I forget how beautiful the Hudson Valley is.
And this time we had the red, orange and gold in the trees, leaves falling on our helmets as we rode by and others carpeting the pavement on the rail-trail. Except for when trail staff blew leaves off the trail — who knew that happened?
Honestly, all that was missing on this two-day adventure was a bit more sunshine. I need to keep reminding myself that it was the middle of October, after all.
Here’s what we did over two days and 100 miles of out-and-back rides.
Day 1: This was our day to bike some of the Empire State Trail, starting just off the New York Thruway and the New Paltz exit. We parked in the Shop-Rite parking lot; of course we went inside for provisions so yes we were customers, not just freeloaders. The trail is across the street.
Don’t want to park at Shop-Rite? There is a park-and-ride just as you get off the Thruway, and there’s a trailhead across from Lowe’s 3 minutes to the east.
The trail to the Walkway Over The Hudson — the old railroad bridge 211 feet or so above the river — is stunning. And then the bridge is simply incredible. You’d ride slowly even if you didn’t have to, just to take in the views. How can anyone not stop to take photos? Even if my photo skills can’t do it justice.
Our plan was just to stay on trails, first the Hudson Valley Trail from New Paltz to the Dutchess County Rail Trail, then part of the connecting Maybrook Trail. Together, they are a seamless portion of the wonderful Empire State Trail, which runs north to Canada from New York City as well as along the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany, an hour by car north of us.
We figured we’d turn around no later than at the Stormville trailhead, or earlier if we felt like it.
After all, we had be back across the bridge before it closed at 6:30 pm or get locked out. Actually, earlier if we wanted to get back to the car while there was still daylight.
This trail had extra curves, particularly as we crossed above roads. The Maybrook section is unusual in that it is rail with trail — Metro-North wasn’t ready to relinquish the line from Hopewell Junction toward Danbury, even if it’s clearly not in use.
Every once in a while we’d find vestiges of the railroads that were.
But we also had to stop to admire what was just off the trail — the wetlands, the slate that the railroads blasted through to create an almost-level route….
Just about wherever we were, we saw lots of people using the trail. Love how it is part of the community!
A cat on a woman’s shoulder? A first for me.
And then there is this other trail that heads north from Poughkeepsie. Wow! The Northside Line is great for the community and for students at Marist University. If we make it to one of the Culinary Institute restaurants on our next bike trip here, I’ll use it to get part of the way there. (We stopped there on a bike ride just as the world was reopening after the pandemic; you can read about it here.)
One surprise: this statue of Sojourner Truth, a woman born into slavery in New York who was freed and became an abolitionist, by the western side of the bridge. Be sure to check out the back of her dress!
Thinking about a bigger bike ride along the Empire State Trail from Albany to New York City? My trip report begins here.
Day 2: It took 40 minutes to reach the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which runs north-south close to the Connecticut and Massachusetts lines and for now is 26 miles long.
This was much, much quieter than the trails of a day earlier and so rural. Loved the smoothness of the paved surface and the boardwalks over marshland.
We parked in Amenia, which supposedly has 3,800 people, and headed north. The next biggest town we biked through — Millerton — has about 860. Plus, no doubt, many New Yorkers on the weekends, given some of the stores there.
We didn’t bike the very southern bit of the trail to Wassaic, where there is train service from New York. But we were told that during the summer, the trail is packed with city folks who have arrived that way.
At the northern end, you are 106 miles from Grand Central Station, as this marker shows. You’re also just up the road from Copake Falls and Taconic State Park, for those looking for waterfalls, camping or both.
Yeah, we were in a hotel back near Poughkeepsie.
Exploring by bicycle 
Marvelous!Louise
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