navigation bar
DEP Graphic  
Division of Parks and Forestry Graphic
parks home parks home njdep home
Liberty State Park: Morris Canal

A historic picture of Morris Canal.



 

 

 

 

 

Morris Canal (1836 - 1924)

The Morris Canal connected the Delaware River at Phillipsburg, New Jersey with the Hudson River at Jersey City. An engineering marvel of its time, it climbed 914 feet and descended 760 feet through 102 miles by means of locks and inclined planes. It was originally built between 1825 and 1836, primarily for transporting anthracite coal from Pennsylvania mines to eastern markets.

The canal's original Jersey City terminus was the Little Basin, which is now the northeastern boundary of Liberty State Park. However, the need for additional docking and navigating space led to the construction of a larger basin. The Big Basin, with its extended piers and wharves, was constructed in 1859.

The Morris Canal operated for nearly a century but was successful financially only in some of its early years. It diminished in importance as railroad competition grew, and it was finally abandoned in 1924. A map of the Morris Canal area and the surrounding counties.



Questions regarding our parks and forests can be directed to
Joy Eastmead of the State Park Service.

 

bottom footer

parks and forestry: find a park | forestry | forest fire | natural lands | education | historic sites| historic preservation
department: njdep home | about dep | index by topic | programs/units | dep online
statewide: njhome | citizen | business | government | services A to Z | departments | search

Copyright © State of New Jersey, 1996-2021
Department of Environmental Protection
P. O. Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402

Last Updated: January 26, 2005

nj home citizen business government services a to z departments dep home contact dep privacy notice legal statement accessibility statement nj home