SCUDDER FALLS SHARED-USE PATH OPEN
NOVEMBER 16, 2021
We are so happy to share the news that the long-awaited shared-use path connecting New Jersey's D&R Canal State Park to Pennsylvania's Delaware Canal State Park at Scudder Falls is NOW OPEN!
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission formally opened the crossing during a well-attended public ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Anne Scudder Smith, ninth-generation descendant of early Ewing Township settler Richard Betts Scudder and the granddaughter of John Montgomery Scott who cut the opening-day ribbon on the first Scudder Falls Bridge in June 1961.
The new river link makes Scudder Falls the only river crossing allowing bicyclists to pedal across without dismounting their bikes.
John Cecil, the Director of the Division of Parks and Forestry, gave remarks at the opening ceremony on the importance of this new connection.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Historic Preservation Office, Green Acres Program, and Division of Parks and Forestry were integral in the planning and coordination of this project with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
We are pleased to add this new loop trail crossing the Delaware River to the five others that link the D&R Canal State Park to the Delaware Canal State Park! Use it well and ENJOY!
Read more about it: COMMISSION OPENS NEW DELAWARE RIVER CROSSING FOR WALKERS, BICYCLISTS, SIGHTSEERS AT SCUDDER FALLS
BE ALERT & AWARE: SEXUAL ASSAULT ALONG THE D&R'S BERM NEAR KINGSTON
IMPORTANT UPDATE - AUGUST 10, 2022
BE ALERT AND AWARE - September 30, 2021 We are asking our park users to always be on alert, aware and use caution, especially those who enjoy hiking solo. This assault occurred along the berm side of the canal in the Kingston/South Brunswick/Plainsboro area of the park. The berm trail is part of the larger trail system that is accessible from the Kingston Office as well as from the Kingston area of the park. Anyone with information about this assault please contact the police as described below and detailed in the article linked here.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Chief Fred Tavener of the Plainsboro Police Department, and Chief Raymond Hayducka of the South Brunswick Police Department announce authorities are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an individual believed to be involved in an aggravated sexual assault that occurred in the area of Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park on the border of Plainsboro and South Brunswick Townships.
The suspect is believed to be a Latino male, approximately 5’5” – 5’6” tall, wearing dark-colored clothing and a dark baseball cap (see the released sketch of the suspect).
The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to contact Detective Sue Kowalski of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3287, Detective Patrick Miller of the Plainsboro Police Department at (609)799-2333, or Detective Dominick Delucia of the South Brunswick Police Department at (732)329-4646. Tips may also be submitted to www.middlesextips.com
We ask the public to be vigilant and always aware when enjoying the towpath and the many trails available at the D&R Canal State Park. Your safety is paramount! The New Jersey State Park Police is coordinating with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and has stepped up patrols in the park. In an effort to educate and empower our park visitors we are sharing some basic steps and tips from the South Brunswick Police Department below that should be followed every day when out and about at the park and elsewhere. These will help you to stay alert, increase awareness of your surroundings, be present and stay safe. And of course report anything suspicious or concerning to the proper authorities.
PERSONAL SAFETY
PROPERTY & VEHICLE SECURITY
Man Charged with Sexually Assaulting Women in NJ Parks, Officials Say
Dredge Project Updates for the 2020-21 Season
March 2021 Project update:
BE ADVISED:
Click here for details about this project.
December 2020 Project update:
BE ADVISED:
Click here for details about this project.
operations to begin in the spring:
BE ADVISED: The D&R Canal Dredging project will begin operations at Access Area 5 (East Millstone Park) located near the intersection of MARKET STREET and AMWELL ROAD starting on, or about, APRIL 1, 2020. The initial work involves mobilization of equipment and materials to the area, as well as a small soil sampling program. The contractor will occupy this area to support operations through October 31, 2020. Demobilization and restoration of the area will be conducted during November 2020.
PROJECT UPDATE: JUNE 12, 2020
VOLUNTEER EFFORT AT DUCK ISLAND A HUGE SUCCESS!
MARCH 1, 2021:
PARTNERSHIPS! This is how we can achieve our goals towards creating a healthier environment for all. On a rainy Saturday morning in late February, ten dedicated volunteers from the Central Jersey Stream Team, the Hackensack Riverkeeper, D&R Canal State Park staff and the owner of Tire Disposal Service pulled out 216 muck filled tires from the canal at the Duck Island section of the park - 216 TIRES!! While these dedicated volunteers provided the muscle power, the Mercer County Clean Communities program funded the responsible disposal of the tires. Some of the tires pulled our of the water date back to the 1960's!!! We can't thank all of these groups enough for taking on this challenge and look forward to PARTNERING with them again. There is more work to be done but with dedication of organizations like these we can make a difference. Please consider volunteering for a clean up near you, every set of hands is appreciated.
LAMBERTVILLE UPDATE: ASH & AILANTHUS TREE REMOVAL
ADVISORY - SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 (updated October 28, 2020):
Why do trees along the towpath have orange markers?
Project Work Dates: Nov 9, 2020 - Nov 20, 2020
Why are ailanthus trees being removed?
Why are ash trees being removed?
Why do these pests spread in D&R?
What is the timeline?
Tree removal and ailanthus stump treatment will begin in the Fall of 2020.
More information:
The park service has marked ailanthus and ash trees along the D&R Canal State Park towpath in the City of Lambertville (Eastern side of Canal) for removal.
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven), is an invasive non-native species which outcompetes New Jersey’s native species. It is also a species is known for attracting the invasive non-native insect the spotted lanternfly. The spotted lanternfly feeds on over 70 different plant species, including fruit trees, ornamental trees, vegetables, herbs and vines. The pest poses a threat to the health of New Jersey's agriculture and forests.
Ash trees have been impacted by the emerald ash borer, an invasive non-native beetle that has killed hundreds of millions of trees in North America. Once an ash tree is infested with emerald ash borer, the beetle kills the tree within three to four years, and 99% of the ash trees die after initial infestation. Ash die from the top down and rapidly become brittle, and potentially risk dropping large branches and tree tops. The brittleness of the infested trees poses a safety concern for park patrons in heavily-used areas. The removal of EAB-infested Ash trees throughout the park, including the City of Lambertville, has been specifically authorized by the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission (DRCC #16-4938), which was granted a certificate of approval on February 15, 2017 which remains valid until 2022.
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is 70-miles long and wooded which helps the invasive insects easily spread throughout the park and to adjacent areas.
