287)


4. Converted Rail Bridge


5. Queens Bridge (1/2 mile from NJ Transit in Bound Brook)


6. South Bound Brook Lock (parking, picnic area)


7. Footbridge on Weston Canal Rd.


8. 10 Mile Lock (parking)


9. Zarephath


10. Manville Causeway (parking)


11. Colonial Park Footbridge -- proposed by Somerset County Park Commission -- bids supposedly out, estimated completion in 2010, according to the D&R Canal Main Office.
    


12. Amwell Road (parking)


13. Blackwells Mill Road (parking, picnic area)


14. Griggstown Causeway (parking, picnic area)


15. Griggstown Lock (parking)


16. Little Valley (parking)


17. Rocky Hill (parking)


18. Kingston Lock (parking)


19. Millstone Aqueduct (parking, picnic area)


20. Harrison Street


21. Washington Road


22. Alexander Road (parking, picnic area, 1/2 mile from NJ Transit in Princeton Junction)


23. Institute Woods -- pedestrians only (no bikes!)


24. Port Mercer/Quaker Bridge Rd (parking, picnic area)


25. Provinceline Road


26. Brearley House Trail


27. U.S. Route 1 (parking)


28. Bakers Basin Road


29. Carnegie Road (parking), 3/4 mile from NJ Transit in Hamilton).


30. Whitehead Road (1/2 mile from NJ Transit in Hamilton).


31. Mulberry Road -- (1.8 mile from NJ Transit in Trenton).

DeMott Lane Footbridge

This entrance is convenient to the Quailbrook section of Somerset. The actual entrance is a wooden footbridge across the canal.

Footbridge to the towpath at DeMott Lane

The footbridge is located at the end of a single lane paved access road. The access road, a northern continuation of DeMott Lane, is shared with the Van Wickle House, built in 1722 and now owned by The Meadows Foundation. The access road also marks the eastern border of the athletic fields of Rutgers Prep, a private school (pre-K-12).

Note: The footbridge was washed out on Sunday, August 28, 2011, due to the flooding following Hurricane Irene. A replacement project was announced in June, 2012. Towpathguy no longer lives in the area so please provide progress reports.

View Larger Map
On a bike or in a car the best way to get to the access road is to come down DeMott Lane and just go straight -- use the middle lane (marked as a left-turn lane). From Easton Avenue westbound (towards 287) turn right at the light. If you miss the turn, go past Rutgers Prep and use the jug-handle at Willow to make a u-turn and follow the instructions in the next sentence. From Easton Avenue eastbound (towards New Brunswick) take the jug-handle at DeMott. Turn left at DeMott and enter the access road from the middle lane. There is a sign "Towpass Access" at the Easton Avenue end of the access road. The sign is attached to the bottom of the sign for The Meadows.

There is a sidewalk/bikepath on the south side of Easton Avenue. DeMott Lane is rideable and on the west side of the street there is a sidewalk/bikepath from Amwell Road which, unfortunately, ends about 100 yards short of Easton Avenue.

There is angle parking at the end of the access road for about 8-9 cars and more parking at the Van Wickle House, just to the right.

Finally, in the canal to the right of the footbridge is a small floating dock. This makes a good spot for launching a kayak or canoe. Now (Sept., 2008), the floating dock is loose at one end and is a little difficult to reach -- the D&R Canal office has been notified and will send a repair team.

Davidson Avenue Lock -- 5 Mile Lock

Attn: Access to the parking area at this entrance is temporarily closed -- 8/25/08-late October

(10/11/08) Update to Davidson Avenue/5 Mile Lock Temporary Closure.

• The parking lot here is closed and PSE&G crews have prepared a path from the parking lot to the canal and river. Bicycle and pedestrian access is still possible. The towpath itself remains open, but the D&R Office says that it might be closed in the near future for a short time. 

The Davidson Avenue Lock is also known as 5-mile lock. This lock, like the other locks on the canal, has been converted into a sluice. There's a 5-6 foot change in the canal level at this sluice, and it seems to be a favorite site for many fishermen.

View Larger Map
There's parking for about 8-10 cars at this entrance, but since it is adjacent to the interchange of I-287 and Easton Avenue (Exit 10) getting there by car is a bit tricky as there access only from Easton Avenue westbound. This means going around the interchange and under I-287 and onto Easton Avenue in the right lane so that you can turn into the parking lot.

By bike, it's a bit easier as there is a sidewalk/bikepath on the north side of Easton Avenue between Cedar Grove Lane and Davidson Avenue. Cross Easton at one of these two lights and use the bikepath. Incidentally, Cedar Grove is fairly wide and has a bike lane on both sides. Davidson is wide and relative lightly used on weekends.

This entrance is the only one with easy access to hotels; there are at least 10 of them within a mile of this entrance -- you can use the map above to find them or enter "hotels near davidson avenue in somerset, nj" into the search box below. (Note: The Quality Inn on the corner of Easton and World's Fair has a swimmable (~22 yds with lane ropes) lap pool.) There is a large drug store and other shops at Easton and Cedar Grove. West of this entrance Easton Avenue narrows and the speed limit drops as it becomes Main Street in South Bound Brook. In short, this is quite suitable for bikers -- note that there is rigorous enforcement of the lowered speed limit in this area.

There's a selection of shops and a few restaurants between here and the Queens Bridge entrance, mostly closer to Queens Bridge than to here.