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| Paulinskill Valley Rail Trail
Bill Maloney 8/12/2004 |
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I really like the Paulinskill Valley Trail. It's a converted railroad bed that runs from Lafayette southwest almost to the Delaware Water gap, 27 miles total. You can also pick it up at the Blairstown airport or the Blairstown park. I ran into very few people on this trail. On one day I rode 42 miles and saw 5 people. The surface is gravel and ash and grass in some spots and very easy to bike. The recreational path is very wooded and shady in the summer time with a number of bridges crossing rivers along the way. At about 9 miles is an overpass near a dam on the right which is a good spot to sit in the shade by the water and have lunch. Another 7 miles or so down the path brings you to Blairstown park, right on the river with picnic benches and portable toilets. A footbridge leads into town where you could get drinks and a sandwich. Another 4 miles brings you to Blairstown airport, with a nice little restaurant to sit down for lunch. 3 miles further brings you to a large concrete bridge/viaduct, which was built in the early 1900s and at the time was the largest structure of it's kind (over 1000ft). The recreational path continues for another few miles but I'd recommend skipping it. The drainage is very poor and it's extremely muddy and wet. Even walking it sucks.
To get to the Paulinskill Valley Trail take Rt. 15 to 94S in Lafayette. As you pass the entrance for Lafayette Village on the right, start to look for Rt 663 on the left (about 1/3 mile). Go left on 663 and after about another 1/3 of a mile there is a parking area with a public toilet on the right.
