D & R Canal: East Millstone to Blackwells Mills



D & R Canal State Park, East Millstone to Blackwells Mills (Christmas, 2012)

Merry Christmas! Today we headed south for some Christmas festivities, so of course we fit in another segment of the D & R Canal, New Jersey's narrowest park. This time we parked on Amwell Road in East Millstone (as we did earlier this month) and headed to Bordentown, walking the lovely towpath to Blackwells Mills. For December, then, we have walked the 13.2-mile stretch from the New Brunswick end of the canal to Blackwells Mills (twice, of course). And yes, I do keep track of this sort of thing. I'm an engineer, for goodness sakes. Ironically, my friend Andy and I padded today's segment (twice) back in August, 2010. Needless to say, with the difference in perspective and season, I hardly recognized it!

Total distance covered was 4.5 miles in an hour and 45 minutes.

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


Bundled up in East Millstone

Towpath & Amwell Road

Informational sign

Buildings in East Millstone


Heading south

Franklin Inn


[Photo by Laura]

 

Rain drops

20 miles to Bordentown

Weird growth

Mallard couple
 


Red-tailed hawk

Swamp in powerline cut

View south

 





 


Sandy damage

Curious blaze

Squirrel picking berries

"Walking" the dogs
 


Old blow-down trunk


Horse shoe prints

Blackwells Mills Canal House
 



Winter forest west

Swamp west

Red barn east
 


Approaching Blackwells Mills

Blackwell Road bridge


Canal view north
 


Bridge surface

Blackwells Mills Canal House


Front porch
 


Millstone

Oven bulge

Out-house

View inside
 


Bridge Tender's station

Phragmites

Canal view south

Blackwell Road bridge
 



What are those thorns?

More dog "walking"

 


Canada geese

View north

Lost glove far in the thicket

Poison ivy "shawl"
 


Mallards

Heading back to ...

... East Millstone

Franklin Inn
 

Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh
Web design by Dan Balogh