The Sussex Branch Trail is a

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetca ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, with a total length of . The Sussex Branch Trail follows a portion of the Sussex Branch line of the former

Erie Lackawanna Railroad The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...

(and predecessor Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad that traverses through Sussex County from Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Byram Township to Branchville. New Jersey acquired the right-of-way for the trail in two transactions during 1979 and 1982. The trail transects swamps, lakes, fields and several small communities. There are many features of the trail's former life as a railroad, including cuts through bedrock, underpasses for farm equipment and bridges crossing the Pequest River and Paulinskill River. It goes under the Pequest Fill south of

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * And ...

. The cinder base of the trail is suitable for hiking, horseback riding, biking and cross-country skiing. The Sussex Branch Trail also crosses through

Kittatinny Valley State Park Kittatinny Valley State Park is located in Andover Township and extends into Andover Borough, New Jersey. Features include Glacial lakes, limestone outcroppings, former railroads, and a small airport. Lake Aeroflex and Gardner's Pond form p ...

. The Sussex Branch Trail intersects the

Paulinskill Valley Trail The Paulinskill Valley Trail is a rail trail along the Paulins Kill river in New Jersey. It is the sixth longest trail in the state at . It was originally a right-of-way of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and the Blairstown Railway. ...

at Warbasse Junction just north of Newton as well as the 3.5-mile Great Valley Rail Trail in Augusta, south of Branchville, New Jersey.

Gallery

File:Sussex Branch Trail, Andover, NJ - Morris and Sussex Turnpike crossing.jpg, Overpass for the Morris and Sussex Turnpike File:Sussex Branch Tunnel under Pequest Fill, Andover, NJ - looking north.jpg, Underpass for the Pequest Fill File:Sussex Branch Trail, Andover Township, NJ - railway cutting.jpg, Bedrock cut, the "Slate Cut"

References

External links

* Rail trails in New Jersey Bike paths in New Jersey {{NewJersey-stub