At 620 Main Road, a grassy patch next to a physical therapy office serves as the parking area for Montville's newest trail. A gravel path heads into the trees from there. Within the first stretch it crosses the first of several small bridges over creeks that run through land the township has owned for a quarter century. Along the way are benches and security cameras. Route 202 is close enough to hear, and that was intended.
The Waughaw Valley Trail is 1.31 miles of gravel and bridges between that Main Road trailhead and a second trailhead near Abbott Road, according to TAPinto Montville's coverage of the August 18 opening. It's an out-and-back route, so a full walk covers about 2.6 miles. Many trails in Montville lead away from town. This one was planned to run alongside the business district and the train station, and the work the township is doing this fall is mainly about helping people find their way to and along it.
A Trail Drawn Along Route 202 on Purpose
Montville bought the land in 2001 with Open Space funds. For years it stayed a strip of undeveloped township property alongside the highway. When the township described the project in its 2026 State of Montville Township address, it said the trail "essentially" runs "parallel with Route 202." The address also said what set the trail apart. It "allows pedestrians, hikers and bikers to use it for recreation purposes as well as access local business near the downtown business district and Towaco Train Station near where the trail ends."
Mayor Frank Cooney made the same point about connection at the ribbon cutting, as TAPinto reported:
"The trail provides an important connection around Route 202 and the Towaco Center area, creating new opportunities for recreation, exercise, and enjoying the outdoors."
He also described it as "designed to provide residents and visitors with a safe and enjoyable way to walk, hike, and bike through this beautiful part of our community." Bikes were part of the plan from the beginning. The January address lists bikers alongside walkers and hikers.
Who Paid for 1.31 Miles
Montville covered only a small share of the cost. According to TAPinto, the total came to about $648,000, and most of it came from outside the township.
| Piece of the project | Funding source | Amount reported |
|---|---|---|
| Land | Montville Open Space funds | Acquired in 2001 |
| Design | New Jersey Highlands Council grant | $73,000 |
| Construction | Morris County Trail Construction Grant Program | More than $530,000 |
| Total project cost | Combined | About $648,000 |
The county grant alone covered more than four-fifths of the total. Morris County Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo, a longtime Montville resident, attended the ceremony. He put that grant in context in TAPinto's account: "The trail construction program started in 2014. Since then, we've funded $7.8 million in trail construction." Montville's $530,000-plus share is a meaningful part of that county-wide total.
Walkable Since Early Summer, Official Since August
People were walking the trail well before the official opening. In January the township reported construction was about 75 percent done and expected the trail to open to the public in spring 2026. The steps after that:
- In July, Patch reported a ribbon cutting planned for Wednesday, July 29, at 5:30 p.m.
- The township calendar later marked the July 29 ceremony as postponed.
- The ceremony took place Tuesday, August 18, at 5 p.m. at 620 Main Road. By then, TAPinto noted, the trail "has been walkable for a couple of months."
Officials from several agencies attended. Along with Cooney and Mastrangelo, TAPinto listed representatives of the New Jersey Highlands Council, the Morris County Park Commission, the Montville Township Recreation Commission, the Township Committee and the Montville Open Space Committee.
The Parts Still Being Worked On
The trail itself is finished. Since the opening, the township's attention has turned to the things that help a new visitor find it, park and follow it.
Parking. At the 620 Main Road trailhead, visitors park on the designated grassy area next to the trail. TAPinto asked drivers not to use the paved lot that serves Vervain and Mile High Physical Therapy. The grass can get waterlogged after rain. In August, TAPinto reported that the Township Committee might discuss adding a layer of gravel to improve traction and access. The ground was wet enough on ceremony day that the township sent attendees to the NJ Transit lot across the street for that event only. After a rainy week in November, expect a soft lot.
Signage and mile markers. At its September 8 meeting, the Township Committee introduced two open space ordinances covering location signage and trail maintenance on the Waughaw Valley trail and the Metro Tract trail. At the same meeting, the Recreation Commission said it expects signage for the Waughaw trail, including mile markers.
A map. According to the minutes of the September 22 Township Committee meeting, the Open Space group is working on a Waughaw Valley Trail map.
All of these deal with getting to the trail and finding your way on it. Mile markers help someone judge how far it is to Towaco Center. A map shows where the Abbott Road end is and how the path relates to Main Road. Until the signs and map are in place, the easiest way in is the trailhead at 620 Main Road.
Where the Walk Ends Up
The trail was described as a link to the businesses near the Towaco train station, so lunch or a coffee is a natural end to the walk. These Towaco Center businesses are on the same Main Road and Whitehall Road corridor, and each lists its location on its own website:
| Stop | Address | What the business lists |
|---|---|---|
| Colella's Village Market | 702 Main Road, Towaco | 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends |
| Red Barn Restaurant | 446 Main Road #5, Towaco | 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday |
| Fortune City | 446 Main Road #4, Towaco | Takeout Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday |
The hours suggest different times to go. Red Barn opens at 6 a.m. every day, so it works for an early walk. Colella's closes at 4 p.m. on weekends, so a Saturday walk ending there should start by early afternoon. Fortune City is closed Mondays. On the Whitehall Road side near the station, Rails Steakhouse at 8–10 Whitehall Road was on the township's June 2026 list of liquor license renewals.
Cooney's "Towaco Center area" means this cluster of businesses. A walk from 620 Main Road to the Abbott Road end and back, followed by a stop on Main Road, is the trip the January address described.
What Comes After the Survey
The trail is one part of a larger parks discussion in Montville. On October 13 the township released a Parks and Recreation comprehensive plan survey to guide future spending on parks, athletic fields, trails and recreation amenities. The township's notice asked for responses by November 1, 2026. According to the October 13 minutes, the Recreation Commission is working with an engineering consultant to evaluate future use of all township parks and athletic facilities. The study includes 96 River Road, the former Condurso's Garden Center.
The township bought that property in October 2025. It is nearly 30 acres along River Road, between two large tracts the township already owned. With it, Montville counts about 3,060 acres of preserved land, roughly a quarter of the township. The Waughaw Valley land sat unused for 25 years before it became a trail. The River Road parcel is starting its planning process with a resident survey that closed November 1.
On the Waughaw Valley Trail itself, the next things to look for are the mile markers, the signage and the Open Space group's map. Once they're in place, a first-time visitor will be able to see on a sign how far it is to the businesses in Towaco Center.
If you live near Towaco Center and are wondering how this year's changes around Route 202 affect what your home is worth, Michael Gabriel can look at it with you, house by house and street by street. Get Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk through the numbers together.
