New Paltz to Ashokan Resovoir

Where: Ulster County, NY.

Description: 58 miles.  Some big steep hills (5200 vertical feet).  -Variation D is 71 miles, hilly. 

Highlights:  Several great descents and climbs with sweeping views over three major watersheds (Wallkill, Rondout, Esopus), lots of quiet back roads and fun little downhills - and the biggest cliffs, the largest lake, and the highest summits in the Hudson Valley.  

Goes over the Shawangunk ridge, into the Catskill mountains, and back across the Shawangunk ridge to finish at the shops and restaurants of New Paltz.

Characteristics:  Some big steep hills, lots of steep little hills. 

Hills:  Total uphill climbing is about 5200 vertical feet.  Includes the big climbs of the Great Shawangunk Hill Loop, and more. 

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Directions to Start  

By car:  New York State Thruway to Exit 18 (New Paltz, Poughkeepsie).  After pay toll, reach T and turn Left onto Route 299 West.  Go past three or four traffic lights and down a hill. About a block past the main traffic light intersection of rt 299 / Main St with rt 32 and rt 208 is the intersection with Water St / Huguenot St, just before crossing the bridge over the Wallkill River.

GPS latitude-longitude on Google Maps

Parking:

(a) Public parking lots: there's a couple sort of near the start point (one is near the south side of Main St).
(b) Street parking: We've often found free street parking like half of the way up the hill a couple of blocks north of Main St (we've gotten there from the Thruway, by going west on 299, past two or three traffic lights, then at the start of the main downhill where the street curves left, bear Right onto Front St (may be marked with a "to Route 32 North" sign), go a block or so and look for parking north from around the Bakery.
(c) Village boat launch lot gives the easiest way to get into the riding: Continue on rt 299 west out of the village over the bridge across the Wallkill River, take first Right, and soon there is a gravel/dirt parking lot on the right side.

By train:  New Paltz is 11 to 12 miles from the Poughkeepsie train station, with service by Metro-North from New York City, and by Amtrak.  For ideas about riding a bicycle from there, see Connecting between Poughkeepsie trains and New Paltz.

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