Hike Your Way Through History This August

The first of the Morris Canal Greenway 3-hike summer/fall series will be held in Wayne at 10 a.m., August 5. The hike will start at Riverside Park on Farmingdale Rd. at Deerfield Rd., and end at Pompton Aquatic Park on Maple Ln. at Cole St.

This free two-hour event will begin with a history lesson on the Morris Canal, followed by an easy one-mile hike, exploring the future plans for a Greenway. Canal historian Joe Macasek will lead this stroll through history, giving out photographs of the original canal and explanations of its importance along the way.

The Morris Canal was chartered in 1824 to carry Pennsylvania coal to developing markets along the east coast. After its completion in 1831, the Morris Canal extended 102 miles across New Jersey, fromPhillipsburg to Lake hopatcong, down to New York Harbor at Jersey City. The canal helped the development of the Northern New Jersey economy by promoting commerce.

Now, the area is being developed into a connecting trail for hikes and history, at the places the original canal can still be seen. The concept of a Greenway was proposed in 1929 by the Passaic County Parks Commission, according to Jennifer Gonzalez, Environmental Planner of the County of Passaic Planning Department. The Passaic County Planning Division conducted a feasibility study, looking at the idea of creating a Greenway along the former Morris Canal. In 2011, the study concluded that a Greenway was possible, Gonzalez said. This hike series explores these regions of current Greenway and spots of future development.

Gonzalez called this summer hike series a follow-up to the successful early spring series through Woodland Park, Little Falls and Clifton. She said the Planning Department's goal is to hold hikes in all of the communities the Greenway will eventually pass.

"This is the first year that we're doing these hikes, but I forsee them continuing to the future," she said. "They’ve been very popular."

More than 60 people attended the first two hikes in the spring, and a nice turnout is expected for the Wayne hike in August, according to Gonzalez. So far, 15 people have RSVP'd for the hike.

"The way these hikes work is people like to hike in their own communities," she explained. "I'm hoping on the Wayne hike we get a lot of Wayne residents; it’s a very local type of events."

Parking at Riverside Park is limited. Bring water and a snack. No facilities are available. Only a downpour will cancel the hike.

To reserve a free place on the hike(s), please RSVP to Jennifer Gonzalez in the Passaic County Planning Department at jenniferg@passaiccountynj.org or 973-569-4040. More information on the Morris Canal Greenway is available at www.passaiccountynj.org/Morris-Canal-Greenway-Study. Follow the Morris Canal Greenway on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/MorrisCanalGreenway.