Princeton is more than the home of an Ivy League university. It's rich in early American history: George Washington’s victory at the Battle of Princeton on Jan. 3, 1777 kept the American Revolution alive. Alexander Hamilton was alongside him, and Aaron Burr is buried in town.
Start
Arrive at Princeton train station via New Jersey Transit or Amtrak to Princeton Junction, then transfer to the “Dinky” train for Princeton. (Note: Amtrak doesn’t offer bike service at either Princeton Junction or Trenton, one stop south). Driving by car, park at Turning Basin Park at Alexander Road and the D&R Canal.
Day 1
Head downhill on Alexander Road (take the trail next to the road) to the unpaved D&R Canal towpath, part of the East Coast Greenway. Turn right (south) toward Trenton. After about 10 miles, at Broad Street, look right for Battle Monument, which marks the first Battle of Trenton (Dec. 26, 1776), part of the 10 crucial days that saved the Revolution. Learn more about what happened there at the Old Barracks Museum a few blocks away (closed Sundays).
You can tour the New Jersey State Capitol (weekdays and some Saturdays) and see the “Trenton Makes, the World Takes” bridge before retracing your ride to Princeton. (If you don’t want to bike back, take a New Jersey Transit train two stops to Princeton Junction and transfer to the Dinky.)
As you approach Princeton, note the marker at Quaker Road commemorating George Washington’s march from Trenton to Princeton in January 1777. To reach the Princeton Battlefield, take the lane on Quaker Road (no trail option).
Back in Princeton, walk past Nassau Hall, the oldest building on the university campus. Legend claims that Hamilton shot the cannonball into the building that destroyed a painting of King George II. True: The painting’s frame now frames a painting depicting George Washington at the Battle of Princeton. It hangs minutes away in the Princeton University Art Museum (free admission).
Just a 10-minute walk away is the Princeton Cemetery, where Aaron Burr is buried.
Day 2
Canoe or kayak on the D&R Canal (rentals at Princeton Canoe Rental on Alexander Road) for an hour or two, then bike ride north on the Greenway's canal towpath. While you can ride as far as New Brunswick (40 miles; trains run from New Brunswick to Princeton Junction), consider turning around after 9 miles at the Griggstown Causeway. (Canoe and kayak rentals here, too.) Dismount at the lock just south of the causeway, walk across and look across the road to your left to spot another George Washington marker.
Rockingham, between Griggstown and Kingston and accessible from the other side of the canal, served as Washington’s final wartime headquarters.
Provisions
Two Princeton institutions are Conte’s Pizza, a short bike ride to the other end of Witherspoon Street, and, for breakfast, PJ’s Pancake House on Nassau Street. Yankee Doodle Tap Room, in the Nassau Inn, dates back to before the Revolution. For ice cream, try either the Bent Spoon or Thomas Sweet, both downtown.
Metro North on Alexander Road is a short walk from the canal and has a back deck. Triumph Brewing on Nassau Street is the local brewpub.
On the way back from Griggstown, try Osteria Procaccini in Kingston.
Lodging
Opt for the historic Nassau Inn in downtown Princeton; Hyatt Place Princeton, south of campus and accessible from the D&R Canal, with shopping center, restaurants, cinema nearby and both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s a short bike ride away; or Courtyard by Marriott and Homewood Suites, north of Princeton and accessible from the D&R Canal, one restaurant within walking distance.
