Catharine Valley Trail:
New York
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Description:
The Catharine Valley Trail heads south from Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen State Park to Mark Twain State Park. The trail follows segments of the abandoned Northern Central Railroad and Chemung Canal towpath, which one ran through the Finger Lakes. Eventually the trail will head farther south to Horseheads.

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Parking & Trail Access:
Trailheads from North to South are:

Marina Road in Watkins Glen: Turn east onto Fairgrounds Road from Rt. 14 (S. Franklin St.). Fairgrounds Road turns into Marina Road. The trailhead is about 0.3 mile in from Rt. 14. Watkins Glen High School is along the Catharine Valley Trail to the North.

Cook Street in Montour Falls: Follow Genesee Street south and turn east on W. South Street, then turn south onto Montour Street to the intersection of Cook Street. Turn east on Cook Street; the trailhead is on the south side of the street.

South Genesee Street in Montour Falls: There are two kiosks, one on each side of South Genesee Street in Montour Falls. The trailhead is about 0.25 mile from Route 14 south of Montour Falls, near the power transformer station.

Millport: There are three trailheads in Millport. The first one is on Maple Street; turn west on Crescent Street off Route 14 in the center of Millport then right onto Maple Street. There is a kiosk and limited parking at the end of Maple. To reach the second trailhead, from Crescent Street turn left on Maple Street to the end then left onto Morris Hill Road. There is limited parking. The third trailhead is at the post office on Burch Hill Road in Millport, 0.3 mile from the CVT overpass over Route 14. There is limited parking in the post office parking lot; use the spaces that are west of the flag pole just beyond the building.

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Reviews: [2 trail ratings]
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Scenic, cool with two stunning waterfalls.
By chrisritter4 in May, 2011
We road this trail from Millport to Montour Falls on a 90 degree Memorial Day and I took a quick jaunt into Watkins Glen. The trail is mostly gravel, with some paved and some dirt sections. Best for a hybrid or mountain bike, but OK for a road bike but I would suggest slapping on some touring tires for the day.

The trail environment is simply stunning. The greater part of the ride is deeply forested on both sides, with Catherine Creek audible or visible. It was well shaded, a plus for a hot, muggy day. Montour Falls is a quaint little town with a dramatic waterfall smack dab in the middle - and other just north of town - and a fine little cafe. The jaunt into Watkins Glen runs adjacent to the creek for some stretches, and is pleasant enough but not as pretty as the southern part of the trail.

A+!
One of the Best
By cdudley in March, 2011
This trail is my favorite (although I live some two-hours away) in part because I grew up in this area, and it offers the most solitude as it appears to be little used by the local folks. The railroad that ran through here was used primarily to move coal from Williamsport PA to Sodus Point NY where it was shipped to Canada and other Great Lakes destinations. It also carried grapes and other fruit to the south, along with ice from Lake Ontario in years past. As a child lying in bed at night I used to listen to the freight trains rumbling up & down the valley and wonder what they were carrying and where they were going with it.

The trail starts in the North at the Seneca Lake pier in Watkins Glen, at about where the remaining active railroad ends, and where there is plenty of free parking. After a short ride through the village you enter the old railbed just south of the high school. You proceed on a scenic trip through through the Queen Catherine Marsh, the village of Montour Falls, and then on a long gradual uphill climb through the woods to the old canal hamlet of Millport. The trip from Millport through Pine Valley to Horseheads has a bit less of a remote feel (and less of a physical challenge) but a great ride nonetheless. By Spring 2011 the southern terminus at Mark Twain Park should be completed.

The natural Upstate NY scenery is terrific, and the close up views & sounds of the local semi-rural & small town culture are charming. Worth noting to many is that there are several park-benches, two composting Rest Rooms but no public water facilities along the way, so be sure to bring enough water with you if you are riding the whole trail. There are stores & restaurants in Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, and Pine Valley.
Really beautiful
By hellonthreewheels in November, 2008
We only rode this trail from the town of Montour Falls to Millport, which was the only portion of the trail that was open when we were there in May 2008. This was one of the very first rail-trails we've ridden, and even now that we've been spoiled by riding on hundreds of miles of mostly paved rail-trails in Ohio and Pennsylvania we still think that this is one of the prettiest trails we've been on!

At some points, the trail was on a high ridge with a big drop-off on one side and a mountain on the other. It had a few short, steep sections that provided a very interesting ride. Mostly, the trail climbed gradually towards Millport so that we had a much faster and easier ride back.

I'd also recommend stopping by the library in downtown Montour Falls to see their stained glass window; the whole building was charming.
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