Event Details (U.S. National Park Service)

Fee:

Free.

Location:

Tour begins at the Seventh Ave. trailhead in Scranton, PA. Parking is available at the trailhead, with overflow parking at the lots by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority office, 213 Railroad Ave.

Repeating Event

Days:

Every day

Dates:

October 20, 2023 to October 22, 2023

Time:

10:00 AM

Duration:

1 hour

Type of Event

Festival

Talk

Walk

Description

Experience rail history and nature on a brisk hike on the trail where trains of the Central Railroad of New Jersey once ran. Join a park ranger on this one-hour walk along the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail on October 20, 21, and 22; tours begin at 10:00 a.m. Topics explored include the construction of the railroad line, industrial development of the region, mining of anthracite, and the eventual return to nature of this half-mile section of the trail.

This no-cost program begins at the Seventh Ave. trailhead in Scranton, PA. Parking is available at the trailhead, with overflow parking at the lots by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority office, 213 Railroad Ave, a short distance from trailhead. The turn-around point of the tour is at Broadway, which at one time was the location of the Central Railroad's roundhouse.

The Central Railroad of New Jersey was one of five class one railroads serving Scranton in the 19th and early 20th centuries. All of these roads shipped coal from the region to areas around the United States and many countries worldwide. Anthracite burned cleaner than other fuels available, making it the preferred home heating fuel. In 1890, all of the railroads provided passenger rail service to the communities along their route. The Central Railroad joined Scranton with Wilkes-Barre, White Haven, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton in Pennsylvania, and Phillipsburg, Raritan, Elizabethport and Jersey City in New Jersey.

The Lackawanna Heritage Trail is 70 miles long and is built to a large degree upon the railroad beds of the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the New York, Ontario & Western Railway. The railroad lines traveled directly through the villages along the Lackawanna River. After the rail service stopped, the tracks and trails were overgrown or became dumping grounds for neighbors. Creating the hiking and biking trails took many years. Today, portions are used as a quick way to walk through towns, for exercise, or for those out for a leisurely stroll.