Progress on New Jersey's Newest State Park

New Jersey's newest State Park spans nine miles from Montclair to Jersey City on a former rail line that has been transformed into a vibrant linear park that will provide recreation, transit access, and community connections for over 1.5 million residents.

The nearly one-mile Newark segment of the park was the first to be constructed following the groundbreaking in July of 2025. Once complete, walkers, joggers and cyclists will be able to travel from Branch Brook Park Drive to Broadway on a meandering ADA-accessible trail lined with native plantings. 

Once complete, the nine-mile greenway will connect eight municipalities across Essex and Hudson counties – Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearny, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Montclair.

The Greenway’s design includes several features that enhance safety and user experience while preserving the surrounding environment. Downward-facing lighting will ensure pathways are well-lit without disturbing nearby residents or natural habitats. The project also features separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, designed to promote safe speeds and provide places to sit and enjoy the trail’s natural setting.

The property that will become New Jersey’s newest state park is closed to public access while under development. Due to the legacy of industrial pollution in the vicinity, its prior railroad usage, and the dilapidation of existing infrastructure, the future park is not currently suitable for public use. The construction of the park is ongoing, and it is expected to be fully developed and open to the public by the end of 2026.

New Jersey's Newest State Park - State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites

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Rails to Trails

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) serves as the national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, 31,000 miles of rail-trails and multi-use trails, and more than 8,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of creating more walkable, bikeable communities in America.

There are more rail trails in New Jersey than you might imagine, especially in the northern part of the state.

Screenshot of rail trails in NJ via RTC's TraiLink

My neighborhood rail trail is the West Essex Trail in Essex County. It's a short stretch of 2.84 miles that runs from the Essex-Passaic County Line in Cedar Grove to Arnold Way in Verona.

Being an old railbed, the surfaces are mostly cinder and gravel. In most places, it is raised above the trail sides from the railroad days and so it is usually dry. Of course, after a big rain and lacking proper maintenance, there are sections where the water has broke through or damns up after a heavy rainfall. Besides walkers and runners, you'll see bikers and a few cross country skiers after a snowfall.

RTC has been around since 1986 working coast to coast to support the development of thousands of miles of rail trails. I wish that my local trail could have been saved to a greater extent. Where it ends in Verona is where the railbed was given over to construction for a row of townhouses. Luckily, the West Essex Trail crosses close enough to the Lenape Trail that if you want to take a longer walk or hike it is possible.

Because railroads ran both through open prairies, mountain passes, across canyons and along riverbanks, as well as through cities, the variety of settings for these trails across New Jersey and other parts of the country are very diverse.

In urban areas, I think it was (and still is) critical to save these corridors as green spaces which can completely redefine the livability of a community.

You can support RTC and also TrailLink.com, a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, that provides maps and information about trails.

I have several RTC t-shirts that I'll wear when I'm on one of the rail trails which will sometimes start up a conversation with a fellow wanderer about what these trails are all about.