D&R Canal Towpath Ride

Cyclists of all ages have made the D&R Canal Towpath Ride one of New Jersey’s favorite riding tours. Whether you’re captivated by history, a love of nature, or just looking for a wonderful afternoon of great exercise, the D&R tour offers something for everyone. You’ll pass by 19th century mills and lockkeeper houses, stone-arched culverts, and an abundance of river wildlife as you ride along the former towpath and railroad tracks that run along the Delaware River from Ewing to Frenchtown.

If you’re ready to take a break from all that pedaling, there are plenty of places to eat and shops to browse in, right off the path. One more reason the route is so popular, is the trail is surfaced with compacted grit, providing a smooth, enjoyable ride.

In its heyday the main canal connected the Delaware and Raritan rivers from Trenton to New Brunswick. Between 1834 and 1933, it was used for transporting goods, mainly coal, to the industrial cities in northern New Jersey and New York City.

The area, designated as D&R Canal State Park in 1974, is made up of 60 miles of canal paths winding through quaint little towns, beautiful scenery and a pristine wildlife corridor.

The Northern Section
Traveling between Prallsville Mills, the headquarters of the D&R Canal Commission, and Frenchtown, you’ll actually pass through the Bull’s Island section of the D&R Canal Park. This is where the feeder canal actually begins. Between Prallsville Mills and Frenchtown, you can create a loop trail by traveling the towpath in one direction and Route 29 (there is a wide paved shoulder) in the other.

When you reach Frenchtown, you’ll be following an abandoned railroad right of way. Parking is available at Prallsville Mills, Bull’s Island, and in Frenchtown, just off Bridge Street.

The Central Section
This part of the ride passes through the picturesque river towns of Lambertville and Stockton and fine tree-lined streets, Victorian houses, Federal row homes, as well as unique shops and galleries just off your route. Look for parking facilities at Route 523 on the northern end of this section, or right off Route 202 on the southern end. Try Jimison Farmstead in Lambertville.

The Southern Section
Between Lower Ferry Road in Ewing Township and Lambertville, the path passes through Washington Crossing State Park, which boasts a number of recreational diversions. No need to worry about parking — it’s available next to the towpath. You can get to the main section of the park on a loop road via a pedestrian bridge that crosses Route 29. Limited parking is also available at other access points along the canal.

File Formats

KML (15k)
Use to view tour guide routes in a mapping application on a desktop computer, mobile device or GPS device.
Geospatial PDF (1m)
Use to view your current location along the tour guide routes using a GPS enabled mobile device.
PDF (1m)
Use to view or print the tour guide routes in a brochure format.

Instructions for using these files formats is available.