The Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition has released a new self-guided driving audio tour of the Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway. This Byway, one of only eight designated scenic byways in New Jersey, is a 27 mile loop in Somerset, Mercer and Middlesex counties in Central New Jersey. The route follows the Millstone River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal through the villages of Kingston, Rocky Hill, Griggstown, East Millstone and Millstone Borough.
To drive this tour, users download the TravelStorysGPS app to a smartphone (available for both iOS and Android phones) and follow the audio through the phone or car speakers. The instructions and narration are keyed to the vehicle’s location determined by the GPS (global positioning system). The narration describes the geography, landscape, history and noteworthy buildings along the route, according to a release through the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition.
Users will enjoy discovering important places that have been preserved here in Central New Jersey. The app also provides links to websites where more details can be found, including historical photographs and maps that have been curated by the coalition. Links to the tour are also available at the Coalition’s website millstonevalley.org or stop by the Byway Visitor’s Center on Griggstown Causeway, open 1–4 p.m. on weekends April through October.
“The tour was written and narrated by a team of our trustees and volunteers who know the area and have long worked for the preservation and appreciation of its many unique resources – scenic, natural, historic, and recreational,” noted Robert von Zumbusch, president of the coalition. “The tour makes them widely and safely available to both locals and visitors. We are most grateful to Somerset County and its Cultural and Heritage Commission for their support of the project.”
The Millstone Valley played an important role in the American Revolution, first as Washington’s Continental Army marched north in early 1777 to their winter encampment following the crucial battles of Trenton and Princeton and in June 1778 as the Army marched to the Battle of Monmouth. Then, in 1781 the Continental Army, joined by French troops under General Rochambeau, marched south from New York through the Millstone Valley to achieve the final victory at Yorktown, Virginia.
In the 19th century, the Delaware and Raritan Canal opened an important trade route through the Millstone Valley between Pennsylvania and New York, allowing the region to become prosperous through both agriculture and industry.
The tour was developed by the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition working with TravelStorysGPS which hosts similar audio tours throughout the United States. The tour can also be experienced from home via the TravelStorysGPS website at https://travelstorys.com/tours/millstone-valley-scenic-byway.
The tour was made possible by funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.
