XNJ: The Great Canal Walk

Join us on one of Jersey's best trails on our way to New York City. Part of the 100-mile Cross-Jersey Challenge.

Start: Turning Basin Park, Princeton

Optional start: Trenton Transit Center (6am)

Finish: New Brunswick Station

Distance: 28/40mi

Where to find us: Meet at Turning Basin Park, or in Trenton by 6am sharp, or at Princeton Station by 9:30am.

Terrain: Mostly gravel

Transit: NJ Transit or Septa to Trenton or Princeton Station, with a short walk from Princeton Station to Turning Basin Park.

Return: NJ Transit rail

Parking: Free parking at Princeton Station, Turning Basin Park, or $7 parking at Trenton River Line parking lot across from the station.

Difficulty: Expert

Category: nature

Coordinator: Charles Updike

(Optional ) Walk the full 40-mile walk starting early at 6 am in Trenton.

One of our best challenge walks. The route is generally quiet and remote, with few road crossings, a few portajohns along the way, and no provisions available on the route. Be sure to bring plenty of fluids and food for the journey.

Landing Lane spillway is reconstructed and the full towpath is open.

Highlights:

D & R Canal towpath

Spring 2025 Cross Jersey Challenge

Mar 22 Spring Ahead Walk (optional) 14mi

Apr 5 Great Canal Walk 28/40mi

Apr 26 Kruimer Walk 13mi

May 17 Big Walk 24/50mi

May 31 Staten Island Marathon Walk (optional) 22/26mi

Partners:

The East Coast Greenway Alliance is a non-profit organization developing a public multi-use 3,000 mile trail from Canada to Key West through New Jersey and New York. Donations and memberships help make this dream trail a reality.

Circuit Trails is 800 miles of interconnected trails in Greater Philadelphia in the making, already one of America's largest trail networks. Once connected, the Circuit Trails will be one of the nation's premier urban trail networks and it will provide multiple benefits to neighborhoods, communities and the region as a whole.

The 9/11 National Memorial Trail is a network of over 1,300 miles of trails connecting New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in tribute to the heroes who perished on September 11, 2001, and the heroes who, in response, answered the call for their country.

The FreeWalkers are again offering the Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge, with a goal of walking the 100 miles of the East Coast Greenway across the entire state at any time during the year. This walk is part of the ECG trail from Trenton to New York City.

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Host or Publisher FreeWalkers.org