• where:  Manhattan island, New York City and the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River - (with a touch of Bergen County, New Jersey on the west end of the GWB).

• 18 miles, gentle to moderate hilliness (700 vertical feet, hill index 2.5).

or 61 miles, if you combine this with GWB to Nyack.  Then it becomes the Manhattan to Nyack route (with the Fort Lee, NJ start).

It can also be combined it with other routes and variations that start at the GWB, such as NYC to Bear Mountain Adventure.

• mapping: digital mapping resources + GPS . . .

A) GWB to Central Park [bhvn2a]:  view map | on Bikely | Google Earth KML | download GPX

B) Central Park to GWB [bhvn2b]:  view map | on Bikely | Google Earth KML | download GPX

• highlights:  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.

• characteristics:  gentle-to-moderate -- more hills than other parts of Manhattan Island.

Hill climbs:  Total climbing about 700 vertical feet.  Two climbs around 100 feet, one with a section at about 10% grade.

Downhills:  At least one downhill with a section around 10% grade.

Traffic:  Urban motor vehicle traffic.  But also to be taken seriously is the human traffic on the Central Park loop -- the risk of collisions with rollerbladers, runners, oblivious walkers -- and other bicyclists. 

Check NYC Road Conditions and GWB Bridge Conditions 

• 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 point in Fort Lee, NJ:

	To get to the West end of the south walkway of the George Washington Bridge at Hudson Terrace / Route 505 in Fort Lee, New Jersey.  From New Jersey by car:  Starting from NJ Turnpike, I-95 Northbound, or I-80 Eastbound:  Get into the Local lanes of the George Washington Bridge approach. Keep working into the Right-hand lanes. Exit on the Right at the "last exit in New Jersey" (last time we were there, it said Rt 67 / Lemoine Ave).  At the end of the exit ramp, continue straight (becomes Bridge Plaza South) -- avoid left turn onto Lemoine Ave.  Then continue straight East to Route 505 / Hudson Terrace, and find parking  -- some possibilities to consider are on Hudson Terrace (north under the GWB roadway) or in Fort Lee Historical Park (south of GWB). From New Jersey by bike:  See these pages for some ideas: New York Harbor Circle NYC to Bear Mt Adventure -- section A or section D GWB to Piermont and Nyack Warning:  Getting there riding on a bicycle may require more capability in handling vehicle traffic interaction than the route itself, with more risks and dangers than the route itself. From Manhattan by bike:  Check the New York City Bike Map at some of these websites -- can also purchase a nice paper copy.  See also these pages for ideas: GWB to Central Park loop north Manhattan: East side Section J of GWB / Bear Mt Bridge loop south Manhattan: Westside Greenway path Getting around in NYC with a bicycle | Map Warning:  Getting there riding on a bicycle may require more capability in handling vehicle traffic interaction than the route itself, with more risks and dangers than the route itself.

Alternate start point:  Central Park (or many points along the way between Central Park and the GWB).  For getting to the start in Central Park, see the Central Park loop description. 

• maps:  You should have a detailed (paper) road map of Manhattan to do this route (see Road Maps).  And you may want a detailed road map of Bergen County or northern New Jersey to navigate to and from the start point.  See also digital mapping resources + GPS above.