Traction Line Recreation Trail
Directions
General location: Southbound, take I-287 to Exit 36; Northbound, I-287 to Exit 36A.
Trial Access Points:
Convent Road, Morris Township (Convent Station)
Kahn Road, Morris Township
Danforth Road, Florham Park Borough
Morris Avenue at I-287, Morristown
There are no designated parking areas at trailheads, but parking may be available on local streets.
Train Directions
Take NJ Transit Morristown Line from New York Penn Station to Convent Station (this station is not handicapped accessible).
Park Overview
This 2.7-mile linear park -- formerly the route of the trolleys of the Morris County Traction Company -- consists of a paved path, with a par course for exercise.
Trail Overview
Aside from local residents using the trail for the sheer joy and utility of exercising, it’s possible to hike/walk along a paved pathway from NJ Transit’s Convent Station to Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, and then continue on a spur of the Patriots’ Path (blue blaze) to Frelinghuysen Arboretum. The main Patriots’ Path (white blaze) leads from the Arboretum to extend further an out-and-back hike.
Use Web Map link on this site to view a trail/street map.
Park Description
The park consists of a recreation trail that runs parallel to the railroad tracks of New Jersey Transit's Morristown Line. There are 10 fitness stations along the way. Although the trail directly parallels the NJ Transit line, it actually follows the abandoned right-of-way of the Morris County Traction Company, a trolley line that operated on this route from 1914 until its abandonment in 1928.