RBSC Destination Ride: Dutchess County Rail Trail & Walkway Over the Hudson

Name of Ride: Dutchess County Rail Trail (DCRT) and Walkway Over the Hudson

Date: June 7, 2016

Day of the Week: Tuesday

Time:  8:30am assembly at Ridgefield Bike Shop

Narrative/Description of Ride: 

DCRT is a relatively new rail trail running from Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County over to Poughkeepsie on the Hudson River, where it links up to the old RR bridge over the river, the Walkway Over the Hudson. The course is completely paved, quite flat and has only a few street crossings. Port-o-San type rest rooms are located at the start and along the route 

The ride has us biking over to Poughkeepsie/Hudson River where, after spending a little time on the bridge enjoying the view/taking pictures, we’d have lunch in town, probably at the The Ice House Restaurant , on the river.

While Poughkeepsie’s “heyday” is probably a bit in the rear view mirror, there is some redevelopment going on, and the old Poughkeepsie Bridge conversion to a pedestrian and bike way is a big part of that. The bridge itself was not only a major engineering feat, in its day, it was also a vital link in the country’s rails system ( 50 trains a day, at one point). We’ll be seeing the top surface, obviously, but when we take the elevator we’ll also get a glimpse of the girder work etc---rusty, but holding up nicely! Quite a large structure, actually. Anyway, if you have time, take a look at the Wikipedia link below for a little history of the bridge:

Some related website links below—nice pics on the Facebook page:

http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/DPW-Parks/17081.htm

https://www.facebook.com/DutchessCountyRailTrail

http://www.walkway.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poughkeepsie_Bridge

http://www.poughkeepsieicehouse.com/index.html  

Milage: Rail Trail is about 13 miles, and Walkway adds a mile+, so round trip biking distance is about 28 miles, not counting detour for lunch;  

Pace: 12-15 mph 

Approximate duration of ride:

8:30 am:  Assemble group at Ridgefield Bike Shop/load up car(s)/get coffee 

9:00 Depart by car to Hopewell Junction(HJ) 

9:45 Arrive HJ, disembark 

10:00 Start ride 

11:30 Arrive at Walkway—bike over Hudson, take in the view, pics etc 

12:00 Drop down into Poughkeepsie for lunch 

12:15 Lunch 

2:00 Depart back to Hopewell Junction 

3:15 Arrive HJ Depot 

3:30 Depart by car to Ridgefield 

4:15 Arrive Ridgefield 

 Driving Directions—Ridgefield area to Hopewell Junction Depot ( 30-32 miles): 

1-Route 84 West to Taconic State Parkway North 

2-Apx 1.5 miles to exit for Route 52---go West( left), toward Fishkill 

3-Apx 1 Mile to Route 376 toward Hopewell—right turn 

4-Apx 2.5-3 miles on Route 376 to Railroad Ave---past Route 82( you get on and off Route 82 very quickly—about 100 yards) and over RR tracks---Railroad Ave is a straight continuance when Route 376 turns left to Bridge St 

5-Depot and parking lot for Rail Trail are straight ahead—look for Hopewell Junction Train Depot signs. The Depot is a restored train station at the trailhead.  

Level: All levels welcomed. Given the easy terrain, expectation is that any C rider and better will have no problem with the ride.  This is a more social vs competitive ride, and we will be sharing the trail with walkers and casual bikers, especially on the return leg. 

Cue Sheet/Map :    

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7784090

Carpool options: We’ll be meeting at the shop to start our drive over to Hopewell Junction at 8:30 am. There will be a need for drivers/bike carrying capacity, so when you register, let Joe Boland know by email if you can accommodate additional bikes/bikers in your car OR if you need transportation assistance. 

Rain Date if applicable: TBD 

Ride Leader: Joe Boland

Email:   jnboland@optonline.net

Cell Phone: 914-450-0473