Columbia Trail, NJ
40 Vernoy Road, Califon, NJ 07830
Pet Friendly
The Columbia Trail is a shady rail-trail that runs along the Raritan River and through scenic Ken Lockwood Gorge. It passes woods, farms, backyards and a few towns.
Extremely family friendly and rarely crowded, the entire 6 mile section from Long Valley into Califon is mostly flat, with only one challenging hill.
The diversity of wildlife along the trail is abundant and provides a natural corridor for the animals to move about. The trail’s natural surface makes it easy to observe willdlife footprints.
The Columbia Line offers an excellent view of Lake Solitude and provides a sanctuary for various waterfowl including Common and Hooded Mergansers. Another bird seen in the area is the allusive Pileated Woodpecker.
The trail is open year round but in the Summer it is quite buggy so be sure to bring insect repellent.
Note: Most of the trail is Handicap Accessible.
Fun Fact: At the 1 mile mark you will see a rock cairn mile-marker, a popular place for geocachers.
Learn more: Columbia Trail