the Way of the Turtle

14.3 Mile Ride Along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Monday, July 14, 2008

Wallkill Valley Rail Trail website

I'm not 100% certain, but I think I first heard about the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail when I got my copy of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-to-Trails: New York guidebook. (Published in 2002 - can it be that long ago?!!! - it sadly seems to be out of print, probably because of the challenges in keeping such a guide up-to-date.) Originally the corridor for the Wallkill Valley Railroad in 1866, the line was finally abandoned in 1977. In the 1980's the idea for a multi-use trail on the railbed was proposed, and the trail was implemented in the early 1990's after the formation of the Wallkill Valley Rail-Trail Association. The trail is an interesting exercise in cooperation between a variety of groups - the WVRTA, the town of New Paltz, and private landowners in Rosendale who allow passage along the trail on their property. I was interested in the trail for two reasons. First, the description indicated that it's very scenic, passing through some gorgeous countryside and over a number of redecked bridges (including the partially redecked Rosendale High Bridge at the northern terminus.) And second, it's near an area I love to visit (the 'Gunks) and seemed like a natural side trip for one of my treks down there to run or ride in the mountains. Unfortunately, prior to this summer that had never really worked out, but my plan to run several of the New Paltz Summer XC Series races at the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska suggested several opportunities to get in some riding before doing one of the short trail races.

Unfortunately, I wasn't confident of my ability to ride 30 miles or so on the trail and then go run 4 miles in the mountains, so I decided to limit my ride to only half the trail starting at New Paltz. I decided to do the northern route first because I really wanted to see the bridge at Rosendale! So I parked at the municipal parking off Huguenot Street - in and of itself a very interesting historical side trip - and headed for the trail.

As with most rail trails, the path was basically level and mostly straight, though this one several portions with very gentle slopes (barely noticeable) and enough curves to keep things interesting. The surroundings were really pleasant - mostly wooded, shady and relatively cool. Initially I passed a number of other trail users (running, walking, and riding) but that dropped off after a mile or so. I passed a couple of nice views of the Gunks ridges, but for the most part all I could see were the surrounding woods - very nice!

Initially the path was a cinder doubletrack - exactly what a rail trail should be, a relatively easy surface to ride but not cleared and leveled to the extent that the Auburn and Lehigh Valley trails are out near Rochester. After crossing over the Rosendale town line (and technically leaving the "official" Wallkill Valley Rail Trail) the path dropped down in spots to singletrack, but still fairly easy riding, except in spots where I had to try to avoid mudpuddles.

The redecked railroad bridge across the Wallkill River was one of the best I've ever seen. In addition to the path across the bridge there were benches along both sides for people to sit and enjoy the view (or the sounds of the nearby shooting range, as I heard on the way back.)

As I neared the end of the trail, the railbed passed along some ridges and through some very impressive rock cuts - clearly blasted out to allow access for the rail line. At the northern end of the trail I rode out on the redecked Rosendale railroad bridge, high above the Rondout Creek and Rt 213. I'm not terribly comfortable with heights, though typically I'm OK if there are secure railings, etc... but this was high enough to make me a little anxious even though it was very secure. At the same time, the views were excellent!

Along the way I passed two young deer (young enough that they still had their spots) bouncing through the woods) and a number of the ubiquitous rabbits. At one point on the way back I stopped to take a drink of water and heard birds making a lot of noise in the bushes next to the path - it turned out there was a nest there with some very noisy, very hungry youngsters!

Stopping to take pictures slowed me down enough that I made it back to New Paltz just in time to change and head over to Mohonk. But I did stop to take pictures of a few of the stone buildings I passed on Huguenot Street... maybe next time I can explore the area a little bit more than I was able to today. I know I definitely want to ride the southern section of the trail and see if it's a nice as the northern part!

JMH