Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park: Five-Mile Lock to Bound Brook South Battlefield (Blog Hike #1074)

Trail: Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath
Hike Location: Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Geographic Location: Somerset, NJ (40.54010, -74.51367)
Length: 3.2 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: An out-and-back from an old canal lock to a Revolutionary War battlefield.
Park Information: https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/dr-canal-state-park/
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: The parking lot for the Five-Mile Lock trail access is located on the east side of Easton Avenue just north of I-287, exit 10.  You must be going northbound on Easton Ave. to enter this parking lot.

The hike: Built in the 1830's, the Delaware and Raritan Canal traces a rainbow-shaped arc across central New Jersey as it connects its two namesake rivers.  In the early 1800's, waterways formed the country's main highways, and the canal's construction not only shortened the water route between Philadelphia and New York City by 100 miles but also eliminated the need to take boats into the exposed waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  The canal saw heavy traffic for over 40 years, and it became a primary means to get Pennsylvania coal to New York City.  In fact, the canal continued to operate until 1932, long after most canals had been supplanted by the railroad.

            Today most of the canal still retains water, and since 1974 the canal's towpath has been owned and maintained by the State of New Jersey as Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.  The linear park extends for 70 miles, and the wide natural-surface path is popular for jogging, biking, and of course hiking.  The trail can be accessed at many points.  The segment described here not only gives a good taste of the canal and riverside areas but also passes a couple points of historical interest.  Thus, this segment makes a better than average hike for a wide, flat, and straight canal towpath.

Five-Mile Lock

            From the parking lot, walk down to the old canal and cross the canal on a metal grate walkway where water enters the old Five-Mile Lock.  The water entering the old lock makes for a scenic and noisy man-made waterfall even with the concrete lock as a backdrop.  Directly across the canal sits the towpath; turn left to begin heading upstream with the canal on your left.  There were quite a few people around the lock when I came here on a warm and humid Saturday morning in early September, but the traffic thinned as I got further upstream.

Hiking the canal towpath

            The wide gravel towpath makes for flat, easy hiking.  Some walls and other old canal remnants passed as you hike add some historical interest.  Numbered concrete obelisks mark each mile, and soon you pass mile marker #37.

Mile marker #37

            Throughout the hike the canal's calm, still waters remain to your left.  The Raritan River lies to your right, but it never comes in sight on this hike due to dense forest featuring many black walnut trees.  1 mile into the hike, the trail angles right to briefly leave the canal bank.  I saw several deer in this area, and a flock of Canada geese greeted me with honking further upstream.

Deer beside the trail

            Ignore a wooden bridge that exits left at 1.4 miles; it leads to Canal Crossing Condominiums.  At 1.6 miles, you reach the small parking lot at the Main Street road crossing in the Borough of Bound Brook.  Several interpretive signs at this crossing describe the Revolutionary War Battle of Bound Brook, which took place here on April 13, 1777.

South Battlefield, Battle of Bound Brook

            The Battle of Bound Brook started as a fight for the stone bridge over Bound Brook, which empties into the Raritan River just north of here.  The battle turned into a rout when 1000 Hessian soldiers fighting for the British marched north on present-day Easton Avenue and dislodged the Patriots from their positions.  This battle exemplifies the frustrations and defeats the Patriots suffered during the early days of the Revolutionary War.

Returning downstream

            The Main Street access and Bound Brook South Battlefield mark a good place to turn around.  Benches for resting and rehydrating are available near the road intersection to the south.  Walk downstream along the towpath to return to Five-Mile Lock and complete the hike.

Memorial Lake State Park (Blog Hike #1073)

Trails: Woodland, Scout, Hillside, Overlook, and Grasslands Trails
Hike Location: Memorial Lake State Park
Geographic Location: north of Hershey, PA (40.42300, -76.59613)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A mostly flat loop around Memorial Lake.
Park Information: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/memorial-lake-state-park
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming May 28, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: North of Harrisburg, take I-81 to SR 934 (exit 85).  Exit and go north on SR 934.  Drive SR 934 north 0.5 miles to Asher Miner Road and turn left on Asher Miner Rd.  After 0.3 more miles, angle left on Boundary Road.  Drive Boundary Rd. west 0.8 miles to Middle Road and the park entrance on the left.  Turn left on Middle Rd., which dead-ends at the large parking lot for the boat launch and kayak rental station.  Park here.

The hike: Featuring 85 acres of water surface, Memorial Lake was built in 1945 in memory and honor of Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers who served in World War I and World War II.  The lake was built on the grounds of Fort Indiantown Gap, a Pennsylvania National Guard training center that dates to 1931.  In 1955, a total of 231 acres that contain the lake were transferred to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to form the park we visit today, but Fort Indiantown Gap still surrounds the park.  In fact, the Directions to the trailhead above takes you past one of the fort's old entry gates, so this park still retains its military feel.

            Memorial Lake State Park is only open for day-use, and therefore the list of amenities is rather limited.  The lake offers fishing and boating, and several picnic tables and 2 picnic pavilions provide opportunities for cook-outs.  For hikers, the park offers 6 trails, but all of the trails are short: the trail distances sum to only 2 miles.  Piecing together several of the park's trails and adding a road walk forms the circumnavigation of Memorial Lake described here.

Start of Woodland Trail

            From the Middle Road parking area, pick up the signed Woodland Trail; it starts as a wide gravel trail that heads west through a picnic area with Memorial Lake through the trees on the left.  Soon the trail heads into the dense woods.  The large number of maple trees in the woods would make this a good leaf peeping hike in October.  Wooden bridges get you over a couple of small streams.

Hiking the Woodland Trail

            At 0.4 miles, you reach the Woodland Trail's west end at the Lower Road parking area.  Angle left through the parking area to head for the boat launch.  Just before reaching the boat launch, turn right to leave the pavement and begin the Scout Trail.  The Scout Trail offers more of the same wooded lakeside scenery, and the going remains very easy.

Crossing Memorial Lake's main feeder stream

            Just past 0.6 miles, you cross Memorial Lake's main feeder stream on a long wooden bridge.  After crossing the bridge, you reach the west end of the Scout Trail where it intersects Memorial Lake Road.  To continue our loop around the lake, turn left and start the road walk portion of this hike.

            Memorial Lake Rd. features one-way traffic coming at you in light to moderate volume.  Private property adjoins part of this road, so be sure to stay on the public road.  At 1.3 miles, you reach a road intersection where Lake Road exits right.  Your road walk ends here: turn sharply left to begin the signed, wide, and obvious Hillside Trail.

Start of Hillside Trail

            After only a few hundred feet on the Hillside Trail, you reach a bench that overlooks Memorial Lake.  I recommend not spending long here because a better overlook is just a few minutes ahead.  The trail curves sharply right and climbs gently to reach the aforementioned overlook.  Several benches and picnic tables stand here, and Indiantown Gap in the distance makes a perfect backdrop for Memorial Lake.  Take a few minutes to rehydrate and enjoy the scenery.

Main lake overlook

            Exit the overlook area by walking uphill toward the parking lot and then angling left to begin the Overlook Trail as it heads across the dam that forms Memorial Lake.  After crossing the spillway on an iron bridge with wooden deck, turn left to begin heading through the mowed-grass Hemlock Grove Picnic Area on gravel trail.  Turn left at the first trail intersection, but where the Lakeside Trail exits left angle right to begin the Grasslands Trail, the final leg on our loop.

Grasslands Trail

            True to its name, the Grasslands Trail makes an arc through a sunny prairie area.  The prairie wildflowers were decent but not stunning when I came here on a warm afternoon in early September.  Soon you come into the northeast corner of the Middle Road parking lot, thus signaling the end of the hike.  If you want to do more hiking, Swatara State Park, which features a segment of the Appalachian Trail, is located a few miles to the north.