• Where:  northeast Dutchess County, NY, and a section in Litchfield County, CT.
   

• 58 miles, with lots of hills (4300 vertical feet, hill index 4.3)  
  There are also variations with 32, 42, 46, and 71 miles.
   

• Highlights:  Beautiful farms with horses and cows on quiet roads.  A number of fun descents, some with fine views.  In fact, this whole area of Dutchess county has lots of other roads like this -- every local rider has their own favorite combinations of them.  You can think of this route as an introduction to further days of fun exploration, as you put together your own favorite.

One of our favorite rides.

• Characteristics:  The hills just keep on coming and coming.  (We think climbing up all those hills is great exercise, and we're glad to come in tired at the end of the day -- if your perspective is different, be warned).   

Hill climbs:  Total uphill climbing is about 4300 vertical feet.  Longest climb is about 750 vertical feet at an average grade of 3% (including some short non-climbing "rest" segments), which includes 500 feet at 4%.  Also a couple of 300 foot climbs at around 5% grade.  Major Variation A is less hilly than the main route.  (see Measuring Hilliness)

Traffic:  Mostly on quiet roads, but about four segments on high-speed roads.  One section on dirt, but this can be bypassed.

see [ Road Condition Reports ] - [ Trip Reports ] 

• warning:  roads change -- but we have not checked much of the main route since the date below.

And it might have been a longer time since some of the Variations of the route were last checked by us.  Some roads and intersections might be different since then, or closed -- so be prepared to find alternatives -- a good reason to carry a detailed map. Other people may have more recent experiences with parts of the route which could help prepare: see the Reports page linked below.

Route not checked by us since 2003 -- learn more | see Reports

• warning:  Riding a bicycle on roads has dangers and risks that need to be taken seriously.  For more on those, see our page on risks.

More . . . 

• Directions to Start: 

by car:  Take Taconic State Parkway to Route 44 (Millbrook, Poughkeepsie).  Take Route 44 East about 0.7Mi.  Just past a shopping center, turn Left onto Route 82 North, and go about 9 Mi.  Turn Left onto Cold Spring Rd (Dutchess Co Route 53), and go about 0.6 Mi.  Turn Left onto Homan Rd or Creamery Rd, and go about 0.1 Mi.  Cold Spring Elementary School is on the Left.

by train:  From the Wassaic station on the Metro North Harlem Valley line, it is about 8 miles to this route around Sheffield Hill Rd and Coleman Station Rd.   See Harlem Valley Rail to Millerton to Connecticut for some ideas for a connecting route.

Alternate starts:  Millerton, Clinton Corners, Sharon CT

• Maps:  You should have a detailed road map of Dutchess County to do this route (see Maps).  And for Major Variation A, a detailed map of Columbia County will help.
     
• Connections with other routes:

Harlem Valley Rail to Millerton to Connecticut and Harlem Valley Rail to Trail to Falls meet this route at Sheffield Hill Rd.

Harlem Valley Rail to Trail to Falls meets Variation A of this route at Ancramdale.

places: Hudson river valley, New York state, NY

bicycling: bicycle bicycling bike bikes bicycles bicyclist cycle cyclist cycling touring riding rider riders

routes: route routes ride rides tour tours turn cue sheet sheets map maps

Cue Sheet | Map of route | Trip Reports | Condition Reports 

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