Bear Mountain Bridge to Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
Description: Loop on both sides of the Hudson River, crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Newburgh-Beacon (also known as "Hamilton Fish") Bridge. 42 miles, hilly (2700 vertical feet).
Highlights: Spectacular views of the Hudson River, from every angle. Rocks, trees, castles, two great bridge crossings, and West Point.
The best views of the river are early spring or late fall when there are no leaves in the way.
Characteristics: Unfortunately, much of this ride is on high-speed roads that get a lot of car traffic. You might want to start early in the morning to try to avoid the worst of the traffic. But if you have solid traffic-handling skills, this ride is very worthwhile. Lots of ups and downs, but nothing truly big and steep.
*Warning: There are major restrictions on travel in and through the United States Military Academy at West Point (as of July 2009). This might require a major alteration of this route, see Variations D + E + F. See also Condition Reports under "Orange County" and Trip Reports for more details and for ideas on alternate routes. Before trying this route, check if bicycle travel is permitted from the Thayer gate entrance through the West Point campus to the Washington gate exit (or just decide in advance to use an alternate route).
Directions to Start
By Train: Take the Metro-North train to the Beacon station. Inquire first about transporting bicycles on Metro-North.
By Car: Take Interstate 84 to the Route 9D exit -- first exit East from the Hamilton Fish (Newburgh-Beacon) bridge. Go South 0.7 mile on Route 9D to the second traffic light, where you see a Railroad station symbol, and turn Right on Beekman St. Go about 0.5 mile and turn Right to take the bridge over the railroad tracks (unsigned, becomes Red Flynn St), then curve Right and go down to the train station parking.
Alternate starting points: Cold Spring train station, Bear Mountain State Park, Beacon Memorial Park, Newburgh waterfront.
