By jmnewsweek in February, 2012
As of January 2012, the South County Trailway (SCT) extension in Yonkers appears complete. The temporary detours have been removed and the Trailway is fully open through Yonkers.
The extended trail is about as good as it gets -- a smooth, wide asphalt surface with enough in the way of gentle climbs, curves and sweeping views to keep things interesting. Overall, the entire Yonkers section of the SCT is one of the best urban rail-trail rides I've found in the New York City region. And unlike the rest of the SCT, very little of the Yonkers portion runs alongside high-speed highways.
Instead, it cuts through some light industrial zones and blue-collar neighborhoods before straddling the Dunwoodie Golf Course and The HF Redmond Jr Memorial Park and then passing alongside the spectacular Tibbets Brook County Park where paved side trails wander past the Brook, tennis courts, playing fields and an immense water park.
The only real faults (and this is true of the entire SCT) are a scarcity of access and trail-side services. As for trail-side refueling, I saw just one seasonal outdoor cafe at Palmer Ave. (closed in January) and a Duncan Donuts in the the Mile Square Plaza. It's worth noting, however, that the Trailway does go directly under McLean Ave., which is home to one of the highest concentrations of Irish pubs anywhere outside of Dublin.
The wide, smooth asphalt section stretches for about six miles from the Yonkers/Hastings border to the Yonkers/New York City border, where the paved trail ends in the woods at the edge of Van Courtland Park. From this isolated trailhead, an unpaved trail continues along the Old Putnam rail bed to the southeast corner of Van Cortland Park, where The Old Putnam Trail joins a short feeder trail that links up with the MTA No. 1 Subway line at the corner of 242nd Street and Broadway in the Bronx.
In theory, it's possible to transport a bike via Subway to the 242nd St-Van Courtland Park Station and then ride almost entirely off-road to Brewster, NY, where there is regular Metro North train service back to NYC's Grand Central Station. I say "in theory," because even in dry weather, the unpaved trail through Van Courtland Park presents a serious challenge to road bikes.
As for reaching the Yonkers section of the SCT by car, one option is to park at HF Redmond Park where the Trailway runs on the hillside above the park. A steep access trail is easily found on the embankment behind the baseball diamonds. Finding Redmond Park itself, however, is no picnic.
The easiest and most convenient trail access and parking is at the intersection of Farragut Ave and the Saw Mill River Parkway in Hastings-on-Hudson. The SCT parking lot is on the southeast corner of the intersection and is entered from Farragut Ave. If you cycle south from here, after a short stretch of narrow, bumpy trail, you'll reach the Yonkers border where the Trailway becomes both wider and much, much smoother.
The third option, which is what I did, is to park about three miles north of Yonkers at Woodland's Lake Park--which has its own exit (northbound only) off the Saw Mill River Parkway in Ardsley. From the Woodland's Lake parking area to the NYC border is about 9 miles, making for a pleasant 18-mile afternoon round trip. Despite the reference to "smooth sailing" in the main article, I found that north of Yonkers, the STC is anything BUT smooth. As a previous review notes, by 2010 washboarding from root heaves had already become a significant problem along the STC. It's only gotten worse since then. Between Woodland's Lake and Farragut Ave., I had to keep my speed below five or six mph most of the time, or risk jarring my dental work loose.
Is the Yonkers section of the South County Trailway a worthwhile destination for an afternoon rail trail ride? I think so -- and will be returning again! For mountain bikers, there's the added attraction of many miles of unpaved trail to explore in Van Courtland Park, which at 1,100 acres is NYC's fourth largest green space.
By jmnewsweek in January, 2012
I made a mileage error in my previous review. The OVERALL distance of the combined North County / Putnam Trailways is 30 miles. However, the continuous OFF-ROAD portion between Millwood, NY and Brewster is only about 20 miles.
The entire interconnected "trailway network" (South County / North County / Putnam Trailwaus) is about 44 miles beginning at the Bronx / Westchester border and ending in Brewster. The vast majority of this consists of off-road rail trail. And it really is one of the recreational treasures of the New York City region.
By jmnewsweek in January, 2012
The 30-miles of continuous asphalt rail trail that begins in Millwood NY and pass through Yorktown Heights, Mahopac and Carmel Hamlet before ending on the outskirts of Brewster is one of the recreational treasures of the New York City region.
Technically, the trail consists of a 22.1 mile section of the North County Trailway which seamlessly joins the 7.4-mile Putnam Trailway at the border between Westchester and Putnam Counties.
Much of this trail passes through hilly upland forest. But there's a spectacular trestle across the Croton Reservoir, numerous lakes and ponds -- and an series of villages and towns with funky bars, bike shops, pharmacies and dozens of eclectic eateries ranging from a 1933 WPA-type stone building with an outdoor cafe/garden that's been turned into a Starbucks to a trendy Italian cafe called Mirabella's that specializes in homemade gelato. There's even a trail-side shop the sells comics and graphic novels.
The fact that this trail system extends south all the way to New York City -- albeit with several breaks that force riders onto busy side streets and highways -- is all the more remarkable.
Given the enticements of the North County/Putnam Trailways, it's not surprising that it's taken 15 years to summon the curiosity to explore what lies south of Millwood. But on a frigid January day with temps in the mid 20s, I decided to take a look.
At Millwood, the North County Trail becomes an on-road bike route along Saw Mill River Road. Although the shoulder is wide and in some places separated by a guard rail, I've yet to speak to a cyclist who's felt comfortable on this route where the traffic often flows at 70 mph.
But the off-road rail trail portion of the North County Trailway resumes in Briarcliff Manor and travels south for several miles before seamlessly joining the South County Parkway at Old Saw Mill River Road near the Westchester Medical Center. From there the rail trail continues south before ending at the gate of the UPS transfer station on Warehouse Lane in Elmsford. The distance from Briarcliff to Elmsford is a little over nine miles, making for a nice winter ramble on my recumbent trike.
Finding the Briarcliff trailhead was perhaps the biggest challenge of the trip. The Tudor-style Briarcliff Library mentioned in the main review has been replaced by a large, modern faux-Tudor brick Library building. Although the Google Map shows the trail running adjacent to the Library, there are no signs or any visible trail entrance.
Eventually, I noticed a dog-walker squeezing between some parked cars near the Library before vanishing behind a air conditioning compressor that's roughly the size of a Mini Cooper. Located between the compressor and the SE corner of the Library with a Handicap Only parking sign planted in the asphalt is a narrow path the leads down an embankment to the North County Trailway.
Once on the rail trail, the ride to Elmsford and back was surprisingly pleasant. The grade is gentle and the asphalt surface is in good shape -- with only a few inevitable root heaves and potholes. North of Millwood, the rail trade grades are occasionally steep and usually very long -- often going for three or more miles without a level stretch. Between Briarcliff and Elmsford, however, the grades are short and often barely noticeable.
The Google Map indicates that most of the rail trail is sandwiched between the Saw Mill Parkway and a major high tension line--which most certainly is the case. But on the South County Trailways portion of the route, the trail is elevated on a hillside overlooking the parkway, limiting the traffic noise and affording some interesting views. With summer foliage, I suspect both parkway and looming high-tension towers would be even less of an issue.
Near the point where the South County and North County Trailways link up, there's a spur trail that runs west for a mile or so through the Tarrytown Lakes Park -- offering an escape from both the overhead wires and traffic noise.
Don't, however, expect to find a cup of soup, or even coffee, between Briarcliff and Elmsford. The only possibility of food were an Applebees and something called the Executive Diner -- but reaching them would involve somehow crossing the Saw Mill Parkway. The rail trail ends, rather ignominiously, in the middle of a vast warren of trucking depots.
Will I be returning soon? Not likely. This stretch is simply no contest to the remarkable rail trail system from Millwood to Brewster. Still, for a quick afternoon outing, the Braircliff to Elmsford stretch is a pleasant and uncomplicated ride -- if you can find the trail head.