Kingston Rhinecliff to Rip Van Winkle Trip Reports

Story of this route

Ken's story:  We first thought of doing this route because of the concept of riding a Hudson River loop across both bridges. 

Unfortunately before we got to actually ride this route, we discovered that the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge was closed to bicycling in the year 2000 because of a long construction project. 

At last in 2003, the Bridge was re-opened for bicycling, so we finally got to ride all the roads.

KenR, July 2009:

On a nice weekend day, Sharon and I rode the route across both bridges (except not to the lighthouse by Saugerties) and it was as nice as ever.

KenR, April 2008:

On a nice weekend day, Sharon and I rode the route across both bridges, and it was as nice as ever. (The new bridge on Wire Rd near Livingston was in good shape).

August 2006:  problems with bridge on Wire Rd near Livingston in southwest Columbia county:

not crossable with a bicycle as of August 2006:

June 2003, Ken: 

After some phone calls in the morning to finalize where to ride and when to meet, John and I started near Rhinebeck to do a loop riding across two bridges and four counties.

First across the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge then north on Rt 32 -- mostly reasonable shoulders except a few places.  (We skipped Kukuk Lane and Ulster Landing Rd -- John said he didn't think they were all that interesting anyway).  Then Rt 9W to Saugerties -- went fine in this direction, down the hill and across the bridge.  Then the sidetrip down to the Hudson River.  We took Post St to get there.  (John pointed out that maybe Clermont St might have connected also -- something for future testing).  This time I didn't see any sign for Lighthouse Dr.

Once down there we got the idea of going out to the Saugerties Lighthouse, about half a mile with some hiking (but not recommended until after like three days of dry weather).  First time for both of us, and pretty nice out there in the middle of the River.

Then John had suggested a quiet road he'd found the last time he did this loop, so we took some roads I knew out of Saugerties (variation A1 of In the Shadow of the Catskills) to the view of the Kaaterskill Creek gorge, and northeast from there his recommendation of High Falls Rd was rather nice, and from there we found a pretty way (Rt 47 and Rt 30 and West Main St, and a footbridge across Catskill Creek) into the city of Catskill along its creek. 

(Sharon and I had already done the main route between Saugerties and Catskill earlier in the month, in the reverse direction)

A second quick food stop by the west end of the bridge, then across the Rip Van Winkle bridge. A little ways south on Rt 9G, then onto the back roads of Columbia county, following the main route to Dales Bridge and Eastern Parkway.  

Then we got off the main route, as John showed me a road I hadn't ridden before with a great view across to the Catskills.  A few miles cruising on Rt 9, then off onto Pitcher Lane and back toward Rhinebeck.  

(Sharon and already ridden the main route from Germantown to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge back in May 2003 -- so the only section unchecked is the section of Columbia County Rt 8 West from Eastern Parkway to Church Ave)

So with the K-R bridge re-opened for bicycling, finally I got to ride the whole loop across both bridges.  

I enjoyed it a lot riding with John, but it's hard for me to evaluate how I like on its own as a route:  because three-quarters of it is already included on other routes that I like.  So I guess it's pretty good.