Things To Do on an eBike in Somerset County, NJ
Somerset County's paved park riding is at Skillman, Duke Island, Colonial and Natirar parks, and the Park Commission's regulations keep mopeds and motorized bikes off its paths, so confirm with the Commission before you ride an eBike.
The shops are on the eBike shops in Somerset page and the other town pages, and the directory marks two of them as rental or tour cards.
Where to ride in Somerset County
Each route below names its managing source.
Riding a paved park path in Somerset County, New Jersey.
The Park Commission's regulations bar vehicles from paths built for pedestrian and bicycle travel and limit mopeds and motorized bikes to roadways and parking areas open to other traffic. They do not name electric bicycles, so ask the Commission whether a low-speed eBike counts.
1. Skillman Park paved loop
The Park Commission calls Skillman Park the newest park in its system and says it has wide vistas and a paved multi-use loop. The loop is the easiest documented place in the county to start on an electric bike.
Distance: 2.25 miles; start: Skillman Park; the county biking page gives no trailhead address; surface: Paved.
eBike access: The Commission's biking page does not mention eBikes, and the Park Commission's regulations limit mopeds and motorized bikes to roadways and parking areas, so call 908-722-1200 before riding an eBike on the loop. Etiquette and planning: The loop is a multi-use path, so keep speed down near walkers and children. Managing source: Biking in Somerset County Parks, Somerset County Park Commission.
2. Duke Island Park and Colonial Park
The Commission's biking page points riders who like to ride on pavement to these two parks, and it gives no mileage or trail description for either.
Distance: Not published by the managing source; start: Not published by the managing source on the biking page; surface: Pavement, per the Commission.
eBike access: The biking page does not mention eBikes, and the Park Commission's regulations limit mopeds and motorized bikes to roadways and parking areas, so confirm with the Commission whether an eBike may use the paths. Etiquette and planning: Ask about path hours and surfaces when you call, because the page gives neither. Managing source: Biking in Somerset County Parks, Somerset County Park Commission.
3. Natirar Park loops, Far Hills
Natirar Park has Trail Loop 1 and Trail Loop 2, which wind through the Far Hills portion of a 491-acre estate. The biking page does not describe the surface.
Distance: Loop 1 is 1.8 miles and Loop 2 is 1.3 miles; start: Far Hills portion of Natirar Park; surface: Not published by the managing source.
eBike access: The biking page does not mention eBikes or the surface, and the Park Commission's regulations limit mopeds and motorized bikes to roadways and parking areas, so call the Commission first. Etiquette and planning: Short loops suit a first ride and an unhurried pace. Managing source: Biking in Somerset County Parks, Somerset County Park Commission.
4. Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath
The state park's trail page says the historic towpath along the main canal from Bakers Basin Road in Trenton to New Brunswick has a natural surface for hiking, jogging, horseback riding, and biking. It is a 70 mile park.
Distance: Not published by the managing source for the Somerset County stretch; the whole park is 70 miles; start: The park publishes a separate Somerset County map; its trail page gives no single trailhead; surface: Natural surface.
eBike access: The park says motorized vehicles and ATVs are not permitted on its trails and does not name eBikes. State law (39:4-14.16) bars a low-speed electric bicycle from a non-motorized trail of graded soil with no surfacing added unless the State agency permits it, so ask the park office. Etiquette and planning: Horses and walkers share the towpath, so slow down and announce yourself when passing. Managing source: D&R Canal State Park trails.
5. Raritan River Greenway, Bridgewater to Somerville
The Park Commission manages the Raritan River Greenway section at Duke Island Park, its 343-acre park in Bridgewater Township, which is surrounded by the Raritan Power Canal. A trail guide describes the greenway trail as flat and paved, with some on-road sections, and says it connects in Somerville to the Peters Brook Greenway.
Distance: West section 2.5 miles and east section 1.6 miles, per a 2019 trail guide; start: The 301 Old York Road lot at the west end, or the Southside Avenue lot at the east end; surface: Flat paved trail with some on-road sections, per the same guide.
eBike access: On the Duke Island Park section, the Park Commission's regulations limit mopeds and motorized bikes to roadways and parking areas; elsewhere follow posted signs, and confirm with the Commission before riding an eBike. Etiquette and planning: The guide noted, as of August 2019, an on-road gap along Old York Road, and its author saw the Bridge Street lot blocked off in August 2019. A 2022 announcement said the trail near the Head Gates Dam at Duke Island Park was reopening after Hurricane Ida damage. Check current conditions first. Sources: Park Commission Reopens Raritan River Greenway at Duke Island Park, as published by Raritan Neighbors; Bike It or Hike It trail guide.
Planning a Somerset County ride
Start with Skillman Park's loop, since it is paved and its length is published, and call the Park Commission before you go.
The Commission also lists Washington Valley Park and Sourland Mountain Preserve as mountain bike destinations; they are left off this plan because they are mountain biking parks.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day: Ride the 2.25 mile Skillman loop twice and finish with a stop at the Skillman shop in the directory.
Full day: Add Natirar's two loops or a section of paved path at Duke Island Park, once the Commission confirms that your bike is welcome.
What not to ride
Mountain bike parks: Washington Valley Park and Sourland Mountain Preserve are described on the Commission's biking page as mountain biking locations with miles of trails, and singletrack is the wrong place for a heavy electric bike.
The towpath without permission: The canal park bans motorized vehicles on its trails, and the statute bars a low-speed electric bicycle from a non-motorized graded-soil trail without State agency permission. A secondary source, the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center, reports that DEP allows Class 1 and 2 eBikes only on improved hard-surface trails.
When to ride Somerset County
Plan a Somerset ride for the cooler hours of a summer day, and check trail conditions before you go in spring and fall.
Shop hubs
5 towns in Somerset County have listings in the directory. A town page gives the address and phone for every shop in that town.
- eBike shops in Somerset (1)
- eBike shops in Basking Ridge (1)
- eBike shops in Skillman (1)
- eBike shops in Watchung (1)
- eBike shops in Somerville (1)
Rental and tour operators
The rental listings are below. Call each one about electric models, helmets, and return times, because a listing does not show today's fleet.
Just Riding Along Bicycle Shop🚲 Rentals
New Jersey eBike rules snapshot
New Jersey rewrote its eBike law in Public Law 2025, chapter 285, approved January 19, 2026. The statute no longer sorts bikes into Class 1, 2, and 3. R.S. 39:1-1 now defines a low-speed electric bicycle as a two-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 miles an hour. A bike whose throttle can push it past 15 miles an hour, or whose pedal assist runs from 21 to 28 miles an hour, falls under the separate motorized bicycle definition. Bike makers and many land managers still use the Class 1, 2, and 3 labels, so read the posted sign.
Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-14.16, a low-speed electric bicycle may be used on streets, highways, roadways, and bicycle paths unless a local government or State agency prohibits it. It stays off a trail designated non-motorized with a natural-surface tread unless the local or State agency permits it. Chapter 285 also requires registration of low-speed electric bicycles and motorized bicycles, and a driver license or motorized bicycle license to operate one. Its section 11 allowed six months to comply, to July 19, 2026, and the Motor Vehicle Commission's eBike page now lists the requirements as in force, with fees waived until January 2027. Only motorized bicycles need liability insurance. Nobody under 15 may operate either kind.
Helmets: N.J.S.A. 39:4-14.3q requires an approved helmet for any operator of a motorized bicycle at any age. For a low-speed electric bicycle the helmet law in 39:4-10.1 covers riders under 17 on a bicycle, which that section defines as human powered, so its reach is not clear, and the commission's 2026 eBike manual says motorized e-bike riders of any age need one. The commission's manual says not to carry a passenger. The commission says an operator renting a low-speed bike from a commercial renter must be 16, while the statute's license exemption names only shared bikes run under a local government contract. Ask the shop which applies. Read our New Jersey eBike laws guide, then check the sign at the trailhead.
Land managers add their own rules on top of the statute. The State Park Service code, N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.25, lets bicycles use established roads and routes designated for them unless posted, and bars them from historic sites, walkways, natural trails, and hiking trails. Confirm a state park or state trail rule with the park office.
Counties and towns differ more than the state does. Where a trail sign, a county park rule, or a town ordinance says no eBikes, that rule controls. Each route below names its managing source.
The Park Commission's regulations are dated February 20, 2020, before the 2025 state law, so ask how the Commission now reads a low-speed electric bicycle. Townships may have their own electric bicycle ordinances.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Skillman Park loop?
The Park Commission's biking page gives 2.25 miles, paved, multi-use.
Which parks in Somerset County suit paved riding?
The Commission names Duke Island Park and Colonial Park for riders who like pavement, and Skillman Park for its paved loop.
Are Natirar's loops paved?
The biking page does not say. It gives lengths of 1.8 and 1.3 miles only.
Can I ride an eBike on the D&R Canal towpath in Somerset County?
The park bans motorized vehicles on its trails and does not name eBikes. Ask the park office, because state law limits electric bicycles on non-motorized graded-soil trails without State agency permission.
Is there a rental in Somerset County?
The directory marks Just Riding Along Bicycle Shop in Basking Ridge and Pro Tour Cycles in Watchung as rental cards, so call about electric models.
Where is the Park Commission office?
The biking page lists 355 Milltown Road in Bridgewater and the phone number 908-722-1200.
Is there a helmet age limit for eBikes in New Jersey?
There is no age cutoff for a motorized bicycle, because 39:4-14.3q covers any operator. There is a cutoff of 17 in 39:4-10.1 for a bicycle, which the statute defines as human powered. The MVC manual says helmets are mandatory for motorized e-bike and moped riders regardless of age. See the New Jersey eBike laws guide.
Does a New Jersey eBike have to carry a label?
Yes. Under 39:4-14.16, a low-speed electric bicycle carries a permanent label, in at least 9 point Arial, showing the classification number, top assisted speed, and motor wattage. Tampering with the label or the speed is barred, and a conversion kit may not be sold.
All shops in Somerset County
For the complete list (5 listings, 5 cities), open the Somerset County eBike shops page.