Adventurous route that combines the Great Valley Trail with the Paulinskill Valley and Sussex Branch rail-trails.
14.5 miles, total round trip. Surface is gravel and dirt, ranging from 4-6’ wide to a narrow strip. A few rutted areas that can be deeply muddy. Overall, Great Valley is more rugged than PVT or Sussex Branch.
| 14.5 miles | This biking guide: Detailed instructions and photos follow below. |
| Longer | Extend with more Paulinskill Valley or Sussex Branch. |
| Alternate, same lot: | Paulinskill Valley Trail – Warbasse Junction to Cedar Ridge |
| Nearby | Paulinskill Valley Trail – Cedar Ridge to Aqueduct; Kittatinny Valley State Park; Lake Aeroflex Kayak; Swartswood State Park; Swartswood Grist Mill Trail. |
Our two cents:
Varied scenery along the three rail-trails. Generally level with minor elevation changes. Some street crossings, some that have a brief up or downhill to them. Avoid after heavy rain. Trail is shared with horses.
For biking, all three of these are rougher when compared to other New Jersey rail-trails such as the Columbia Trail or the D&R Canal Towpath. Great Valley is more rugged and is more like a trail vs a rail-trail than the Paulinskill Valley or Sussex Branch sections.
Recommend hybrid or mountain bikes – road bikes are probably not a good idea. For hiking/trail running, all three trails are easy.
Updated: 4/2024 – Created a new, more detailed guide for the loop.
Related: NJ Bike Trails overview page.
Parking: N41.08519° W74.69973°
Paulinskill Valley Trail Parking, Lafayette, NJ 07848. Warbasse Junction lot is a small dirt parking area that can fill up. Multiple other access points, see maps.
If approaching from Rt 206N through Newton, turn right onto 94N. Right on Warbasse Junction Road (Route 663). Half mile to the lot on the right.
If approaching from Rt 80 W, take 15 N through Sparta. Turn left onto 94. Left on Warbasse Junction Road (Route 663). Half mile to the lot on the right.
Restrooms:
Composting toilet at Warbasse Junction. Portable toilet at a small park at the intersection with Kohlbocker Road, passed at 8.2 miles in.
Trail Maps/Books:
Trail maps linked above. Follow along on your smartphone with our Interactive Map link above.
These rail-trails are managed by Kittatinny Valley State Park but other than part of the Sussex Branch, don’t appear on their trail maps.
Refreshments:
Angry Erik Brewing can be accessed right from the Paulinskill Valley Trail. It’s very early in this route however, so you might want to drive over after or reverse the route so its at the end. There’s even a “Paulinskill Ale” named for the trail.
Roughly a mile from the end of the route at a corner in Lafayette is a cafe, Fine Arts Center, and antique and gift shops. Multiple stores when approaching via Rt. 206 or Rt. 15.
The Details:
0.0 – Start following the Paulinskill Valley Trail around the gate near the trail signs. [Across the road is also Paulinskill Valley for a short distance before it intersects with the Sussex Branch trail].
Starting from Warbasse, the first bit of the trail heads uphill slightly, has a little loose gravel, and frequent road crossings.
Fun Facts: The parking area was the location of Warbasse Station – a passenger station, freight house, and milk depot for up to 50 trains daily that ran along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a tributary of the Delaware River. The station was named for the family who’s farm the railroad passed through. [Sources: park signage; history brochure].
1.8 – Cross Rt. 206. This can be busy and fast moving.
Eventually it’s more level and there aren’t as many road crossings. The surface of the Paulinskill Valley Trail ranges from wide to narrow single track with grass on either side.
There is an occasional gate to ride around.
The trail can also have deep ruts that get muddy with a lot of rain. The sections aren’t usually too long but they can be a little thick to trudge through.
However, we have encountered some serious mud on occasion. Like when we hadn’t taken into account that while there hadn’t been rain where we live, this area had gotten a lot. Oops.
2.1 – A casual path on the right leads to Angry Erik Brewing (there might be a sign). The path goes down wooden steps then back up and around to the right.
Once at the back of the brewery, head to the left to enter through a gate in the fence to where there are picnic tables, or mosey around to the front.
Houses and farms are visible along the way. Possibly spot some cows peeking through the trees from a field adjacent to the trail.
2.8 – Cross Rt. 519. Soon pass a marker post with “JC 68” painted on it.
A rail-trail is basically an old railroad that has been converted for recreational use. Signposts along the railroad would mark the miles to the terminal station. This post indicates “68 miles to Jersey City”.
Fun Facts: The Paulinskill Valley Trail is the location of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad. It was built in 1886 and ran from Columbia to Sparta until 1962 when the tracks were removed. [Source: Paulinskill Valley Trail on Wikipedia]
Soon Paulinskill Valley Trail bears left and crosses a quiet paved road.
3.2 – The trail passes through several areas with tall rock faces, where the railroad was cut right through. Paulinskill Valley curves to the left, and the trail surface improves a bit.
A country road with the Great Valley Trail beyond that might be spotted through the trees, on the right, as they run parallel to the Paulinskill Valley in this section.
3.9 – Pass a marker post with “JC 69” and almost immediately cross over an unmarked wide path. Cross a power line cut with a view.
4.9 – Cross Plotts Road and go downhill a bit. Soon a waterfall is on the left, below the trail. This may be harder to see with leaves on the trees.
Fun Facts: Find out how Len Frank lead a grassroots conservation effort to the turn the former railway into a recreation trail.
5.4 – Sign at the junction with Great Valley Trail. Turn RIGHT and RIGHT again across a country road to a gate to start following the Great Valley Trail. [Paulinskill Valley Trail continues straight ahead.]
There is a sign for the Great Valley Trail on the gate. Immediately the trail is a bit more overgrown / rugged than the Paulinskill.
At first Great Valley runs back parallel to the Paulinskill Valley Trail, that and the adjacent road might be seen through the trees.
Much of this trail is a narrow dirt track. But we also encountered areas of deep mud, some minor up and down sections.
5.8 – The trail runs above a road intersection and a trail parking area along Plotts Road.
6.7 – The Great Valley Trail briefly runs on a narrow strip of land between a field and a large green swampy section on the right.
7.7 – Walk past a gate (or around if closed) and cross Rt. 626 / Halsey Road.
At some point there started being bumpy and rocky areas in this section of the GVT. Not thrilled about rocks. And at some points it was so bumpy my arms were vibrating.
I apparently don’t have photos of the less than ideal sections as I was too busy getting through them. The trail crosses above State Coach Road on a bridge.
The Great Valley Trail follows a pipeline cut for part of the way. The yellow posts are markers for the pipeline. Here the trail is a narrow strip of dirt between grass.
9.1 – Cross Morris Turnpike, where there is room for a few cars.
10.2 – Intersection with the Sussex Branch Trail. Start following Sussex Branch towards Warbasse Jct. [Sussex Branch also goes towards Branchville]. Immediately cross Augusta Road.
Fun Fact: The Sussex Branch trail follows the 21 mile route of the Sussex Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad that was in use from 1848 to 1966. [Source: park signage; Wikipedia].
Much of the Sussex Branch is also a narrow dirt trail with grass on either side with less mud and bumps but there were brief sections of small rocks. Overall it is easier to ride than the Great Valley Trail.
The view is off forest, fields, and the river. The Sussex Branch trail has a few street crossings and multiple bridges where is crosses the Paulins Kill River (this flows for 40 miles from Newton to the Delaware River in Knowlton).
Get a good look at the Paulins Kill from the bridges.
13.3 – Intersection with Morris Farm Road in Lafayette. A cafe and antique and gift shops are to the left. Cross the road and ride by the sculpture garden of Lafayette Fine Art Center.
13.7 – The trail starts to curve to the right. Cross Rt. 94.
14.4 – Sign at the intersection with the Paulinskill Valley Trail. Turn RIGHT to follow this again. [Sussex Branch continues ahead, Paulinskill Valley Trail also goes left].
Soon, cross the road and arrive back at the Warbasse Junction parking area.
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Biked 10/2/21.
Biked 9/7/14.. 26 miles, with extra Sussex. Trail Blog: “Biking Sussex Branch, Paulinskill Valley, and The Great Valley Rail Trail Loop“