Musconetcong Basin National Water Trail (2023)

Largo: 42.00 miles
Trail circuit?NO
Type: National Water Trail System
Agency: nonprofit
price of admission?NO
All access points are free, except for Lee's County Park and Marina and Lake Hopatcong State Park.

Parking Fee?NOpermitted uses:

Boat trips, non-motorized: canoeing
Boat trips, non-motorized: Kayak
fishing
heritage and history
hunt
The bath
animal watching

Camping only at Stephens State Park, multiple hiking trails at access points and along the river

See more details.

From 78 E, take exit 6 toward Warren Glen/Asbury. Turn left onto Bloomsbury Road. Turn right into Alte Hauptstrasse. The River Resource Center is on the left at the intersection of Old Main Street and Maple Avenue.

From 78 W, take exit 11 to merge onto NJ-173 W toward Pattenberg/W. Torstrasse. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit to stay on NJ-173 W. Turn right on Brunswick Pike. Turn right onto Asbury West Portal Road. Turn left to stay on Asbury West Portal Road. Continue on the main street. The River Resource Center is located at the intersection of Old Main Street and Maple Avenue.

The Musconetcong Watershed in northwestern New Jersey provides a much-needed opportunity to recreate natural, historic, and agricultural landscapes in a metropolitan area of ​​20 million people. The watershed is popular for boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing, scenery, and outdoor photography, all features that contributed to the designation of the Musconetcong River in 2006 as a National Wilderness and Scenic River. The Musconetcong River originates in Hopatcong Lake (the largest lake in New Jersey) and runs 42 miles to the Delaware River. Surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, the river flows through state and county parks, historic towns, nature preserves, and one of the region's most scenic agricultural valleys.

The Water Trail uses established public access points that allow for a variety of travel lengths and difficulty levels. The 10 trip segments provide access to a variety of recreational and educational opportunities ranging from shallow water to segments that require advanced paddling skills. Trip segments range from four to 12 miles or more, as several river sections are contiguous and overnight camping is only allowed at Stephens State Park. There are many public access points along the Musconetcong, making it possible to plan a variety of shorter or longer river trips.

Much of the history of Northwest New Jersey is visible from its shores. The waterways were vital to the region's inhabitants for food, transportation, and energy. Human settlement along the Musconetcong River began more than 10,000 years ago when paleo Native Americans camped along the glacial waters of the river. The Lenape Indians planted corn in the river's rich limestone valley and no doubt canoed down the river, which they called the Musconetcong, or swift current. European settlers crossed the Lenape in the early 18th century and built their factories and towns along the river. In the early 19th century, the Musconetcong Valley was one of New Jersey's most important agricultural and iron-producing regions, supplying the markets of New York and Philadelphia. The Musconetcong River flows through seven historic districts and under numerous stone arch and metal girder bridges listed on the National Historic Register.

Historically, transportation in the Highlands was poor. The Morris Canal, now a national landmark, overcame these obstacles with inclined planes and a series of locks, some paralleling the Hopatcong River and Lake and towards Waterloo Village. Later, railways connected the region's agriculture and industry with the main seaports. The railroads also drew city dwellers to explore the countryside, the Bertrand Island amusement park on Hopatcong Lake, and peach picking in the Musconetcong Valley. Along the river are several old flour mills, remains of dams and stone piers from railway bridges, reminding us of this past as these waterways have been restored as wildlife habitat and opened for recreation and The tourism.

The Water Trail is maintained by the Musconetcong Watershed Association in association with the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the Musconetcong River Stewardship Council. The Musconetcong Basin is the center of several water quality improvement and educational programs. Most notably, several outdated dams on the Musconetcong River were removed and 6 miles of free flow to the Delaware River was opened, allowing the return of migratory fish such as American shad. Visit www.musconetcong.org for more information on the Water Trail, educational opportunities, vacation packages, and river restoration. Learn more about Lake Hopatcong at www.lakehopatcongfoundation.org and other regional tourism opportunities along the scenic and wild Delaware River: www.delawareriver.natgeotourism.com.

primary surface:Not available
Secondary surface:rocks, boulders
rocks, smooth
snow or ice
stagnant water

Low lifting point:Not available
Peak height:Not available
Altitude (cumulative):Not available

Reported year:2020