Route
The Columbia Trail in Morris County is quite scenic, as the meandering and scenic South Branch of the Raritan River parallels the trail along most of its route through the county. Near the northern terminus of the trail in Morris County is Long Valley, New Jersey, where the trail crosses a road near a small commercial district. Just north of Long Valley, Patriots' Path provides links east towards County Route 513 and west towards Schooley's Mountain Park.
Beyond the northern end of the trail at Flanders, an active rail line is still in service and operated by the Morristown and Erie Railway to Wharton. The trail connects to the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line at High Bridge and connects to Patriots Path in Long Valley.
A notable portion of the Columbia Trail is the Ken Lockwood Gorge, between Califon and High Bridge (2½ miles north of High Bridge). The South Branch of the Raritan River parallels the trail through the gorge, and is a scenic fast-flowing small river with recreational activities, especially fly fishing. A 60-foot (18 m) trestle carries the trail over the river in the gorge.
There are few remnants of the former rail line along the trail, except for the occasional rotting railroad cross ties along the trail. There is a small section of track preserved in Califon and a small and rarely open museum dedicated to the rail line history is located in the preserved train station in the town center.
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
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