The Union Transportation Trail, being developed by the Monmouth County Parks System, is running in the old right-of-way of what was originally known as the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad.

More information relating to the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad.

Additional information relating to stops and facilities along the RR.

Additional information relating to construction and operations of the RR.

  Good News for our Equestrian Community (1/25/10) !

  Follow-up News for our Equestrian Community (3/24/10) !

The Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad right-of-way crosses branches and tributaries in the Crosswicks Watershed.  As the right-of-way enters Monmouth County in the southern portion of Upper Freehold Township known as Hornerstown near Millstream Road, it crosses the Lahaway Creek via a high wooden trestle which is still visible today.  This trestle will be refurbished and renovated to allow trail traffic to pass over it.  Continuing northward and parallel to CR-539, it has another minor passage over the Lahaway Creek, crosses Jonathan Holmes Road, and then continues for several miles to a point where it crosses the Doctors Creek a bit north of Davis Station Road.  The remnant trestles that originally supported the rails over these water bodies are not suitable for repair and will be replaced by prefabricated steel bridges in order to allow trail traffic to continue unimpeded.

     
(Top-right and above two photos courtesy of Richard F. Makse.)
(Right-click any image on page to enlarge.)

The Crosswicks-Doctors Creek Watershed Association ultimately plans to integrate this trail with the Doctors Creek to Assunpink Trail which would extend from the Assunpink WMA in Millstone Township, through the northern tier of Upper Freehold Township (through Clayton Park, Imlaystown, and Imlaystown Lake), to Allentown (Conine's Mill Pond, the spillway at the Old Mill, and Heritage Park's southern perimeter), into Hamilton where it would join up with the Crosswicks Creek trail near Groveville.

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This project of the Monmouth County Parks System will be completed in several phases.  Supporting documentation that is linked below will be supplemented as the next phase(s) of construction are made known.

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