An above average rail trail with a breathtaking finale over the Walkway Over the Hudson.
A Bike
One of the great joys with cycling is exploring new places you would probably never venture to without your favorite two-wheeled friend. The Dutchess Rail trail very much falls into this category for me, as it was a trail I only recently became aware of while doing some leg work on another trail we explored this summer, the Maybrook Rail Trail which begins in Danbury, Ct. While riding the Maybrook trail our trip was halted around the 15-mile mark due to trail flooding caused by the doomsday rains that flooded many areas around the northeast in July. Wanting to go back and finish what we started I looked up the trail conditions to find that roughly two months later the Maybrook was still undergoing trail repairs from the storms, and we would not yet be able to complete it. It was then that I learned the Maybrook trail flows seamlessly into the Dutchess Rail Trail, and planning begin. I learned the trail was highlighted by a wonderful pedestrian bridge, which I was excited to see in person.
The great thing about the New York Rail Trails is how many of them extend a solid distance and then easily connect to another trail, and many of the trails make up part of the Empire State Trail, a 750-mile all-encompassing trail that brings you across the entire state. The Dutchess Rail Trail is a 13-mile stretch of the Empire State, making it a solid 26+ mile round trip and worthy of a trip to explore. Coming from Western Mass it made sense for us to start at the Southeast beginning of the trail in Hopewell Junction. There is a dedicated parking lot close to the start of the trail, but I found that many people take advantage of the big parking lot of Daddy O’s restaurant, which feeds your right onto the trail at the back of the lot, also making it a logical place to refuel after a day of riding.
The first thing I noticed riding the trail is how wide it is. Much wider than most rail trails I’ve ridden, with plenty of room on either side for passing. A wonderful attribute to the trail Is the crushed stone walking path that runs on the side of a good portion of it, giving walkers and joggers their own dedicated portion of the trail and making it an easier journey for everyone using it. Like most rail trails, you’ll spend much of your time in the forest, allowing your mind to wander free amidst the serenity that nature provides you. There are a few road crossings here and there, but we didn’t encounter much traffic, and several wooden bridges take you over the busier roads/highways. Most of the trail is pretty level, with a few short and steep inclines accounting for most of the elevation, but most providing a joyous downhill on the other side that will leave you giddy as you cut through the air. I didn’t notice many places along the trail that you could stop and refuel, but there were plenty of benches along the way if you pack some snacks. The trail technically ends in Poughkeepsie right before the Walkway Over the Hudson, but you wouldn’t know it as it is seamlessly connected.
The Walkway is awe-inspiring to put it mildly. You can’t really grasp the magnitude of a 1.3-mile pedestrian only bridge until you are in the midst of it. When you pass the tree lines and start to go over the Hudson River and the skyline around you opens there is not much you can do but just stop and soak it all in. There are benches all along the bridge and even an elevator that will bring you down to street level if you want to explore the area below. The bridge would be the highlight of any ride and I would highly recommend anyone to make the trip out to experience it in person. It is a marvel I never would have known about if not for cycling, and just another gift that the bike keeps giving. Once you cross the bridge there is a wonderful small “visitors center” with bathrooms, food trucks, and some nice picnic tables to stop and enjoy a snack while allowing yourself to come back down to earth, especially if experiencing it all for the first time. If you want to continue your journey the Hudson Valley Rail Trail begins right at the rest area, giving you easy access to add some more miles. Overall, we had a wonderful time traveling along the Dutchess and look forward to going back again in the fall as mother nature paints the trees, providing what is surely a stunning experience once more along the Walkway.
A Brew
Daddy O’s is a no brainer. A Casual American restaurant in a no frill setting providing the perfect place to recover after a 30ish mile ride by downing a burger and an ice-cold brew. Whenever I travel to a new place to ride I like to try a beer native to that area, and Sloop Brewing just happens to be from Hopewell Junction making it an easy choice for the post ride brew. Every beer drinker in the Northeast is familiar with their Juice Bomb IPA, and it might be the placebo effect, but a beer always tastes better when drinking it in its own back yard.
A Bike And A Brew 