area trailways and paths

I am an avid cyclist, however the major trailways in the area,the Dutchess rail-trail,the Walkway over the Hudson,the Hudson Valley rail-trail,the Walkill Valley rail-trail and the Harlem Valley rail-trail are all multi use recreational trails (M.U.R.T.),and so are also for walkers/hikers and roller-bladders (or roller-skiers) as well

In addition,the "mother" of all hiking trails the Appalachian Trail,passes through the area. The AT enters New York from Connecticut near Wingdale NY,here in Dutchess county. The trail traverses south-west across Dutchess county over Shenandoah Mountain near Fishkill. The trail continues into Putnam County to Clarence Fahnstock State Park and over the Hudson Highlands. There is a stop on the Harlem Line of the Netro North RR here in Dutchess county. There is also a stop on the Hudson Line in Putnam county. (see RAIL)

Poughkeepsie

Walkway OTH

Dutchess rail trail

Harlem Valley rail trail

Hyde Park Trails

Highland

Walkway Loop Trail

Wallkill Valey rail trail

Hudson Valley rail trail

Nyack

CITY and TOWN of POUGHKEEPSIE
bike paths and routes

C.O.P. - Wilbur Ave. path – notes

City and Town local route – this signed local route, on city streets, utilizes a short path that leads into the US rt. 9 north-bound sidewalk – this route provides a route to the services on US rt. 9

WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON

^{WOTH state park sign on US route 9W in the village of Highland}

the east end entrance (Parker Ave. City of Poughkeepsie) lower parking lot is being expanded - there may be some construction activity in this area

my blog reports

DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL

phase 3 construction is under way this section will go from CR 49 - Old Manchester Rd. in the town of Poughkeepsie,to the north end of the previously completed and open phase 1 section in the town of East Fishkill and that 1/2 mile section from SR 376 to the old depot in Hopewell Jct. - the southern trailhead / terminus

This rail trail is paved- Phase I - a 1.7 mi section from SR 376 - Bridge Street in the village of Hopewell Jct. to Walton Lake (2007) note: this section is only paved on one side - the other side is a soft surface for Equestrian use - and Phase II - a 2.4 mi. section from the northern trailhead / terminus - Morgan Lake, in the City of Poughkeepsie to Overocker Rd., in the town of Poughkeepsie (2009) - have been completed and are now open K.E.N. 06/18/10 – there still is that section in the town of Poughkeepsie from Old Manchester Rd. to the south end of the completed and open phase 2 to be done - phase 4 which will require a new RT overpass bridge for SR 55 – and so this RT will still be considered “under construction”

maps:
note: all maps are PDF documents
official DC rail trail map - phase II - front and back
NOTE:copies of this map available at Overocker Road parking area (in wood map holder that looks like bird feeder)

UN-official annotated phase II map

the below are the planning meeting maps from 2006:
northern terminus - City and town of Poughkeepsie

town of Poughkeepsie

town of Lagrange north (SR 55 area)

town of Lagrange south

town of Wappingers

southern terminus - Hopewell Jct. (town of East Fishkill)

HARLEM VALLEY RAIL TRAIL

This rail trail is paved - technically the trail is under construction but the 11 mile section in Dutchess County from Wasaaic to Milerton is open – there are plans for, and/or ongoing construction of, a section from Millerton extending into Columbia County to connect with an existing section in that county – when fully completed this rail-trail will be 22 miles in length

HYDE PARK TRAILS

^{Roosevelt Farm Lane - part of the main trail}

The Roosevelt Farm Lane road-trail is part of the longer main trail, of the Hyde Park trails system,emblazoned with a distinctive Tulip leaf marker. The road-trail surface is mostly hard packed fine gravel.

HIGHLAND
trailways and paths

HUDSON VALLEY RAIL TRAIL

Ulster County Town of Lloyd -this rail-trail is paved - 3.6 miles – the new section of this paved rail trail is now open - the rail trail now goes from the west end of the Walkway OTH (0.0 mi.) to the Tony Williams park in the town of Lloyd.(3.6 mi.) There is a parking lot on Haviland Rd. at the eastern trailhead.There is an old caboose (that used to be on the Walkway) and an information kiosk here. At Commercial Ave., in the village of Highland there is access to the RT and a small parking lot.(1.1 mi.) At 2.2 miles there is a pavilion / shelter another old RR caboose with RR themed art in the windows, and parking lot.The bathrooms in the Tony Williams town park,at the western terminus, are only open seasonly (during softball season)

the old section of the RT is closed at the CR 12 New Paltz Rd. underpass (tunnel) crossing .4 mi. west of the pavilion - exit the RT here and follow the detour signs for New Paltz Rd.

un-official annotated map

There is a path / sidewalk along the NB side of US rt 9W at the intersection of US rt 9W and Haviland Rd. (ACR) this was part of the US rt 9W renovations in this section a few years ago that provides access to the shopping center– the northern most section at Haviland Rd. is concrete and extends to the FDR Mid Hudson bridge (US rt 44 / SR 55) exit to 9W north – there is ped crossing marking on the roadway –
USE CAUTION WHEN CROSSING the path from here is asphalt and continues along the NB side of the highway and crosses the entrance to the bridge USE CAUTION WHEN CROSSING and exits onto a side road

SCENIC HUDSON FRANNY REESE STATE PARK – this unique area is part nature preserve and part historical site – within this park there are the ruins of an abandoned village which include the remains of an old windmill – the old roads make for good mountain bike trails, however some of the trails in this preserve are primarily hiking trails – see my blog for more info

trails map

WALKWAY LOOP TRAIL map
I had been at the east entrance of the Walkway OTH recently to check on the progress as the opening day draws nearer, On my return I saw one of the signs for the Walkway Loop "trail". The so called trail is actualy a route on city streets to the MH bridge from the Walkway OTH. I went down Verazano Blvd., which is also the signed NY BR9 bicycle route, to Mt. Carmel Pl. There was a WLT sign with a left arrow. I did not see any other signs,on this day, for the WLT. I continued on the BR9 - So. Clover St. - to Main St. I could only presume the WLT went to right at So. Clover on Dongan Pl. then maybe to the RR station? At the west end of the MH bridge the route would go through Johnson Iorio Memorial park out onto Haviland Rd. (FYI: no sidewalk) to the west entrance of the Walkway OTH
At the west end of the MH bridge, in the park, are stairs leading down. These go to that road-trail leading into the Franny Reese Preserve.
K.E.N. 09-26-09

WALLKILL VALLEY RAIL TRAIL

Ulster County -this rail-trail is unpaved - as per the Hudson Valley Bikeways & Trailways guide book (second ed.) there is supposedly a 15 mi. north section open from Rosendale to Kingston – I can tell you for a fact the rail-trail proper northern terminus is at the middle of the RR trestle in the village of Rosendale – beyond this there is only RR ties on the bridge and a “hole-in-the-woods” beyond this point with possibly, at best, a single track mountain bike path – the ROW is undeveloped – the above guide book also indicates the south section that is open is 12.2 mi., but I think from Gardiner, at the south end, all the way to the village of Rosendale, to the middle of the trestle at the north end, it is more like 15 mi.

I understand that the old RR trestle in Rosendale may be closed due to unsafe conditions. When I was there in April (2009) the bridge was still open. However I did notice that a section of the dirt/gravel parking lot had washed away. With all the rain in this area during the late spring-early summer, there must have been quite a bit more erosion. In addition the wood deck on the bridge had some boards that were warped and there were nails sticking up.
K.E.N. 09-26-09

NYACK area TRAILWAYS

^{Nyack Beach SP Greenway Trail}