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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
Very Steep 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/or steeper ones:
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 up to 1740 vertical feet in
7.5 miles. Tied with Cragsmoor
West for the biggest vertical gain on
paved roads in the Catskills. But most of its distance gets lots of
high-speed motor vehicle traffic (and
Cragsmore West is more
interesting), 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:
We do those as part one of these bike routes:
Great Shawangunk Hill
loop or New Paltz to
Ashokan Reservoir.
There's also some steeper climbs further south on the
Shawangunk ridge:
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] [
see Map ]
more -- for more hills in this area, see
NYCC list of
hills + grades (New York
Cycle Club)
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 Approach climb:
About 470 vertical feet of total climbing, including a section of 290 ft
around 7-8%steepness
grade. 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 route 9W by going to the traffic light
intersection with Alpine Approach Rd, then east underneath the Palisades
Interstate Parkway, soon turn Right and go about one
mile south past the Palisades Park office to an intersection sort of like a
traffic circle. There the River drive continue south, but instead make a
very sharp Left onto a near spur road North-NorthEast down to the River
with a large parking lot at the Alpine boat basin. Or can get there from the River road by going about
seven miles north from its entrance in the midst of a steep hill on Rt
505 a ways south from the George Washington Bridge.
To do the climb: from the Alpine boat basin parking
lot, first climb
south back up to the River road (includes about 95 vertical feet at about
6.5% grade). Then turn sharp Right and north up to and
past the Palisades Park office (includes about 290 vertical feet at an
average grade of 7.5%. Fairly evenly graded. Over the years has often had eroded
asphalt. [last checked by us in 2008]
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
There's an area of northwest New Jersey which drains into the
Wallkill River, which flows north to New Paltz, joins with Rondout Creek, and
flows into the Hudson river at Kingston, NY. Some of those hills in
northern NJ are kinda steep, and some of them are properly part of the Hudson
river valley.
see
also:
list of lots of New Jersey climbs
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On the main climbs page, see:
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.
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)
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Outside the boundaries
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