Gentle-to-Moderate routes

• Central Park loop -- 6 miles.  Gentle to moderate.  (or 12 miles, or 18 miles, if do more laps).  Rolling hills with interesting curves and descents -- and many people of many sorts doing many different things.  Start point:  Manhattan.
   

• George Washington Bridge to Central Park -- 18 miles.  Gentle to moderate.  Great views crossing the bridge and cruising along the Hudson, the rollers and curves of the Central Park road, the cultural sights of Morningside Heights.  700 vertical feet, hill index 2.5.  Start points:  Fort Lee, NJ, Central Park, Manhattan. [ Destails | Maps + GPS | Cue sheet ]
   

• Livingston Orchards and Farms -- 13 miles (also 21 or 24 mile variations),  gentle-to-moderate hilliness.  An immersion in quiet farm country, with sweeping views of fields and orchards and the Catskill mountains in the distance.  700 vertical feet, hill index 2.4.  Start point:  Livingston. [ Description | Map ]
   

• Ashokan Reservoir Views -- 20 miles (or 29 miles).  Gentle-to-moderate hilliness.  Beautiful views across the largest lake in the Hudson Valley, and of the highest summits in the Catskill mountains.  900 vertical feet, hill index 2.6.  Start point Ashokan Reservoir. [ Description | Map | Photos ]
   

• Copake Falls to Ancramdale -- 23 miles, gentle-to-moderate hilliness.  Lots of pretty farms on quiet roads with a delightful food stop in a little village in the middle -- one of our favorite riding areas.  Shorter easier variations and bicycle rentals for family and friends, including a wide paved trail mostly-off-road.  Start points Copake Falls, Copake, Ancramdale.  1050 vertical feet, hill index 2.6.  [ Description | Map ]
   

• Rhinebeck to Tivoli -- 34 miles, gentle to moderate hilliness.  A visit to the villages of Tivoli and Rhinecliff, Bard College, with tree-lined roads, the river, and country estates -- and return through farm country.  1500 vertical feet, hill index 2.5.  Start points Rhinebeck, Rhinecliff, Tivoli, Red Hook. [ Description | Map ]
   

• Farms around New Paltz -- South -- 35 miles, gentle-to-moderate hills.  Beautiful farms and orchards, with a big horse farm.  Sweeping views of the Wallkill valley and the Shawangunk ridge.  1400 vertical feet, hill index 2.2.  Start points New Paltz, Wallkill. [ Description | Map | GPS ] 
   

• Farms and Orchards around New Paltz -- 49 miles, gentle-to-moderate hills (with shorter variations).  Beautiful farms and orchards, a covered bridge, sweeping views of the Wallkill valley and the Shawangunk ridge.  2100 vertical feet, hill index 2.6.  Start points New Paltz, Wallkill, Tillson / Rosendale. [ Description | Map ] 
   

• New York Harbor Circle -- 43 miles or 50 miles, mostly flat or gentle.  A tourism adventure circling around New York harbor -- not a "route" like the others on this website.  Excellent views of the Manhattan skyline from many angles, and lots of pretty views of big expanses of water.  Visits to a variety of New York and New Jersey neighborhoods.  Elegant modern spaces, great bridges, and striking historic architecture.  Start points:  Manhattan, Fort Lee NJ, Hoboken NJ, Liberty State Park NJ. [ Description | Maps + GPS | Photos ] 
   

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Moderate routes

• George Washington Bridge to Piermont -- 30 miles round trip, moderate.  Start with the GWB, go up the West side of the river through New Jersey into New York to a food stop down by the Hudson River.  See lots of fellow cyclists, enjoy cruising the long rolling grades of Route 9W.  1400 vertical feet, hill index 3.2.  Start points Manhattan, Fort Lee NJ, Piermont NY. [ Description | Maps + GPS ] 
   

• Copake Falls + Ancramdale to Wassaic one-way -- 46 miles, moderate hilliness (with gentler variations of 25, 31, 43 miles).  Immersion in beautiful farm country of Columbia and Dutchess counties on quiet roads with good pavement.  Food stops in two interesting hamlets -- Ancramdale and Millerton.  Option to sample the prettiest paved "rail trail" around.  2500 vertical feet, hill index 3.1  [ Description | Map ]
   

• Tour de Columbia - West -- 49 miles, moderate hilliness.  Embraces the variety of western Columbia County.  From corn fields and dirt roads to the streets of Columbia's biggest city.  From horses and orchards to the Athens lighthouse out in the Hudson River -- and several big views of the Catskills.  Optional side trips to the famous Olana artist's view and mansion, or cross the Rip Van Winkle bridge and wetlands.  Start points:  West Taghkanic, Hudson, Claverack, Catskill.  2600 vertical feet, hill index 3.1  [ Description | Map | GPS | Cue sheet ]
   

• Harlem Valley Wandering -- 29 miles, moderate hills (shorter variations).  Rolling quiet roads with beautiful farms in Dutchess county and Connecticut, and a section on the nicest off-road "rail trail" around.  A tour through a different world -- but reachable by train from Manhattan.  Start points Amenia, Wassaic train station, Millerton, Sharon CT.  1600 vertical feet, hill index 3.3  [ Description | Map | Photos ]
   

• Woodstock and around the Ashokan Reservoir -- 30 miles.  Moderate hills.  The arts and shops and food of Woodstock, plus beautiful views of the largest lake in the Hudson Valley and the highest summits in the Catskill mountains.  1900 vertical feet, hill index 3.5.  Start points Woodstock, Ashokan Reservoir, Zena, Boiceville. [ Description | Map | Photos ]
   

• Wandering Northwest Columbia -- 38 miles, moderate hilliness.  Miles of quiet farm country in the west, beautiful hilltop views and long downhill cruising in the east, and several historic sites.  Start points:  Ghent, Chatham, Kinderhook, Schodack, Philmont.  2300 vertical feet, hill index 3.6  [ Description | Map | GPS | Cue sheet ]
    

• New Paltz to Kingston Waterfront -- 44 miles.  Moderate hilliness.  Also a 31 mile variation.  Variety of interesting settings -- beautiful farm country, three towns with shops and food, into the woods, and the Rondout waterfront.  2400 vertical feet, hill index 3.7.  Start points New Paltz, Kingston, Port Ewen, Rosendale. [ Description | Map | GPS | Cue sheet ] 
   

• Circle around Mt Greylock -- 46 miles, somewhat hilly.  Views of Mt Greylock, pretty farms, and two historic towns.  Three nice downhills, including the long, long descent down the Hoosic river valley.  2700 vertical feet, hill index 3.6.  Start points Stephantown, NY, Hancock, MA, Pittsfield, Williamstown, MA.
   

• Walkway over the Hudson / Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge loop on both sides of the Hudson river -- 48 miles, moderate hilliness.  Pretty roads in the woods, two big Hudson river bridges, shops and sights at the Rondout waterfront, some quiet riding along the shore with a picnic park, optional side trips to Rhinebeck or New Paltz.  2800 vertical feet, hill index 3.4 -- or less.  Also a harder and more interesting version.   Start points Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Kingston, Highland. [ Description | Map ] 
   

• Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to Rip Van Winkle Bridge, loop on both sides of the Hudson river -- 57 miles, moderate, from Rhinecliff to Saugerties to Catskill, then Germantown and Tivoli.  Shaded roads in the woods, two fine Hudson river bridge crossings, sweeping views of farms with the Catskill mountains beyond.  
   

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