I wish I could give this 4.5 stars.

It is really two separate trails with a five-mile gap. I rode both sections. The bottom section was slightly nicer and might have squeaked out 5 stars on its own.

Most of the trail is shady and scenic. the pavement is generally smooth but a few roots. However, in the northern section it is not really well-marked and a bunch of times I needed to pull out my GPS, either to guess which way to go at a fork or as the poor marking meant I went off trail. The lower section has a part in northern New Haven where it is not kept up as well and there are lots of road crossings.

Historic trail with varied terrain and beautiful scenery. We parked in Rockland County and rode over the Tappan Zee Bridge and made am easy connection to the trail.

Miles of secluded, smooth, paved trail. We were there on a Tuesday and hardly met anyone. Typical rail trail views with woods and rocks, but the view of the lake and wetlands was very pleasant and broke it up. Surprised to find the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail where it crossed the bike path. Starting in Hopewell Junction heading south east there is a slight incline until Whaley Lake. Not a problem, just made it easier on the way back. After the Whaley Lake continuing south there is a slight decline which did make it a a bit of a grind on the way back but really nothing to be afraid of. We thoroughly enjoyed the day. The only reason I did not give this trail 5 stars was because of lack of and condition of bathroom facilities. When you are of a certain age this becomes more important to you :-) We did the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail, Walk Over the Hudson, and Hudson Valley Rail Trail the previous day, making for a nice mini-vacation. We travelled 3 hours for this trip and it was worth it.

Found a 20-mile gem on the TrailLink app. Great ride until you hit the 6 1/2 mile mark to the 8-mile mark. It’s all mud and horseshit, but I was able to get through it. The first 6 miles are great for the family after that; advance riders only

I have done the trail four times so far, and it is a great experience. I usually take route 25 up to Monroe, hang a right off of 25 to the park, and park my car there. The last leg of the north end takes you to an abandoned factory, and it’s a little sketchy. I don’t recommend it. But if you take the south route all the way down to Trumbull round-trip at 15 miles it is beautiful. The paths are extensive, and as a bicyclist, you could call out to everyone if you were on their left or right. It’s a very safe and fun trail for the whole family.

Skip those two segments. Boring. If you insist on checking those out, do so on a bright, sunny day. They both have a spooky, remote feel.

The trails that have any signage at all are overgrown. The rest is either not marked or unreadable signage. Not even adequate for mountain biking. The only saving grace is the arboretum in Morristown.

Must park on Halpin Rd or you’ll struggle with parking at the trailhead. Slight down hill grade from Ridgefield, but otherwise an easy walk, crossover roads marked well. No bikes just walkers and runners.

I’ve been riding this trail weekly since June 2021. 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. In July the trail had ripe raspberries all along it for snacking. There are port—a-potties at the parking lot trailheads and even a couple bike service kiosks at a couple parking lots. Some sections of the trail can be quite remote; I’ve ridden miles without seeing another biker/runner. As a female cyclist riding fast, I feel safe, but female runners/walkers may feel safer with a partner. My only critique is that the trail does not connect at the Brewster (east) end with any of the Westchester county trails. But maybe that is coming.