Cranberry Lake stop Traditional Cache

The Sussex Branch Trail got its start in the late 1840s as the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, whose primary purpose was hauling iron ore from the mines in Andover to Waterloo Village on the Morris Canal. There, it was loaded onto barges and transported for processing. As iron mining faded away and towns and industries grew, the railroad began to transport farm products, freight, and passengers.

The Sussex Branch Trail follows a section of the route of the former Sussex Branch line of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad that extends through Sussex County from Byram Township in the south to Branchville Borough. Providing service from 1848, the Sussex Branch evolved from the former Sussex Mine Railroad, which was used to transport high-grade iron ore from mines in Andover to the Morris Canal, in Morris County.

In the late 1800's, Cranberry Lake became a popular resort and day-trip area for its passengers traveling from eastern cities. The railroad ceased operations on the Sussex Branch line in stages during the late l950's and early l960's. The last train ran in 1966. The state acquired The right-of-way in two sections in 1979 and l982, converting it to a rail-trail.

After trains left Netcong, headed up country, rolling along the single-track line. The countryside is mostly wooded, with many cuts and fills on this roller-coaster line. Passing the old resort community of Cranberry Lake, on a curve right at the edge of the lake, only a flag stop, the station with platforms. In summer, passengers would detrain, cross the platform and pass over to the "island" on the little suspension footbridge where many summer cottages lined the opposite shore.

The bridge to the island at Cranberry Lake was rebuilt, wider and higher, in May 1903. The station platform was extended to 1,800 feet, outfitted with ample seating in the covered portion. Twelve rustic summer cottages were also constructed. The new hotel at Cranberry Lake was named the Panther Hills Inn in July 1904.