Connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania 2008

KenR, August 2008: alternate finish south to Easton PA

On a weekend day, Sharon and I tried riding south to Philipsburg NJ and Easton PA from our previous route thru New Jersey.

The key advantage of this over our usual idea of riding to Columbia NJ and on to Bethlehem PA is that Easton has a bus station downtown just a short ways from the Delaware River. So it offers a possible way to ride from the across the Hudson River to across the Delaware River to a place with regular bus service back to New York. Unfortunately we don't know about the policy for carrying a bicycle on the bus.

Starting from southwest of Newton NJ and Paulinskill Lake, going southwest on Fredon Marksboro Rd, we rode on these roads: 

  • L  on Fairview Hill Rd (southeast) -- steep hill climb with a section over 12% grade.

  • R on rt 94 South about 2 miles (high speed traffic, but mostly reasonable width)

  • L on rt 661 South about 1.4 mile (pleasant downhill)

  • R on rt 519 about 6.3 miles, then just before reaching Hope

  • R on rt 611 north a short ways to its end (this turn avoids a short steep hill and leads to a food stop)

  • sharp L on rt 521 South and made a food stop.

  • soon becomes rt 519 South, about 6.4 miles.

  • cross rt 46 at traffic light, continue straight across on rt 519 South and go about 9.7 miles . . . after entering Harmony, a long moderate climb, then a downhill, just after passing by rt 647, rt 519 turns left, go

  • straight on rt 646 southwest about 4 miles.
    warning: at the end, that street goes down a hill that gets steeper and steeper, finishes very steep into a stop sign intersection.
    [ a week later we came back and checked out an alternate that seemed less steep (though still steep):  after about 3.5 miles on rt 646, at a flashing yellow light, R onto North First St about 0.25 mile, L on Delaware St down steep hill to its end, L on North Main St about 0.3 mile, bear R to joins Broad St going south along the Delaware River. ]

  • R on a road that goes West toward the Delaware River. Go as far West as possible (about 0.2 mile).

  • L on Broad St south about 0.4 mile.

  • R at traffic light

  • bridge across Delaware River -- bicycles must be walked on the sidewalk.
    Enter state of Pennsylvania and the city of Easton.

  • continue straight West on Northampton St about 0.2 mile to a statue with a roundabout (traffic circle).

  • South from the roundabout onto Third St (Left side relative from where entered circle -- three-quarters of the way around).

  • bus station on Third St (as of August 2008)