The OFFICIAL Trans NJ Trail Thread

[Xplorr313]

Hey - just a heads up, been hearing reports of Rangers/Police being very active on Reed Road/Collier Mills lately.

As long as you stay on the actual trail/road and do not go off of it for any reason...you shouldn’t be hassled. They are trying to cut down on the illegal off-roading that takes place in Colliers Mills, for example at the pits and at the hill climbs. They are also trying to cut down on illegal ATV/SxS/Dirtbike use.

 

[Forjas]

Thinking about hitting the TNJT over memorial weekend camping along the way, idea is to the whole trail. Any takers? If you want to meet for a day trip I'm also up for it! Doing North to South starting on Saturday. Send me a PM if interested.

I will be on a 2004 100 Series. Big truck, but way more capable than the driver :).

 

[Xplorr313]

Thinking about hitting the TNJT over memorial weekend camping along the way, idea is to the whole trail. Any takers? If you want to meet for a day trip I'm also up for it! Doing North to South starting on Saturday. Send me a PM if interested.

I will be on a 2004 100 Series. Big truck, but way more capable than the driver :).

If I’m around I might come out. We’ll see. Keep me posted.

 

[RockU]

Thinking about hitting the TNJT over memorial weekend camping along the way, idea is to the whole trail. Any takers? If you want to meet for a day trip I'm also up for it! Doing North to South starting on Saturday. Send me a PM if interested.

I will be on a 2004 100 Series. Big truck, but way more capable than the driver :).

Thinking about hitting the TNJT over memorial weekend camping along the way, idea is to the whole trail. Any takers? If you want to meet for a day trip I'm also up for it! Doing North to South starting on Saturday. Send me a PM if interested.

I will be on a 2004 100 Series. Big truck, but way more capable than the driver :).

What time are you heading out? Me and my wife will prob be able to come up north and join you for Sunday at least. Me with my F150 and her with her Cherokee.

 

[Xplorr313]

What time are you heading out? Me and my wife will prob be able to come up north and join you for Sunday at least. Me with my F150 and her with her Cherokee.

Hey, did you ever get the envelope I sent you?

 

[RockU]

Hey, did you ever get the envelope I sent you?

Yes I did! Thanks! Was going to stick it on my truck and post a pic, but it's still on my to do list lol

 

[Forjas]

What time are you heading out? Me and my wife will prob be able to come up north and join you for Sunday at least. Me with my F150 and her with her Cherokee.

Would be great to have you guys along!

We can set a KSU (kick stands up, not sure the equivalent for overlanding, lol) and met at the campground.
I'm planning on separating in 3 sections (North, Central and South) as Xplorer pointed out, so will most likely camp on Round Valley Reservoir on Saturday night.

 

[Xplorr313]

Yes I did! Thanks! Was going to stick it on my truck and post a pic, but it's still on my to do list lol

Awesome! No problem, I need to make more of those lol

 

[RockU]

Would be great to have you guys along!

We can set a KSU (kick stands up, not sure the equivalent for overlanding, lol) and met at the campground.
I'm planning on separating in 3 sections (North, Central and South) as Xplorer pointed out, so will most likely camp on Round Valley Reservoir on Saturday night.

Got my Saturday's mixes up, I'm not working that Saturday so I'll prob join you from the start and my wife will prob meet us up somewhere once she's done at work.

 

[NYVenture]

Got my Saturday's mixes up, I'm not working that Saturday so I'll prob join you from the start and my wife will prob meet us up somewhere once she's done at work.

My Girlfriend and I will be traveling the trail Memorial day weekend. been planing this for a while. campsites are booking up fast on the mid way point.

 

[Forjas]

Got my Saturday's mixes up, I'm not working that Saturday so I'll prob join you from the start and my wife will prob meet us up somewhere once she's done at work.

Got it! So you will be camping along also?
I see you are in Bridgeton which is ~3h30-4h from High Point, so you tell me what time is better as a start time for you. I'm only 1h30-2h away.

My Girlfriend and I will be traveling the trail Memorial day weekend. been planing this for a while. campsites are booking up fast on the mid way point.

Hope to see you out there! You guys going Northbound or Southbound?
Thanks for the heads up. Spruce Run is fully booked already. Seems like I'm going in for some fun in finding a place to crash, part of the adventure ^^

 

[NYVenture]

Got it! So you will be camping along also?
I see you are in Bridgeton which is ~3h30-4h from High Point, so you tell me what time is better as a start time for you. I'm only 1h30-2h away.



Hope to see you out there! You guys going Northbound or Southbound?
Thanks for the heads up. Spruce Run is fully booked already. Seems like I'm going in for some fun in finding a place to crash, part of the adventure ^^

We are headed South Bound, i tried for spruce too, so looks like round valley is the closet, be careful, 2 night stay minimum.. gonna have to eat the cost, but hey its adventure. hope to see you and other members as we cross paths! FYI Atsion still has room too.

 

[RockU]

Got it! So you will be camping along also?
I see you are in Bridgeton which is ~3h30-4h from High Point, so you tell me what time is better as a start time for you. I'm only 1h30-2h away.

That's the plan right now, just need to get a dog sitter. Would love to bring them, but bought a broken German Shepherd who will start puking her guts out 30min into the trip.
It shouldn't take me more than 3 hours to get up there, 3:30 max. Waking up at 7 am counts as sleeping in for me, so I'll go whenever you do. I'm not going to hold anyone up.

Let me know what campsite we are going to so I can book a spot

My Girlfriend and I will be traveling the trail Memorial day weekend. been planing this for a while. campsites are booking up fast on the mid way point.

Thanks for the heads up, hope to see you around

 

[Forjas]

Edited as there was a forum error.
We will be staying at https://mtviewcamp.com/ in Milford (~15 miles down from Lebanon / Round Valley Reservoir) on the first night (Saturday 25th) if anyone is looking to join.

Also, I might not be able to do a 3rd run on Monday (28th), but still up for Saturday and Sunday full day rides.

 

[Forjas]

If I’m around I might come out. We’ll see. Keep me posted.

Meet up at 9am at the Shell station in Montague if you are around and up for it.

 

[NYVenture]

See you guys on the trail, I'll be in a tan Xterra.

 

[RockU]

Me, my wife, NYVenture and Forjas.

 

[NYVenture]

Special thanks to Xplorer313!! Would not have done it with out all the great work you did to put together the map!! Thanks man! And a shot out to my two new friends, RockU and Forjas, great guys!

 

[PGSIMMONS2]

Hey guys, and gals, I decided to create an “official” Trans New Jersey Trail thread. This is where you can find the “official” route and any route info you need to know. Also, this thread will be good for those to post info about the route; like road closures, detours, dangers, trees down, and anything else that may restrict access to the trail.

If anyone wants a copy of the route, it is FREE and available at the bottom of this post. I will accept donations if you feel inclined to donate to the beer fund. The donations can be sent to xplorr313@gmail.com. The donations are not required though!

Previously I charged for the route due to keeping the route out of the hands of those who were only looking to “off-road” or “wheel” illegally on state land. I received a lot of backlash from the off-roading / Overlanding community for charging for the route. I put over 2 years of my life into making this route, please stay on the path and DO NOT “off-road” or “wheel” off of the path. This could cause closures and could also land you in major trouble with the state, for example: a hefty fine or even vehicle impoundment. I’ve seen and heard about it happening. Do not think it won’t happen to you. The state does have trail cameras along some of the more “prone to off-roading” spots. You will get caught.

The route is current and up to date as of 4-19-19. The most recent revision of the route was done on 4-19-19. If you have any version older than 4-19-19 please reach out to me for an updated version. I will keep this post updated with the most recent version of the route.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE LEADNAV APP FOR BEST THE BEST EXPERIENCE. LeadNav is only for iPhones and iPads. The route can be used on other devices, but the route was made with and for LeadNav.


For those of you who are just learning about the Trans New Jersey Trail, the trail is a 450+ mile route that spans from High Point, NJ to Cape May, NJ. The trail consist of asphalt, gravel, sand, dirt, and some mud. The trail is 100% legal for all street legal vehicles. This means you must be registered, insured, and compliant with all DOT regulations (headlights, taillights, seat belts, turn signals, and so on).

The TNJT can be completed in a Subaru as long as the driver is experienced. There is NOTHING complicated on this route. There ARE bypasses for those who do not have a snorkel or the ability to traverse deep mud holes. The bypasses are clearly marked as separate routes. The Zillon Bypass is recommended for those who do not wish to traverse down an extremely tight trail and do not want to risk the couple extremely sloppy mud holes along that part of the TNJT. The Zillon Bypass is 100% asphalt that bypasses the tight trail and sloppy mud holes.

The whole route CAN be done in 3 days. I completed the route in 4 days when I ran it start to end non stop in 2017. My 4th day on the trail only consisted of 50 miles and I could have just finished it on day 3.

The trail has 3 sections North, Central, and South. I consider the North section to go from High Point, NJ to Round Valley Reservoir (Spruce Run Recreation Area [campground]). The Central section to go from Round Valley Reservoir to Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (camping is available in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest). The South section to go from Brendan T. Byrne State Forest to Cape May, NJ. If you feel inclined to turn it into a 4 day trip, I recommend stopping at Belleplain State Forest for an overnight stay.

I do plan to offer 4 versions of the TNJT. A full length version, which is what I have been passing out to everyone, and the three sections. This will allow daytrippers to do the route one section at a time. I will post when the 4 versions are available. Right now just the whole route is available.

Anyone have any questions, please reach out to me by email or ask here!

Thank you so much for creating this, i can't believe it took me so long to find it. I am looking forward doing this run this summer. I am located way down south So i will be starting from Cape May point and heading north. Super exciting! Xplorer313 if you are ever in south jersey and plan to stop at Glasstown Brewing Company please let me know and your beer is on me!

 

[MuckSavage]

I'm in Millville often & I'm sure @Xplorer313 could be coaxed down as well! Could be an OB meetup with that ride out 49 to explore Tuckahoe WMA!