what's here
see also
On the main climbs page, see:
Dutchess county
-
McGhee Hill Rd / Rt 64 East, including starting from Rt 83,
southeast from Pine Plains. Climbs about 700 vertical feet east from Rt 59
intersection, including a section of 250 vertical feet at steepness around
13% grade. [ not checked by us since 2007. ]
The other side of this hill is also a worthy climb.
And there's some other steep climbs along this ridge, which runs north-south the
whole length Dutchess county.
There are some steep hills along the southern border of Dutchess
county with Putnam county -- places and roads like Long Hill Rd, Hosner Mountain, Miller Hill, Hook Rd,
etc. We haven't ridden most of them, so they're ideas for
exploration. Most of them are near where the Taconic State Parkway comes
through. Need a local map to find them.
-
Long Hill Rd -- southern Dutchess
county: Whether you try it from its east end or the west end,
you'll find some sustained very steep climbing: over 600
vertical feet total, including a 300 vertical feet section at least
12% grade. We once made a rough measurement during a
training session, and calculated the main steep paved section at the
east end as about 450 vertical feet at an average
grade of 14%,
which is fairly consistent and sustained. The climb on the
west end has more variations in steepness and more unpaved.
It's on the north side of the Dutchess -
Putnam County border, a little West from the Taconic State Parkway.
Need a Dutchess county map to find it. [not checked by us since May 2002].
Some seriously steep hills around here if know where to look.
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
There are some short steep-ish hills in Manhattan and the Bronx.
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
see
also below: New Jersey hills near NYC |
Rockland county NY
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The Catskills are higher than the other
hills around the Hudson valley, and they've got some climbs. Here's the tough
ones that we're most likely to try riding up -- on the
main climbs page, see:
There are some others in the Catskills, but the hill roads in the Catskills mostly go through forest, so we haven't find many big
views that would reward the work of the climbing. Here are some of the other
bigger and steeper ones:
-
Sugar Loaf Rd -- in Sullivan and
Ulster county, north from Rt 55A and the Rondout Reservoir.
Total climbing on Sugar Loaf around 1650 vertical feet in 4.5 miles
(or 1700 vertical feet if finish with a sharp left turn onto Red Hill
Rd), including 850 vertical feet around 11% grade (with several
sections even steeper).
If that's not steep enough for you, consider nearby
Glade Hill. That's the second-tallest climb on a paved
road we know in the Hudson valley south of Albany. [not checked by
us since 2007]
-
Slide Mountain -- Ulster county Rt 47
(Oliviera Rd) south-bound from Rt 28. Total climbing about 1450
vertical feet in 8 miles, including a section of 650 vertical feet
at around 11% grade. [not checked by us since 1998]
-
Peekamoose Rd / Ulster county Rt 42 south
from Rt 28A and the Ashokan Reservoir. Total climbing about
1125 vertical feet in 5 miles, including a section of 570 vertical
feet at around 12% grade. [not checked by us since 1994]
hills on major NY State roads thru Catskills:
-
Kaaterskill Clove -- Rt 23A from Palenville west to
Tannersville. Climbs about 1500 vertical feet in 5 miles. But
this road usually gets lots of high-speed motor vehicle traffic and
has lots of curves (some with questionable visibility) so we don't
climb it.
-
Rt 52 east from Ellenville, then turn north on the
road to Cragsmoor and Sams Point. Climbs about 1750 vertical feet in
7.5 miles. Likely this is the climb with biggest vertical gain on
paved roads in the Catskills (and perhaps the whole Hudson river
valley south of Albany). But most of its distance gets lots of
high-speed motor vehicle traffic, so we don't climb it.
-
Rt 23 west from Cairo to Windham. Climbs
about 1550 vertical feet in 9 miles. But this road gets lots of
high-speed motor vehicle traffic, so we don't climb it.
-
Rt 28 west from Big Indian and up thru Pine Hill
toward Fleischmanns. Climbs about 700 vertical feet in 5
miles, including a section of 350 vertical feet at around 8%
grade.
But this road gets lots of high-speed motor vehicle traffic and it's
far away from the main Hudson valley, so we don't climb it.
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
see
also: Don
Teator's list of hills
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The Shawangunks (or "Gunks") are part of a long ridge whose north end
is by Rosendale NY and runs south down to High Point, New Jersey . . .
and beyond to North Carolina. The part of it that's closest to
most Hudson valley bicyclists is in Ulster county west from New Paltz.
The climbs we mostly do are:
Another one we like to combine with Minnewaska East for doing lots of
vertical in a single workout:
-
Minnewaska West
-- Rt 44 East from Rt 209 near Kerhonkson. (Can get a steeper start
by starting directly from the main intersection in Kerhonkson of Rt
209 with Clay Hill Rd, joining Rt 44 partway up.) Total climbing
over 1200 vertical feet in 5 miles, including a section of 175
vertical feet at around 7.5%
grade (and with the direct Kerhonkson
start, 150 vertical feet at around 10%). [last checked by us in 2007]
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
-
Bear Mountain -- see
Bear Mountain
on main Climbs page
-
Gate Hill in Rockland county -- climb
west between the Palisades Interstate Parkway (exit 14) up to Lake Welch
in Harriman State Park. Start on Willow Grove Rd (Rockland county Rt 98
West), and the steep part comes after passing by Call Hollow Rd.
Join Gate Hill Rd (Rt
106 West), with easy sections and a pretty crossing of Lake Welch before
some more climbing -- leading into a fun curvy downhill to the Kanawauke
Circle on Seven Lakes Drive. Total vertical almost 700 feet, but the
tough part is over 450 vertical feet at a steepness grade of 8% of more
(which includes 275 vertical feet at around 11%
grade).
See Variation on NYC to Bear Mt Adventure, and it could also be climbed in connection
with Seven Lakes to the River.
[not checked by us since Sept 2006].
Note that Rt 106 continues west past
Kanawauke Circle on Seven Lakes Drive into an
interesting
descent to Rt 17. (and we've heard that some riders go west
across Rt 17 onto Rt 17A to more climbs and descents toward Warwick, but
we have not checked those)
-
Kain Road -- along Route
17A between Greenwood Lake and Warwick (near New Jersey). Climbs the
west side of Bellvale Mountain. Total vertical almost 600 feet,
including 440 vertical feet at around 15%
grade. [not checked by us
since August 2007]
-
South Mountain
in Rockland county -- Central Parkway (extension of Little Tor Rd) north
from South Mountain Rd (toward Rt 202). Around 425 vertical feet at
a steepness grade of 8% or more. [not checked by us since June 2003].
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
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-
the River road -- in
Palisades park along the Hudson River, south end of road goes underneath the
west end of the George Washington Bridge (for how to access see
Manhattan to Piermont + Nyack route).
The 8-mile road has several steep-ish climbs about 100-150 vertical feet each.
But the biggest workout is at its north end -- even bigger if start from below
the River road:
Alpine climb:
About 475 vertical feet around 7% average
grade, including a
section of 250 ft around 10% (or more?). Not much view after the start .
. . This climb
is about getting a hill workout close to New York City.
Climb starts beside the water of the Hudson river at the
Alpine Boat Basin (can get there from the River road by going to about one
mile south from the Palisades Park office near the north end of road, and
turning off onto a spur road North-NorthEast down to the River). First climb
south back up to the River road, then turn sharp Right and north up to and
past the Palisades Park office.
Going south from Ringwood, NJ, there's an initial climb of 275 feet
at 6% grade, then a downhill, then the main climb of about 540 feet at
an average steepness of about 8%
grade. Going north from
Oakland and Interstate-287 on Skyline Drive, I calculated about 610 feet
with average steepness around 8% (though perhaps it starts gentler than
that, then gets steeper as you go up).
Lots of motor vehicle traffic. Its south end is an exit
on Interstate-287, with several crossings of exit and entrance ramps
required. Surprising to us when we tried it during the summer, we didn't get
much view while riding on the road up there on the "skyline",
or while climbing up in either direction -- just some glimpses on the
way back down. [last checked July 2002].
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
see
also:
list of lots of New Jersey climbs
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Outside the boundaries
This classic killer climb is way out west in New Jersey between Belvidere,
Washington, Philipsburg. The climbing is split into two parts.
Roxburg Hill Rd -- 180 vertical feet at an average
grade over 12%.
rest break: 0.2 miles flat on Ridge Rd
Fiddlers Elbow Rd -- about 530 vertical ft total in slightly over 0.7
miles. Includes a 130 vertical ft section at about 20%
grade. Overall average grade is over 12%.
Total climb: 710 vertical at an average grade over 12%
(ignoring the flat section in the middle). [last checked October
2006].
Directions: The very bottom of the hill is where Roxburg
Hill Rd and Route 622 cross Route 519. (Take Route 519 about 7.9 miles
north from Route 22 or 5.7 miles south from Route 46). From the Stage
Inn, climb steeply southeast up Roxburg Hill Rd (about 190 vertical feet
on its own). After 0.25 mile make a sharp Left onto Ridge Rd, and in
0.25 mile turn Right onto Fiddlers Elbow Rd for the main climb (500 vertical feet, grade at least 12%).
The top of Fiddlers can also be reached by going over the top of the
ridge from Washington: From Rt 31 go west on Rt 57 for 1.3
miles. Turn Right on Rt 623 (north toward Brass Castle) and go 1.4
miles. Turn Left on Rt 647, Harmony - Brass Castle Rd, and go 3.6
miles. Bear Right (a sort of half right) onto Fiddlers Elbow
Rd. see
also:
list of lots of New Jersey climbs
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