Hike #536 1/15/11
1/15/11 Harlingen to Somerset with Jillane Becker, Jack Lowry, Susan Duncan, and Chris Metaxas
In East Millstone.
My next hike would be a point to point between the village of Harlingen in Somerset County to near New Brunswick.
The route would be to follow as closely as possible abandoned railroad beds between these two points. The main one was the Mercer and Somerset Railroad, only active from 1874 until 1879. I had tried to hike it in the past from it's western terminus along the Delaware just north of Trenton to Pennington, but little of it was walkable. Such would be the case on this hike, but I found it very interesting just the same. It was also a good hike to do with all of the snow on the ground.
We met at Susie and Jack's place and shuttled down to Harlingen to the corner of Rt 206 and Rt 604.
At a deli and general store in Harlingen NJ
We started our day by having a snack at a little deli on the corner. It was one of those old buildings that was probably intended as a general store from the start. I ordered a small/half sandwich, but the guy ended up making me a whole one. I didn't complain, it was quite good.
Bushwhacking in Harlingen looking for the Mercer and Somerset Rail bed
We started walking behind a building across the street, I think an emergency squad place or something, and to the parking lot in back. There was a police officer in the lot so we didn't cut directly into the woods like I'd been planning. We cut into a parking lot to the left, then into the line of trees that separated buildings along Rt 206 with some sort of a junk yard or salvage area, or I guess it was public works. I don't know.
Probably the rail bed in Harlingen
Just beyond the fenced area I saw what I believe must have been the rail bed. Being abandoned for 130 years tends to erase things. Still, some of it was sort of visible.
Possible old railroad bed, Harlingen
Possible old railroad bed, Harlingen
We bushwhacked through woods and approached a development to the north of it. It's most likely that back yards of the houses have encroached upon where the rail bed would have gone. We turned right away from here and reached a little stream that separated the development from fields to the east.
Frozen creek north of Harlingen
Walking the frozen stream north
Frozen stream walking near Harlingen
Frozen stream north of Harlingen
Frozen stream north of Harlingen
Frozen stream north of Harlingen
The stream was in a bit of a valley where we would not be visible from the fields above us to the right, and barely visible from the houses to the left. It was bitter cold out, so cold in fact that this running stream was frozen solid enough for us to just walk on top of it. It was the perfect route for us to continue to the north.
We walked on the ice, busting through a bit here and there, but not too many serious problems. I think Susie got pretty wet at one point.
Frozen stream north of Harlingen
While we walked along the stream, we encountered a hunter above us to the right. I was ahead and stopped everyone. We had to cross back to the left side of the stream and continue along it until we were out of sight from him. He didn't say anything to us, though I'm sure he saw us.
Making our way through woods north of Harlingen
We continued along and soon came to where we could see a clearing above us to the right. We ascended from the stream to the field where there was a big pile of dirt. I wasn't intending to go that way originally. I had wanted to go more to the north and come out on a dirt access road. We turned right and ended up on a drive that went to a water treatment facility. We talked to two guys who were working there, who fortunately weren't angry. Susie offered them donuts she had been carrying, which they graciously accepted. She joked for the rest of the day we'd have no trouble as long as she still had donuts.
Giant tree near a water treatment plant, Somerset Co.
The guys told us to go out the road and gave us directions to Willow Road to the north, but we didn't want to go that far out of the way. Instead, we turned off of the access road to the north and reached a river next to a giant tree. I found out later this was not the Millstone River, but one of it's tributaries, probably the Pike Brook.
Where the water was released from the treatment plant, it must have been warm because the river below it was not frozen. Above it was frozen in places. We needed to get across, and so I decided to test it to see if we could do it.
Frozen river crossing.
Sure enough, I managed to cross. We had to climb down a steep slope using tree roots for hand holds, then cross the river. On the other side we turned left and headed up hill to a woods road we found.
The woods road took us soon away from the river a bit and past the ruins or shell of some old building.
The woods road took us out on a sharp bend of Bell Meade Griggstown Road next to a Jewish center and across from another church. We turned left here and followed the road north.
Shell of a building near Pike Brook, Montgomery Twp.
We were joined at this point by Chris, who parked at the church. It turns out he attended that church years ago. Hikes like this and the Princeton one we jokingly call "Christory Hikes".
We walked from here north onto Willow Road. The old railroad once passed somewhere to the west of us, and apparently nothing was visible.
Gof course about where the Mercer and Somerset Railroad once went.
We soon paralleled the Pine Brook Golf Course to the left, and the rail bed in all likelihood crossed this. We could see an indentation in the field where a rail line certainly could have passed, and probably did. That indentation continued parallel with us until it came up to the road ahead in a line of trees.
Probably the Mercer and Somerset Railroad bed at Pine Brook golf course
It looked like it probably crossed Willow Road, then soon crossed Township Line Road and passed through a field. We could see an obvious level path in the contour of the land stretching across the field and heading slightly to the east. This was about where the railroad should have been.
Probably the former Mercer and Somerset Railraod bed north of Township Line Road
View toward former rail bed
View toward what we thought to be the rail bed to the east of Willow Road
We continued north on Willow Road, which also turned to the northeast somewhat parallel with what we thought to be the railroad bed. We could see the right of way for a bit but then were blocked by a line of trees.
The road soon changed direction to the north yet again, and we soon came to the entrance to a paved trail that went off to the right. At the entrance to the path, Chris pointed out some weird sheds in lines to the north. He said these were once property of the US Post Office, but they were sold off for public use as sheds. He also said he had purchased one and it worked well.
Entering a trail from Willow Road
We followed the path through an open area where the snow drifts worked in our favor, exposing bits of the pavement, or at least keeping the snow a bit shallower to make for easier walking.
Paved trail heading east from Willow Road
Paved trail entering woods east of Willow Road.
The trail took us soon into a section of woods, and then came out into an open area, I think for some kind of drainage. It was here we could see what was probably the former railroad bed join in from the right from Michelle Lane to the south. The paved trail continued ahead with the former rail bed on or next to it.
Paved trail entering woods east of Willow Road.
Probably the former Mercer and Somerset Railroad coming to the trail just north of Michelle Lane
Paved path through the woods, probably Hillsborough Twp.
The paved path seemed to continue through woods, but it was more likely the railroad continued on a cleared area to the north, now used for drainage it seemed. The pathway we were on led us out to road called Stephens Way. We continued along this to Camden Road and turned left, then another left onto Briar to Beverly and made a right.
We commented as we walked on how there didn't seem to be a single barking dog in the area. It must have been an ordinance or something. At the end of Beverly we turned left on South Woods Road.
Deep snow drifts at Woods Road elementary school
We turned left off of the road to the Woods Road Elementary School. The snow drifts here were huge. Jillane walked through all the giant snow banks from the road right onto the school property.
Woods Road school property
Behind a snow bank near South Woods Road, Hillsborough
Crossing the yard of Woods Road School, Hillsborough
Jillane stopped for a break and the rest of us continued to the north across the fields of the school yard. We reached the intersection with Hillsborough Road and North Woods Road, and continued straight across on North Woods Road. We didn't have too far to go before we turned right along a ball field. At the end of the ball field was another paved trail way that led to the north for a bit. We took this out to Flagg Way. Jillane took a short cut coming through out to the same road.
Pembroke Park, Hillsborough
We then passed by Pembroke Park, a little park on the right with a small lake in it. We continued left onto Pembroke Terrace, then right onto Cornell Trail. This road had a retention pond on the left side, or at least that's what I think it was, and we turned off here. We followed the edge of the pond, and then entered some woods. We could see the fill from the former railroad bed off in the woods to the left.
Former Mercer and Somerset Railroad bed just east of North Woods Road near Cornell Trail
The rail bed soon joined the area we were walking. There were homes to the left, but still some trees and fields to the right. This line of trees that continued to the north most certainly must have been the former railroad.
Along fields where the former rail bed used to go south of Millstone
Walking close to the former rail bed just south of Millstone
Following former rail bed just south of Millstone
We stayed along the edges of the fields, and I kept looking down toward a tributary to the left of me, where there was a very slight shelf visible along the edge. I was almost certain that this must have been the railroad bed. We continued north through fields, and soon came to areas where there was more development going on. There were brand new houses, a few already occupied, and a lot of stuff under construction in what used to be the fields. This rail bed would certainly be further expunged from the earth with all of this development close by.
Cutting across a field from Amsterdam Road
We turned left onto the new development road that was not yet complete and used that to walk north for a bit, parallel with the tree line that was the rail line. We reached a new road called Amsterdam Drive and turned left over another tree line, not the rail bed, and then cut across the fields to the correct tree line heading north. There was more construction going on in this area as well, some sort of digging.
Pig pit of water south of Millstone
There was a bit of unfrozen water which we assumed was some sort of sewage or something, but we didn't mess with it too much. We continued on along the probably railraod bed into the woods at the end of the fields.
Possible former rail bed in the woods of Millstone
In the woods we came across some sort of grade, but I'm not so sure that it would have been the railroad bed, although it was possible. It's also possible that a road to the north could have been it, the road we followed.
We walked through the woods and came out at the end of a dead end drive, I think it was Van Doren. We then walked the road out to Yorktown Road and took it out to Rt 533. We turned left briefly on this road, and then went right down hill to the Millstone River by way of a power line right of way.
Creek we had to cross next to the Millstone River
Millstone River, Millstone NJ
We followed the river to the left for a bit. There was one spot where there was a creek inlet to the river that was deep. I ran and jumped it as I recall, and I think Susie took a spill trying to climb down and up. She got her feet wet again somewhere, now sure if it was here or someplace else though. Once on the other side we continued down stream and reached the site of the former trestle where the Mercer and Somerset Railroad would have crossed the Millstone River.
Pier of former Mercer and Somerset Railroad
Mercer and Somerset Railroad pier, Millstone NJ
The bridge that stood on this site must have been much more substantial than I had pictured in my head. The pier in the middle of the river was large and high, and on either side of the river there was no fill to carry the tracks off in each direction. It must have been just a long trestle, and this was the largest pier. I'd bet it was probably of timber construction seeing as though it was built so quickly, and stayed as one larger trestle to go from Millstone to East Millstone across both the river and the Delaware and Raritan Canal.
Mercer and Somerset Railraod pier, Millstone NJ
Millstone River view, Millstone NJ
On the Amwell Ave bridge, Millstone
We continued north along the river's edge and soon came out to Amwell Road and the bridge over the Millstone River. There were nice views up and down the river from here. We crossed to the east side and then made a right turn at Market Street.
Straight ahead, I saw the East Millstone Antiques and Cafe. It looked interesting so I decided to have a look inside.
It was not what I expected from a cafe...there was a carpet stretching through a long corridor and up a few steps to a door. The inside was lavishly decorated with all sorts of interesting items.
Crossing the bridge in Millstone NJ
I talked t the proprietors of the shop for a while about area history and the uniqueness of the shop. The man I talked to most, Bruce, told me they sold homemade old fashioned style soda flavors, and after chatting with him I could not resist trying one.
East Millstone Antiques and Cafe
I tried Bruce's Fantabulous Rasberry Lime Rickey, a very different kind of soda, but with a great taste. I of course had to pick this one because I had been talking to Bruce.
East Millstone Antiques and Cafe
I exited and turned back down Market Street to find the rest of the group sitting down near another store. We headed from here left on Livingstone Ave, went two blocks, then turned left again onto Franklin Street.
Rail bed in East Millstone
We soon came to where there used to be a railroad crossing. This was a more main line, and I think it was used through the 1980s possibly. The Mercer and Somerset was just an extension of this. I think this one was part of the Pennsylvania Railraod system. I turned right onto the rail bed in a cut while the others opted to follow the road to straight and then turn right on Amwell Road.
I didn't have too much problem walking along the rail bed. I had to come up and down across Wortman Street, and while I did I could see the rest of the group just beyond, not really getting ahead of me.
Railroad bed in East Millstone
Railroad bed in East Millstone
The right of way soon came out and crossed over Amwell Road at an angle, and it was looking pretty nice and clear to the east of us. We all got on this section of rail bed and continued ahead.
The rail bed along Spooky Brook Golf Course
Rail bed at Spooky Brook Golf Course
The rail bed skirted a field to the north, and then we came to Spooky Brook Golf Course on the left. We were able to continue walking. There were HUGE mansions on the right hand side, accessed off of Amwell Road, and the golf course continued on our left. We just continued on through and had no problems with any adjacent landowners, fortunately.
Rail bed at Spooky Brook Golf Course
Rail bed at Spooky Brook Golf Course
The rail bed soon exited the area closest to the giant mansions and golf course, and the section of fill that had been sort of plowed away resumed. We now had a very nice pathway on a bit of a fill to follow east bound.
Former railraod bed near Spooky Brook Golf Course
Paralleling the rail bed across county park land.
We soon came out on Elizabeth Ave and crossed into what must have been county park land. The right of way ahead was still pretty easy to follow through some woods. We continued on it easily until we came to a large field on the let. At this point the right of way became far too overgrown to stay on, so we descended to the left to parallel it along the edge of the field.
Following the rail bed across Somerset County Park land
We soon crossed Amwell Road again. The road made two ninety degree angle turns and went to the north side of the rail bed, then continued to parallel it. We crossed over and connected to Smith Road which very closely paralleled the rail bed. Only a line of houses to our right separated us from them. We continued on, and got even closer to the rail bed, but then it became inaccessable at the intersection of Middlebush Road. We had to turn left here.
Entering Susie's back yard via the secret entrance.
I don't remember which road we took next. Susie's house was somewhere in this area. We turned right on Amwell Road, and then made a left onto another, but it was not the one we met her on in the morning. This parallel road took us north, and there was a wooden tall fence on the right. Susie had a back entrance to her property from this other road, which was really neat! I wish we had had a larger group, because everyone would have been blown away to walk right in and find this place right there!
Tired M'ke
It's a great place, with a nice sun room and a stove in the middle; there was also a pool! It made me wish we'd done this one in the Summer, but there would certainly be more in this area.
Susie gave us some pizza before we headed out on our way.
This was quite an interesting hike, and proof that the we can still have a good time even with snow covering the ground. Still, I couldn't wait for it to be gone so we could do better trips.
Our new sign for our driveway...thanks Chris!!!
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