Princeton Sprinter
This trip is a quick day ride on a wonderfully well-maintained towpath along the canal that connects the Delaware and Raritan rivers. As long as it’s dry and above freezing, this is an easy four-season escape that you can’t go wrong with.
Ride Details
43 miles
1 day ride
Depart: NJ Transit Northeast Corridor
Penn Station >> Trenton
Return: NJ Transit Northeast Corridor
New Brunswick >> Penn Station
Mix of asphalt, crushed stone, and dirt
Consider this your intro to biking the Delaware River region, which is hands down one of the best places you could possibly pedal. Combine this trip with the Delaware River Run for a full three-day tour down the entirety of the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail and then some.
Day 1: Trenton >> New Brunswick
Leave Trenton ASAP. It sucks. And no, this is not the usual New Yorker ragging on Jersey stuff. Jersey has some phenomenal biking, and this trip is one of them. Trenton just happens to—how do I put this politely—really suck… at least on a bike. So, don’t stick around. If you insist on seeing more than the train station, then check out the New Jersey State Museum or the New Jersey State House or the Trenton Battle Monument. Mostly though, just get on your way.
Explore Princeton. For as lousy as Trenton is, Princeton more than makes up for it. It’s a relatively quick sprint from Trenton's train station to the university. You’ll pass Princeton Battlefield State Park on the way, so be sure to stop and explore. Obviously, poke around Princeton University, which is a beautiful campus very ripe for bike selfies. Plenty to eat and drink in town, but above all make sure to get a scoop or two from The Bent Spoon ice cream shop.
Enjoy the trail! As soon as the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail hits water (aka the Rarital Canal) on the outskirts of Trenton, the ride is leafy and lovely the whole way through. As a former canal towpath, the trail is also dead flat and smooth. You’ll spot some old sights along the way, like the Kingston Grist Mill and Delaware Canal Locks, but mostly just enjoy the tranquility of this wonderful state park.
Get burgers at Diesel and Duke. As a college town, you’ll find just about anything you crave in New Brunswick. I always crave burgers at the end of a good ride, and this joint makes a mean one. Highly recommend. It’s also a stone’s throw from the station, so easy to be on your way home to NYC afterward.
