Henry Hudson Trail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henry Hudson Trail |
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Along the southernmost segment of the trail, in Marlboro Township. Abandoned rails can be seen on both sides.
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| Length | 24 mi (39 km) |
| Location | Monmouth County, New Jersey |
| Trailheads |
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| Use | Cycling, Running, Hiking |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Season | Year round |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way | Monmouth County Agricultural Railroad, Freehold and Atlantic Highlands Railroad |
The Henry Hudson Trail is a fun path in Western and Northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. It's a special kind of trail called a rail trail, which means it was built on an old railroad line. The trail is named after Henry Hudson, an explorer who visited the Atlantic Highlands area and the Raritan Bayshore coast way back in the early 1600s. Even though it's named after him, the trail isn't actually near the Hudson River.
This trail is about 24 miles (39 km) long and 10 feet (3 meters) wide. It's a paved path, perfect for many activities like biking, running, and hiking. The Henry Hudson Trail is managed by the Monmouth County Park System. It stretches from Highlands all the way inland to Freehold Borough. Along the way, you'll see wetlands, streams, forests, and fields. The trail goes through many towns, including Freehold, Marlboro, Matawan, Aberdeen, Keyport, Union Beach, Hazlet, Keansburg, Middletown, and Atlantic Highlands.
The Garden State Parkway divides the trail into two main parts: a northern section and a southern section. The northern part runs for 12 miles (19 km) from the Aberdeen-Keyport border to Highlands. The southern part goes from Matawan down to Freehold Borough.
The land for the inland sections of the trail is "railbanked" by New Jersey Transit (NJT). This means NJT owns the land but lets the Monmouth County Park System use it as a trail. If NJT ever needs to use the line for trains again, they have the right to do so. This trail is special because the railroad line was never officially closed down, unlike many other rail trails. The Henry Hudson Trail was the first rail-trail built in Monmouth County. Later, the Union Transportation Trail also opened in 2010.
Contents
Exploring the Trail Sections
The Henry Hudson Trail has different parts, each with its own features.
Inland South Section
This part of the trail starts at County Route 537 in Freehold and goes north to Allen Road in Marlboro. This area is close to Marlboro High School and Route 79. This section of the trail opened in 2006. In 2013, a connecting path was built from near Allen Road to the trails in Big Brook Park. There are plans to extend the southern end of the trail even further into downtown Freehold.
Inland North Section
The northern part of the inland section runs from Wyncrest Road in Marlboro north to Stillwell Street in Matawan. It generally follows Route 79 for much of its length. This section also opened in 2006, with a small addition completed in 2011. You might even spot an old train station along this part of the trail, though it's no longer used.
Atlantic Section
The Atlantic section was the first part of the trail to be developed, opening in 1992. It runs east-west, roughly alongside Route 36, from the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic Highlands. You can find trailheads at Lloyd Road and Clark Street in Aberdeen/Keyport, and at Avenue D in Atlantic Highlands. This section has several busy road crossings. East of Avenue D, you'll need to travel about 1 mile (1.6 km) on regular roads to connect to the Bayshore extension.
Bayshore Section
The Bayshore extension is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) long and opened in April 2009. It continues the Henry Hudson Trail eastward from the Atlantic Highlands marina. It runs below the bluffs of Atlantic Highlands and ends at Popamora Point Park, which is at the western end of Highlands.
History of the Trail
The part of the rail line in Marlboro Township began in the 1860s. It was called the Monmouth County Agricultural Railroad. People first talked about building this railroad in the 1840s to help farmers transport their produce to the docks in Keyport. The first attempt didn't work out, but work started again in 1867 and was finished around 1880. This railroad carried farm goods, manufactured items, and a type of fertilizer called marl to the rail pier in Keyport. The marl was dug from large pits on local farms. You can see this railroad on a map from 1873. All train service on this line stopped in the 1950s.
The original 9-mile (14 km) "Atlantic" section of the trail was built on the old path of the Freehold and Atlantic Highlands Railroad. This railroad later became part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
Throughout the 1990s, people thought about turning the line between Freehold and Matawan into a rail trail. Freight train service on this part of the track had stopped in stages, completely ending by 1983. The ownership of the line changed hands several times, eventually going to New Jersey Transit (NJT). NJT considered using this rail corridor for a new commuter train line called MOM (Middlesex–Ocean–Monmouth). However, NJT later decided not to use the Freehold-Matawan line for the MOM project and instead leased it to the Monmouth County Park System for use as a trail.
In September 2009, a part of the southern section of the trail was closed for about 18 months. This was for an environmental cleanup project at the site of a former oil company.
Future Plans for the Trail
There are still two "missing links" or gaps in the trail that are currently on hold. This is because New Jersey Transit (NJT) has brought back the idea of using the rail corridor for its MOM commuter rail line. If NJT decides to restart train service along this line, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a rail trail has been turned back into an active railway.
