Hills and Horse Farms of NE Dutchess

Description: Northeast Dutchess County, NY, and a section in Litchfield County, CT. 58 miles, with lots of hills (4300 vertical feet). There are also variations with 32, 42, 46, and 71 miles. The hills just keep on coming and coming.  (We think climbing up all those hills is great exercise, and we're glad to come in tired at the end of the day. if your perspective is different, be warned).   

Hill climbs:  Total uphill climbing is about 4300 vertical feet.  Longest climb is about 750 vertical feet at an average grade of 3% (including some short non-climbing "rest" segments), which includes 500 feet at 4%.  Also a couple of 300 foot climbs at around 5% grade.  Major Variation A is less hilly than the main route. 

Traffic:  Mostly on quiet roads, but about four segments on high-speed roads.  One section on dirt, but this can be bypassed.

Connections with other routes: Harlem Valley Rail to Millerton to Connecticut and Harlem Valley Rail to Trail to Falls meet this route at Sheffield Hill Rd. Harlem Valley Rail to Trail to Falls meets Variation A of this route at Ancramdale.

Directions

By car:  Take Taconic State Parkway to Route 44 (Millbrook, Poughkeepsie).  Take Route 44 East about 0.7Mi.  Just past a shopping center, turn Left onto Route 82 North, and go about 9 Mi.  Turn Left onto Cold Spring Rd (Dutchess Co Route 53), and go about 0.6 Mi.  Turn Left onto Homan Rd or Creamery Rd, and go about 0.1 Mi.  Cold Spring Elementary School is on the Left.

By train:  From the Wassaic station on the Metro North Harlem Valley line, it is about 8 miles to this route around Sheffield Hill Rd and Coleman Station Rd.   See Harlem Valley Wandering for some ideas for a connecting route.

Alternate starts:  Millerton, Clinton Corners, Sharon CT