Wallkill Valley Rail-Trail:
New York
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Description:
The 15-mile Wallkill Valley Rail Trail uses the old Wallkill Valley Railroad bed and extends from Rosendale at Route 213 through its halfway point in New Paltz to the Gardiner and Shawangunk town line. Since much of the corridor north of Rosendale has been acquired, you may someday be able to travel all the way to Kingston.

To conquer the trail in one trip, have a friend drop you off at the northern access point near Route 213 in Rosendale. From Route 213 take Keaton Avenue south, and after crossing the bridge, take the first right as the road starts to climb steeply. In two blocks you come to the beginning of the trail, where Keaton Avenue becomes Mountain Road. Unfortunately at this time you cannot access the 940-foot trestle over Rondout Creek, but plans are in the works to fix the bridge for pedestrian use.

When the trail crosses Mountain Road, its surface becomes a mixture of gravel, cinders, grass and dirt. The surrounding landscape is equally mixed. The trail cuts through hillsides, wetlands, forests and fields.

At about mile 3 you cross Springtown Road, followed by a fine example of a steel-truss bridge over placid Wallkill River. South of the bridge, a viewing platform with benches off of the trail encourages enjoyment of the wetland wildlife. For almost 0.25 mile between Plains Road and Broadhead Avenue in New Paltz, the trail is asphalt.

In New Paltz, the trail is adjacent to Huguenot Street, a National Historic Landmark District. At the intersection of the trail and Main Street in New Paltz, a great restaurant occupies the restored former train station. There are shops and additional eateries in New Paltz to tempt trail users.

South of New Paltz, the trail surface returns to gravel and is a little rougher, but before you leave the outskirts of New Paltz, the trail gives you direct access to the Wallkill. The thick tree stand and cool water offer a refreshing dip on a hot summer day. Much of the next 5 miles pass through agricultural landscape and wetlands. The hedges lining the trail can grow high and thick, but every now and then a view of a small farm or field opens up. The trail ends suddenly at Denniston Road at the Gardiner and Shawangunk town line, but it's more convenient to load bikes in the hamlet of Gardiner, which has parking and an excellent ice cream shop on the trail as well.

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Parking & Trail Access:
To reach the Rosendale endpoint, take the New Paltz exit off I-87 (New York State Thruway). Turn left on State Route 299/Main Street. Turn right on State Route 32. Stay on Route 32 when it merges with State Route 213. Turn left on Tilson Road. Turn right onto Springtown Road. Springtown Road becomes Elting Road. Turn left onto Mountain Road. The trail begins just before you reach Fairview Avenue.

To reach the Gardiner trailhead, take the New Paltz exit off I-87 (New York State Thruway). Turn left on State Route 299/Main Street. In New Paltz, turn left on to State Route 208. Follow this to the intersection of Highway 44/State Route 55 and turn right. Now on Main Street head west into downtown Gardiner, then turn right on 2nd Street. Parking is on the left.

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Reviews: [2 trail ratings]
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Long and Nice
By reubenr in January, 2011
Once you get past the dog **** and the horse shit, the walkers with plugs in their ears, the talkers on cell phones, the dog walkers, some with five dogs at a time, two of whom are bigger than the walker and on 20 ft leashes, the trail is fun. It's quite long, up and back (about 30 miles), for a Mountain Bike Ride, but the grades are consistently low, so it makes for a challenging but not too challenging ride. A Cross Bike or a Fixie would work really well, too, but a front fork with a shock still is needed to handle some of the bridges along the way, unless, of course, you are good at jumping the bike. As a change of pace from road biking, it is superb, and even on the hottest days, the shade of the forest lends a break. Actually, I wish there was more like these just for variety sake, but once a week is good enough to watch the seasons progress. Warning: Don't get off your bike to pick an apple. They'll shoot you dead on the spot. Just joking, I think.
A nice trail rather than pavement
By DPDISXR4Ti in November, 2010
I only got to ride the southern portion today; I will return another day to do the whole thing.

I would have to disagree with the comment, "The Wallkill Valley Railroad Company Trail is directly linked to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail." I started in Walden and upon reaching the end of the paved 4 mile rail-trail, there was no direction on where to go. Eventually I found my way by going straight and found myself back on the old rail bed, but this is not the "official" rail-trail. A couple miles north, the trail ends abruptly at Birch Rd and the prison, and there is no direction on what to do from there. I tried to find my way back to the rail line and got yelled at by a prison guard. So I back-tracked to Birch, took that west for a bit, and then turned right onto Sand Hill Rd. A right onto Denniston and you'll get to the "official" start of the trail just a little way up the road.

Hope that helps someone avoid my prison encounter.

New funding updates
By bicyclereporter in November, 2009
NEW PALTZ – The Hudson River Valley Greenway Friday announced the awarding of three grants to trail projects in Ulster County.

The funding is part of the 2009 Greenway Conservancy Small Grants Program.

The Southern Ulster Alliance and the Town of New Paltz were given $17,750 for the Southern Ulster Alliance Project. They will design a link between the Hudson Valley Rail Train and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, creating a more regional trail system in Ulster County.

The County of Ulster will receive $7,000 for its Sojourner Truth County Park. This project will add 400 feet of Americans With Disabilities Act accessible trail to connect a parking area with an existing ADA accessible trail and other recreational trails.

The Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association, Inc. will receive $1,500 to create the Hudson Valley Rail Trail Brochure. The Hudson Valley Rail Trail will soon become a link to the newly opened Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, and provides a vital recreational resource to the residents and visitors of Ulster County.

The brochure will provide information to those seeking to utilize the trail and its amenities, and will be an important marketing tool for the trail.

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/November09/06/HRVG_grants-06Nov09.htm
Trail Facts
Trail End Points: Denniston Rd. (south of Gardiner) to Rondout Creek RR trestle at Main St./CR7/SR 213 (Rosendale)
Counties: Ulster
Trail Length: 15.2 miles
Trail Category: Rail-Trail
Trail Surfaces: Crushed Stone, Gravel, Ballast
Trail Activities: Bike, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Walking, Cross Country Skiing
TrailLink ID: 6032011

Related Links
Guidebook: Learn more about other New York rail-trails in RTC's New York Guidebook.
Trail of the Month: October 2002