This ride takes us from the Brewster Trailhead passing Ice Pond, The Great Swamp, a rail trestle bridge, and the back side of Greenhaven Prison (!).. There is only road side parking on a soft shoulder, both sides of the road. And then Whaley Lake is beautiful, theres a long stretch right alongside it. Definitely picturesque, quiet and peaceful The best part is a 2 mile section along Whaley Lake beautiful views of the lake and some very nice houses on the opposite shore. After years of effort, 750-mile Empire State Trail is complete The next time you go to the southern end of the Dutchess Rail Trail in Hopewell Junction for a run or bike ride, try something different: Go right. The trail from end to end (18 miles) is perfectly paved with numerous bridges and parking access points scattered about all in pristine condition. Beautiful trail, clean and well kept and super clean bathrooms in Hopewell Junction. There is construction equipment at the west end, but not much happening. It is part of the Empire State Trail from NYC to Buffalo. Built in 1873, this former hub on the Maybrook Line of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad now offers a museum and historical photo gallery inside. It was once a two-track freight line, but one track was removed in 1962; which is where the bike path is situated. Parking is at the Community Center at 239 SR-292, Holmes, NY 12531, 700 feet north of the intersection. Rode the northern part of this trail on 4/26/21 from Hopewell Junction to Holmes as part of my ride from New Paltz. While a fire station advertised a fish-fry, jaunty old barns tilted in the grass. Feel free to climb and take in the view! But see that little section that leaves New York City at the southern end, and runs north into Westchester County, Putnam, Dutchess before crossing the Hudson River? But maybe that is coming. All of them are van-accessible with striped access aisles. Other than that this was a really nice trail and I would bike it with caution, or a mountain bike. Rode this trail on May 29, 2016. This is the only map of the plan released so far: Trail map (so far) for the Empire State Trail. I have been using the Dutchess Rail Trail for a couple years and have noticed lots of people riding, running, walking and just meandering about without a care in the world. Point-to-Point. In Pawling, just north of Whaley Lake, the trailway intersects with the Appalachian Trail. The paved piece (1.8 miles) outside of Hopewell is paralleled by a packed dirt / pea gravel lane, I assume might be for horses?? I THEN LINKED TO THE DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL FOR ABOUT 10 MILES MORE. on the 16th of this month I was at the WOTH to check on progress of the new elevator - as I was at the east end I also checked on the progress of the connector trail Dutchess RT stage 5 - I had seen that the connector trail had been paved - all that remains is the SR 55 overpass brdge - phase 4 - to be put into place to complete the Maybrook trailway system - Hopewell Jct. for a link to the updated RR property map in the city of Poughkeepsie please visit my Hudson Valley - cycling adventures and area trailways report blog at: trailways.bigk12603.com, There is now an 8.3 mile long contiguous trail - paved with a soft path for runners/walkers - from a bit beyond the old depot (under restoration) in Hopewell Jct. The trail climbs steeply to some old ruins of a casino. To reach this parking lot from I-84, take Exit 46, and head north on US 9. Discovered this trail connects to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail via the Walkway over the Hudson Bridge. (parking and trailhead access),town of East Fishkill,to Manchester Rd. Continue on US 9 N for 14.4 miles to NY 9G in Poughkeepsie; you will travel under the Walkway Over the Hudson on the way to this exit. [2] It is part of the Poughkeepsie Newburgh Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York Newark Bridgeport, NY- NJ - CT - PA Combined Statistical Area . Check or FAQs for more common login questions. empiretrail.ny.gov/ Shared By: Walt T. Full Details. I parked at Pumphouse Rd which is right before the Tonetta Lake parking area. Dutchess Rail Trail. Everywhere, ponds, lakes and streams. Nearby homes similar to 7 Trails End have recently sold between $670K to $670K at an average of $220 per square foot. When you return to Hopewell the folks at Daddy O's will be more than happy to serve up a pub lunch and refreshments. This is more of a stroll than a hike, which is nice because you can add it to another hike in the same day if you're in the area. The Poughkeepsie walking bridge is a great bonus. Small portion of Maybrook trail is now paved. I did it round trip and it is one of the best maintained trails I have been on Again thank you Mr Steinhaus. I run it and walk it also. The bridge over the Hudson is spectacular. 07/29 would begin the actual placement of the bridge sections - on Wed. 07/31 should be the installation of the final bridge section over the hwy. At Denton Lakeon Thursday, I found men fishing in the afternoon, under pink trees that were just starting to leaf out. Traffic was not bad at all. Great rides all the way! A real mixed bag but mostly very enjoyable. I PARKED AT THE LOT FOR THE WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON. The trail is well maintained. We past some interesting caves with cold air which was a nice surprise. The walkway over Hudson and Hudson valley rail trial that finishes in Tony Williams park. Then it continues through the Maybrook, Putnam, North County and South County rail trails to NYC. Here with the existing track next to you - you're assured of no steep hills whatsoever. Make sure to stop at the Hopewell train depot, located very close to our starting point. The only reason I did not give this trail 5 stars was because of lack of and condition of bathroom facilities. It's a lovely, well maintained trail that connects to the Walkway over the Hudson and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. I WILL SEND PHOTOS AS WELL . The Walkway over the Hudson is most extraordinary and marvelous. Recommended option. Once you get east of the bridge, the trail is MUCH LESS crowded. 0727 the work started with prep and staging - this week starting Mon. Visit the Dutchess County Parks & Trails Application. Great for family. Looking good thus far! 55 behind Page lumber - parking and trailhead access) The rail trail now includes educational interpretive signs,directional-mileage signs at intersections and engraved wood mileage markers.There is parking,trail access,and a kiosk at Diddell Rd. The population was 1330 at the 2020 census. A few scenic spots along the way but rare massive vistas if thats what you like. Great views, lots of shade and rest stops. Well maintained. If you map the trailheads using the Rails-to-Trails site and you're going to start at Lake Wilton, the directions are slightly off. Very scenic trail though residential and park like areas including a nice section through a swamp area - bring your bug repellant. Well worth a light rain to get wonderful fall color photos. Nice trail for running, and it wasnt too crowded. 3h 57m A very well constructed and maintained rail-trail in Dutchess County, NY. THIS TIME I STARTED FROM HOPEWELL JUNCTION JUST A MILE OR 2 OFF THE TACONIC PKWY. At Hopewell Junction, it provides a seamless link to the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail , and onward to the Walkway over the Hudson State Par k and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Ulster County. In Pawling, just north of Whaley Lake, the trailway intersects with the Appalachian Trail. As previous comments noted it's not exactly flat. About a half mile over the line to an overpass at Mill Plain Rd in Ridgefield CT. with a kiosk - at the northern trail head terminus (and will be forever) at Morgan Lake technicaly in the CITY of Poughkkepsie there is a small like county park within the Morgan Lake city park with benches,a kiosk,flowers and now a new memorial for Michael Murphy - the southern end does not go all the way to the old depot in Hopewell Jct. Where the trail crosses busy roads, the trail is on a bridge very nice! Will explore the other half next week starting in Brewster. SOLD JUN 13, 2022. When I got near the top the cooler temperatures and shade kept the trail snow covered. So you could ride more than 100 miles paved off-road. We had to walk our bikes most of the way over. The new Empire State Trail, proposed to connect more than 750 County Exec. The transition between the trails is seamless. Not ready for biking at this location YET, but it will be fun to watch things progress from here, and eventually connect up to the Putnam Trailway (http://www.traillink.com/trail/putnam-trailway.aspx). Looks like it will be a nice trail when complete. Looks like a stairway is being installed at the Peaceable Hill Road overpass. Get ice cream or a slice at the frozen caboose! From there the bike trail is quite good for a while, but then you have to bike on the road. The 13.1-mile trail runs through what seems like a perpetually green landscape of dense tree cover, linking Poughkeepsie at the Hudson River with smaller towns to the southeast.At its Poughkeepsie end, the Dutchess Rail Trail begins at a shared parking lot with the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. To be expected. Be the first to share your experience. being an old RR grade, the slope is not perceptible, except at certain road crossings where a RR bridge used to be. After a short walk into the forest, you reach The start of the Perkins Trail marked with yellow discs. The best part is the Walkway over the Hudson. Beautiful fields, marshes, ponds you will pass but the best part is the view across the Hudson River at about midpoint. A great experience at every level. It has a short road hop to an on-ramp to the Trailway. The trail travels from Hopewell Junction to Brewster and is considered to be easy to moderate with few hills. Today we road the trail all the way from Hopewell Junction to the walkweay over the Hudson and connected with the Hudson Valley Rail Trail for a ride of about 18 miles in each direction. So far, it is relatively undiscovered by users that can make biking treacherous: people walking dogs on leashes and small children weaving across the trail. Most noteably,the section of the ROW on the south side, that connects with the completed phase 1 section, has YET to be worked on.The Dutchess County gov. You can walk your bike along RR, via open fence for this 50 yards or so or cycle downhill on Peaceable Hill rd and up the hill on East Main to get back on. Connected to Duchess Rail Trail and went all the way to Walkway over the Hudson. The last part goes thru a simsbury park, there are a lot of roots, gotta be careful. Note that you dont pass through local downtowns per se, I saw restrooms at the Stormville parking area and at Lake Tonetta and Hopewell Junction. in the town of Poughkeepsie.This section of the RT opened to the public in June,2009.This section will remain as an isolated section until the completion of phase 4, which will include a 900 foot long bridge over a 4 lane state hwy. In those 10 miles there was one road crossing and you can still go further without one - I didn't go to the end yet. Combined with the local roads for a great run! I ride about three times a week. Miles of secluded, smooth, paved trail. Paved section enter off N. Main St behind Kobackers to Peaceable Hill Rd. Seems that some are bummed by a few sponsored or memorialized benches at the beginning of this ride, but otherwise this is a relaxing 28+ mile round trip from Hopewell Jct. Awesome trail. If the sponsorship helps maintain the trail, so be it. Currently the paved section that heads north stops underneath Tonetta Lake Road which is just south of I-84. There is a small missing section above the Croton River east branch in Brewster . It's a great, relaxing trail, paved all the way,with a couple small hills. The perfect place to stroll and enjoy fall colors. 68 trails covering 534 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Since the locomotives can't manage hills, the railroad builders levelled the right of way. The Dutchess County Trail was in really great shape. Since it was paved with asphalt last year, this is a very smooth trail. The first segment to the CT line was new to us; there is an on-road detour due to a bridge out at Peaceable Hill Road. From our board members to our tour guides to everyone in between they have two things in common, the urge to expand the knowledge of the depot and history and they all volunteer their time. TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support! At the SR36 crossing, there has been no new work. I asked a policeman if he knew how to get to it, but he said it was not open yet. That route would followthe old Maybrook line. I biked from Brewster to Poughkeepsie on March 12, once it finally warmed up a bit. Returning southbound is a little tougher since there is the slight upward grade. Rode the Maybrook trail for the first time this morning starting in Brewster, going north. As a female cyclist riding fast, I feel safe, but female runners/walkers may feel safer with a partner. Which wheelchair friendly trail has the most elevation gain in Hopewell Junction? Come on out and enjoy the outdoors with a stroll or bike ride with family and friends along the WRS Dutchess Rail Trail. WebThis 13.4-mile continuous paved trail runs from the Walkway Over the Hudson (with a direct link to the regional trail network) to the restored Hopewell Depot at its East Fishkill The parking lot at Overocker road is small. I did this from south to north with two other trials. The first part to Whaley Lake passes several nice ponds with some hills in the background. Dutchess county to the twn. Either someone was reading the plans upside down, or there will be a very unusual L shaped RT pedestrian bridge at this crossing. The 13 mile Dutchess trail that connects to the bridge is the template for all modern rail trails. Ride a trail write a review! Get a FREE Rail Trails Guidebook when you become a Member with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. So far, there are two pieces completed with a parking area at the ends of each segment. WebFundraise for a Caboose 100% Restore Caboose 17% Explore our Projects These projects and maintenance are funded by donations, help us by donating. And itlacks the meatydetails. Copyright 2017 | All Rights Reserved. The William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trailnamed for the Dutchess County executive who championed itis a treasure in New York's Hudson Valley region. Ive been riding this trail weekly since June 2021. We biked from Simsbury to Farmington on the Canal trail. The trail, which is owned and was built by Metro North Rail, occupies the former secondary track of the Beacon Line. Check the Empire State Trail website for more info. The trail is now complete from Lloyd through Poughkeepsie then all the way down to Hopewell Junction. Using I-84 take exit 21 towards Rt 202. I didnt see any other bathrooms along the route, havent yet explored on-road possibilities e.g. I'm excited to use this path once the project is completed. The trail is also narrow in spots making it uncomfortably close for bikes traveling in opposing directions. 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