What kind of rides is everyone interested in? What distances do you have in mind? Here are some thoughts right off the top of my head:
The only scenic section of the Henry Hudson Trail is the very short section between Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. So, a nice ride could be to start from Atlantic Highlands, ride along the Raritan Bay into Highlands, then cross the bridge over the Shrewsbury River (a little bit of a climb) and hit Sandy Hook, which is really nice. Once there, you can ride along Sandy Hook Bay, ride past old officers quarters, gun emplacements, and a lighthouse. This is a 25-30 mile round trip. (But starting from the Matawan train station to the west would add another 20 miles to the round trip.) Another option is Patriots Path, which one can pick up not too far from the Morristown train station (actually, Morris Plains might be better to avoid Morristown traffic). Starting from Speedwell Lake, the eastern part is paved, but it turns to dirt singletrack soon enough for the rest of the way westward. It's all off road, cross-country stuff -- diverse landscapes, mostly flat, but there are some rollers and a few short but steep hills in the middle with roots (you can always get off your bike and hike it up). The area gets progressively less suburban as you head further west, and by the time you reach Mendham, there's even a nice little water crossing. It's about a 20 mile round trip from Morristown to Mendham and back. If you're looking for just a little chill ride for a get-together, another place is the Loantaka Brook Reservation (Morristown area), coupled with some road stretches in the area with the Traction Line Trail. (Getting off the train at Convent Station will put you off literally right alongside the Traction Line Trail.) Nice, varied terrain, although the trails tend to get crowded on the weekend. The D&R Canal towpath is nice. The more scenic section is the one that runs along the Delaware River (but might be too far for New Yorkers). There's also a section between New Brunswick and Trenton with a nice stretch around Princeton. An option could be to get off the train at Bound Brook, pick up the trail there, and head south to Kingston and Princeton (but that's around a 40-mile round trip, mostly through nothing but trees along a canal). The Columbia Trail is another nice one. There's a train stop very close to the southern trailhead at High Bridge, but the trains don't go that far west on weekends. But from there, it's a 22-mile round trip between there and the Long Valley Brew Pub. Bob E Cranford, NJ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/d5ae097f-7f78-4664-8549-f8a502190bd9o%40googlegroups.com.
