New Paltz South Wallkill Valley and River

Where: South side of New Paltz, NY along the Wallkill River in Ulster County.

Description: 17 miles.  Mostly flat, except for one hill on the rail trail and one on the roads.  Half on an unpaved "rail trail" mostly off-road, the other half on quiet roads.  Another option is to do it all on the rail trail, both out and return - about 16 miles off-road.

Options for route

For a 30 mile route which adds some pretty riding along the river, a visit to the village of Wallkill, and a rather nice horse farm, try out the Wallkill - Horse Farm variation (see cue sheet below) which starts at the southern end of the rail trail.  The additional 13 miles are all on roads, and there are some more hills.

Or for more miles on the rail trail, combine this route with the New Paltz North - Rail Trail route, for a total of 32 miles, mostly flat. 

Highlights:  riding on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, an abandoned railroad bed which is unpaved but firm a quiet trail mostly off-road.  And also riding on some quiet roads with few cars.  The route of the railroad gives a special viewpoint on the houses and farms and also views of the Shawangunk ridge.  There are choices of food along the way in the town of Gardiner, and return to the variety of entertainments in New Paltz.  

Characteristics of rail trail:  For one mile of its distance, it climbs at a 2% grade.  The rest is pretty close to flat.

The railroad bed is unpaved but firm, and mostly flat.  Wider tires are recommended, say at least 1.25 inch.  As long as conditions are dry, there is usually not much need for a large tread pattern or "knobby" tires -- and smoother tires will enable you to go faster and easier on the road sections. 

Two ways that an unpaved rail trail is different from a paved public car road:   (1) If it has rained recently, sections of the rail trail could be soft and muddy -- which means that it may be difficult to ride, and it would not be surprising if you ended up with lots of mud sprayed off the wheels onto your clothing, and (2) Without regular road maintenance, it can be more likely for various unexpected obstacles to arise, which might call for getting off the bike and walking for a section.

Traffic:  The trail itself is off-road, but it intersects with public roads or driveways at several points, some with high-speed vehicle traffic -- so special care is required in detecting, approaching, and crossing those. 

 Flat or gentle, except for one hill 100 vertical feet at a 5% grade.  Not much car traffic (unless the Rt 208 variation is taken).