The Delaware River Scenic Byway follows Route 29 for about 34 miles along the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, from the state capital in Trenton north to the small town of Frenchtown.
It became New Jersey’s first designated scenic byway in 1996, and in 2009 it was one of the first two New Jersey routes to earn National Scenic Byway status from the Federal Highway Administration. Much of the drive runs alongside the Delaware and Raritan Canal, a transportation corridor built in the 1830s to connect Philadelphia and New York.
The byway’s best-known site is Washington Crossing State Park, where George Washington led the Continental Army across the Delaware River in the winter of 1776, a crossing that led directly to the pivotal Battle of Trenton. A pedestrian bridge here connects to the Pennsylvania side of the same historic site.
Beyond the history, the route passes through a string of small river towns — Titusville, Lambertville, Stockton, and Frenchtown — with 18th- and 19th-century architecture, galleries, and restaurants that draw day-trippers from both Philadelphia and New York.
Route Details: Delaware River Scenic Byway
Trenton (0 miles)
The byway starts in Trenton, New Jersey’s capital, where the Old Barracks Museum preserves a building that housed troops during both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. The State House and the New Jersey State Museum and Planetarium are both nearby, and the Lower Trenton Bridge carries the well-known “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” sign visible from the river.
Washington Crossing State Park (10 miles)
Washington Crossing State Park marks the site of Washington’s 1776 crossing of the Delaware River. A visitor center museum covers the crossing in detail, and a pedestrian bridge leads across the river into the Pennsylvania side of the same historic park.
Titusville and the Howell Living History Farm (13 miles)
Just past the park, Titusville is home to the Howell Living History Farm, a working 1900s-style farm with costumed interpreters demonstrating period farming methods. It’s a good stop for families looking for something hands-on along the drive.
Lambertville (20 miles)
Lambertville is one of the byway’s most walkable stops, with a downtown of art galleries, antique shops, and restaurants across the river from New Hope, Pennsylvania. A pedestrian bridge connects the two towns for anyone who wants to extend the visit across state lines.
Stockton and Prallsville Mills (24 miles)
Stockton is home to Prallsville Mills, an 18th-century grist mill complex on the D&R Canal that now hosts markets, weddings, and community events. The Bull’s Island Recreation Area nearby is a forested island in the river with a historic steel suspension pedestrian bridge to Pennsylvania.
Raven Rock and Kingwood (28 miles)
North of Stockton, the byway passes through the smaller communities of Raven Rock and Kingwood, where the road hugs the river more closely and development thins out. This stretch has some of the best unobstructed river views on the drive.
Frenchtown (34 miles)
The byway ends in Frenchtown, a compact riverside town with a walkable downtown of shops and restaurants, connected to Pennsylvania by the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge. It’s a fitting last stop for a short, easy drive built around river views and colonial-era history.
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