DUTCHESS COUNTY

Dutchess Tourism bicycle tours '04 PDF – this is a series of one day loop routes presented by the Dutchess Tourism Council – it is a 9 page PDF document (the link is to the file on my web site) and is in the format of a brochure that is to be folded and stapled together– see the information page(from the Hudson Valley regional main page)for a link to the DTC site
one note about these routes: some of the information is dated – and of course you will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the PDF file

rides starting in :

Poughkeepsie

Union Vale

Pawling                                                Dover Plains

Wingdale

note: the old routes ,starting in the City of Poughkeepsie, used the Stizel field parking lot as the start location – I have since been using the re-furbised MetroNorth Poughkeepsie RR station as the start location for most of the rides out of Poughkeepsie - also the old routes predated the new access ramp to the re-furbised F.D.R. Mid Hudson Bridge walkway and the Walkway Over The Hudson State Park which will be the new prefered crossing for all westbound routes starting in Poughkeepsie going into Ulster county – for more detail of route to-from the walkway see my Atlantic Coast Route revision K.E.N. 10/22/09

station to Stizel field route

station to Walkway OTH route

Poughkeepsie local bicycle route PDF graphic point-to-point narrative of the local signed route on South Ave. in the City of Poughkeepsie from the Atlantic Coast Route

Clintondale short loop 21 mi. TEXT
scenic route through Bailey's Gap and the village of Clintondale - hilly route on the outbound with several very steep (short) grades - mostly flat return (one very steep short grade on Tilson Ave. in Highland) that includes the Hudson Valley RT
note: highly recomended as a Fall foliage ride

“ L&M Fruit Loop“ 26.8 mi NEW VERSION [3.5] (see below) PDF illustrated text narrative scenic loop through the SE Ulster county orchards in the towns of Lloyd and Marlborough to the Weed Farm pick-your- own in the hamlet of Lattintown (town of Marlborough) and back - this hilly route affords spectacular views - the start location for version 3.5 starts at the east end of the Walkway OTH state park - Parker Ave. Poughkeepsie - see station to walkway route above for directions to the walkway from the Poughkeepsie station
note: highly recommended as a Fall foliage ride

“Fruit Loop Figure Eight ” 35 mi.TEXT scenic loop through the orchard farms of SE Ulster county - awesome views - country Appalachian-like hamlets - the start location for this ride is the Stizel field parking lot at the intersection of Montgomery and Lincoln Ave.
note: highly recomended as a Fall foliage ride - route goes through Clintondale twice and can be done as a shorter ride (see Clintondale short loop above)

"Country roads take me home" 26.4 TEXT mi ride to New Paltz via the Appalachian hamlets of Hawley Corners and Plutarch - includes a short section of the new / and or proposed BR 299 and a ride through the Hugenot Street historic district in New Paltz - the return is via the Atlantic Coast Route (CR12) - the start location for this ride is the Stizel field parking lot at the intersection of Montgomery and Lincoln Ave

HVVC Road Race route and profile – (about 15 mi.) PDF map and race route profile - warning: contains topographic information not suitable for the easily depressed

to do the required distance for the particular race, the riders would do this loop up to 7 times - this challenging route includes Clove Mountain,Waterbury Hill, and the coup-de-gras at the end,Pleasant Ridge 1,250ft.
at a decidedly more leisurely pace, with a comfortable touring bicycle equipped with triple gearing, this loop makes for a nice ride with spectacular views and a ride through Clove Valley note: for a longer, even a bit more challenging 50 mile route, that starts in Pawling and includes all of the above (and then some) see my *T*U*S*H* 50 route below

Pawling

the start location is the old RR station on Coleman Blvd.

"positively Pawling 2 " 15.0 mi. TEXT short - but very scenic- mostly valley loop almost entirely within the town of Pawling

  “W.C.V.R. 2” 25.3 mi TEXT. ride to Webatuck Craft Village via Hurd's Corner,Lake Weil and Dogtail Corners note: route includes sections of UN-paved road

“Harlem Valley Loop” 34.8 mi TEXT. lower Harlem Valley short loop - Pawling to Dover Plains and return - includes ride past the Pawling reservoir, Thomas E. Dewey home, Hurd's Corner , the A.T. and Dover Furnace

 "with reservations III" 39.3 mi TEXT.route to Kent Connecticut via the 18 th century Webatuck craft village and Hunt Country Furniture in NY,the 10 Mile river,Bull's Bridge/Housatonic river,and So. Kent- return via the Schaghticoke Indian Reservation note:short section of UN-paved road (3/4 mi. aproximately)

“Tour de Pawling (positively up-hill)” 45 mi TEXT very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents includes a beyond category grade of 20% very scenic route that includes most (if not all) of the historical,and scenic points of interest in the town of Pawling (and a bit beyond)

“ *T*U*S*H* 50 ” 50.8 mi TEXT. very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents scenic grand tour of the Taconic Mountains and SE Dutchess county to Dover Plains - valley return

TUSH = Taconic Uphills Scenic Harlem Valley

“New Milford explorer - 2” 51.3 mi. TEXT very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents – includes a beyond category grade of 20% (maybe a bit more) very scenic and hilly route (mostly in Litchfield county CT) to New Milford via Gaylordsville - Upper & Lower Merryall - return via Atchison Cove and Sherman CT.  

Wingdale

Note: the start location for the rides from here is the Wingdale Elementry School – to get to this start location from the Metro North RR station see the station to school route for directions to the school

station to school route

"above and beyond all" 39.2 mi. TEXT very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents – includes a beyond category grade of 20% scenic route in Litchfield hills/southern Berkshires CT - to the villages of New Preston [ the route passes near Lake Waramug but does not go to the state park and beach - see narative ],Warren, Kent CT, the Schaghticoke Indian Reservation and Webatuck craft village in NY note: highly recomended as a Fall foliage ride short section of UN-paved road (3/4 mi. aproximately)

“Tour de Candlewood - le grand tour" (long loop) 54.6 mi. TEXT very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents this is a modified version (to allow for a New York start location) of a scenic route around Candlewood Lake by the CT DOT (with extension/modification by Mike Ferrato and Kevin Newman MHBC 9/93) - this extended version includes,the villages of Upper Merryall, New Milford, Sherman, Squantz Pond State Park , and Webatuck Craft village in NY note:highly recommended as a Fall foliage ride

"2 covered bridges Metric Century" 64.5 mi. TEXT very hilly recommended for experienced cyclists – steep grades, mountain climbs and descents – includes a beyond category grade of 20% (maybe a bit more) very scenic metric century mostly in Litchfield county Connecticut - includes both covered bridges, a mountain top overlook (take note), the Housatonic river, Falls Village, and a ride along Furnace Brook through Mohawk State Forest note: highly recommended as a Fall foliage ride

Dover Plains

the start location is the old RR station

“Northern Exposure – 2” 43.3 mi. TEXT a scenic route through the farm country of the northern Harlem Valley NY (Dutchess county) and Sharon Valley CT (Litchfield county) - to Millerton NY