Since commercial activity ceased on the Delaware & Raritan Canal in 1932, almost a century after it first opened, the canal has served Princeton as a source of recreation. The towpath presents a natural resource for wildlife, as well as for walkers, birdwatchers, cyclists, naturalists, and Sunday strollers. In the heat of summer, the waterway itself presents an attractive prospect for canoeists and kayakers.
A couple of seasons ago my son and I tried kayaking the Stony Brook. We put in by the bridge on Rosedale Road (Route 604) and paddled down to the bridge at the junction of Mercer and Quaker Roads. Half a mile from our takeout we met with what our guidebook had described as a small surprise. My son Michael had pushed ahead and taken the bend that I was languidly approaching when I heard his warning shout, "Watch out!"
With my parental senses peaked, I was suddenly aware of the sound of rushing water, no doubt some gushing fall that had materialized since the guidebook author had passed this way. In my mind, the stream just round the bend had become a raging torrent rushing over a cataract hitherto unknown, and taking my only child with it. I paddled furiously to the bank, took off on foot through a field of stinging nettles only to find Michael sitting happily midstream, unharmed.
If you are planning a lazy day on the water, let this be a warning to you. Stick to the Delaware & Raritan Canal or try the Millstone River.
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Or try a combination of both. From Kingston to Blackwell's Mills, a wonderful round-trip outing can be had on the Millstone River, downstream through Rocky Hill and Griggstown and then portage from the river to the D & R canal for an upstream return. You'll sight herons, mallards, and of course Canada geese, and spot turtle families sunning themselves. You may even, as I did, catch sight of an enormous tom turkey ambling through the woods that flank the river.
Put in at Kingston just north of the lock keeper's house and paddle between the two bridges. The small building to the right of the house used to be the tollhouse for the canal and a commercial Morse telegraph station, once the principal means of communication along the length of the canal. The lock itself was originally used for raising or lowering boats between different levels of the canal, and now serves as a flood control gate. The old stone bridge that was built in 1798 replaced a wooden one that General George Washington crossed during the Revolutionary War. It was destroyed by the Continental Army after the Battle of Princeton in order to delay the pursuing British. The modern bridge next to it carries Route 27.
Immediately under the bridge, the river turns to the right and spreads, flowing along between high banks running parallel to the towpath and canal on the right all the way to Rocky Hill. There the river goes under another bridge (Route 518) before meeting a small chute through what's left of an old dam that provides a bit of white water excitement (if you like that sort of thing).
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From Kingston to Rocky Hill is about two miles on the river. Three miles downriver at Griggstown, the Delaware and Raritan State Park is a pleasant place to stop for a picnic. It has tables, benches, a meadow, and the Mule Tenders' Barracks Museum.
At Blackwells Mills, a further 3.5 miles on, you can choose to get out before another bridge or go under the bridge and plunge over the 18-inch weir for another bit of excitement. Then portage your canoe across the canal for the return trip to Princeton. With occasional downed trees, be prepared to portage every now and then. For the novice canoeist, portage means to pick up your canoe and wade.
Incidentally, the Millstone is one of the few rivers in the country that flows north, an accident of ancient geology so I have been told. It was called the Mattawong ("hard to travel") by the native peoples. While the name generally no longer applies, there are some small challenges, enough to keep a family outing interesting: sandbanks that require you to do a bit of poling or wading and fallen trees that you have to duck under.
Renting a Canoe
We paddled our own inflatable kayak but canoes and kayaks can be rented for the day or the hour at Griggstown Canoe and Kayak Rental, 1076 Canal Road, Griggstown, (908) 359-5970, and at Princeton Canoe and Kayak Rental, 483 Alexander Road, Princeton, (609) 452-2403. If you want to paddle into Lake Carnegie, rent at Alexander Road.
Steve Androsko, proprietor of both sites, allows canoes to be taken onto the river if the water is not too low, often the case in summer, or too high, because of heavy rain. State law requires that children 12 and under wear the life-vests provided. Pets are allowed.
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In Griggstown, the weekend and holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekdays are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In Princeton, the weekend and holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekdays are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last boat hire at both sites is one hour before closing. For a canoe (maximum 4 persons, 2 seats) the charge is $13 for the first hour, $6 thereafter or $35 for the day; single person kayaks are $10 or $12 for the first hour (depending on style of kayak), $5 thereafter and $25 or $30 for the day; a two-person kayak is $15 for the first hour, $6 thereafter and $40 for the day. Release forms must be signed for those 18 and under. For more information, visit www.canoenj.com, from which site release forms can be downloaded.
Don't forget to take along some snacks, water, insect repellent, and sunscreen. For a brief afternoon one can still connect, if only in the imagination, with the spirits of the Lenni Lenape who once inhabited these woods and the early settlers for whom the woods provided so much. Now all we seek is peace and quiet, a stress-free day on the water.
If you want to go even further afield, I recommend Exploring the Little Rivers of New Jersey by James and Margaret Cawley (Rutgers University Press, 1993) and if you really get hooked, try Canoeing the Jersey Pine Barrens by Robert Parnes (The Globe Pequot Press) and Garden State Canoeing: A Paddler's Guide to New Jersey by Edward Gertler (The Seneca Press, 1992).