Hike #32; Frenchtown to Lambertville

 Hike #32

Jer and I with an abandoned passenger car along the Bel Del in Lambertville.

Hike 32

 

4/22/1

 

After the previous hike, my interest in the Belvidere and Delaware Railroad was growing,

and I wanted to see more of it further south. Jeremiah Apgar was interested in doing

another hike as well, and he came to me with the idea of doing part of the Bel Del right of

way in Delaware and Rariton Canal State Park.

Along the Delaware and the Bel Del Railroad grade near 12th Street, Frenchtown

The Delaware and Rariton Canal was was an artificial waterway, one of two, that crossed

the state of NJ (the other being the Morris Canal). It entered land at the tidewater in New

Brunswick and crossed to the Delaware in Trenton, with a feeder canal going north to

Bull’s Island, and south to Crosswicks Creek Frieght and passengers were carried via the

canal, towed by a team of two mules. This was a major source of transportation before the

coming of the railroad. The Bel Del was built years later along the canal, and on it’s own

route later.

Along the Bel Del Railroad grade, Frenchtown

Jeremiah had a map and a good familiarity with the park, which now encompassed much

of the railroad abandonment. Though I had not walked the section between Phillipsburg

and Frenchtown, I would soon, and this section between Frenchtown and Fireman’s Eddy,

Lambertville would be an exciting new section to see. With Jeremiah’s familiarity with it I

could learn a lot. Aside from Jeremiah, Cathy also came along for her second long hike.

After spotting a car in Lambertville, we headed up to 12th Street in Frenchtown and

began walking. At the time we did not know how far the canal stretched northward, and

were looking for remnants, but I have since found that it’s northern terminus was Bull’s

Island further down.

The pathway was totally flat with no ballast, though it’s improved surface was hard and

tough on the feet after a long distance. It seemed tht the time went by fast, and that we

were covering significant distance, however we thought we were futher along the we

really were. It was a beautiful day, and during it’s course the leaves began budding. It was

much greener when we finished than when we started.

Bulls Island NJ

Going over the maps at Bulls Island

When we reached Bulls Island, where the park office is, we stopped and refilled our

water. Cathy hated the taste of the water from their pump, though I’ve had far worse. The

canal began here, but remained separate from the railroad grade until we reached

Prallsville. Before this point, much of the canal is either obliterated or in decay.

Moving on, we stopped for a break in Stockton, where we got some food. Both Cathy

and Jer were getting tired, and the sandwich Cathy ordered was not cooked well at all.

As we neared Lambertville, the canal towpath and railroad bed separated again. Just north

of town, a branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, now abandoned, came in from the

northeast. An old passenger car was parked here, so we explored it.

Old quarry along the railroad bed near Prallsville

Former Bel Del Railroad bed just north of Lambertville

Bel Del Railroad tracks in Lambertville

The temperature had gotten quite high, and Jer commented that he was ready to jump in

the uninviting looking canal. He kept trying to get me to have a beer with him, which for

some reason I refused. In retrospect, this would have been nice. Oh well.

Cathy and Jer wanted to get a taxi, which I was against. For the last couple miles, the

three of us played word games and such to take ourminds off the pain in our feet. It was a

rough walk, apparently 19 miles.

Along the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Lambertville