I found this trail by chance while google-mapping the tri-state area with a "biking directions" option on and it has proven to be one of the best trails we have encountered so far. It is easily accessible from NYC via the Tappan Zee bridge and is located minutes away from a cute town of Nyack, NY in Hook Mountain State Park. Being a State Park, obviously, there is an $8 entrance fee during summer time.
You can choose to park on Nyack Beach where you will find facilities and the "official" entrance to the trail. The first 1.5 mile stretch is an unpaved gravel-like even road that trails along the bank of the Hudson River. You will encounter tons of people taking leisurely strolls with their pets so be careful while navigating.
Once the trail veers off away from the beach and into the woods, a real mountain biking trail starts. Dubbed the Havestraw Trail, it is a 3.5 mile ride through a dense forest along the elevated bank of the Hudson. You will be surrounded by pristine nature and gorgeous mountains and the trail is only partially paved. The terrain is hilly and there are several prolonged descents and ascents, but mostly it is an enjoyable, albeit tough, ride through beautiful historic scenery.
You may choose to forego the ride through the beach and the $8 fee and enter the trail through the road next to Rockland Lake Park (follow Route 9W to Rockland State Park, drive into the park grounds and look for a fork after the second parking lot field, take a right at the fork and the entrance to the road leading to the trail will be right after the cute antique-looking firehouse). You can park your car at a small parking lot on top of the hill (the entrance point to the Havestraw Trail is marked on the map) and descend down a rather steep hill. Yes, the ride down is enjoyable, but boy is it hard to climb back up, especially when you are tired after several hours of biking.
The Havestraw Trail ends in Havestraw and there is also a small parking lot there. However, there are no facilities and your closest water source is 2 miles away in the Town of Havestraw, so be sure to pack enough water to last you for the whole trip. As novices in the biking world, we learned the hard way the importance of taking enough water with us.
Overall, the trail gets an A grade from us: it was scenic, mostly unpaved and not crowded despite it being Memorial Day weekend. We will definitely be back!
No comments:
Post a Comment