Columbia County bicycle routes
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Routes for bicycling

  • 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 ]
     
  • 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 ]
     
  • 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 ]
     
  • 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 ]
      
  • 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 ] 
     
  • Harlem Valley Rail to Trail to Falls -- 59 miles, moderate hilliness (shorter and longer variations).  Endless rolling quiet roads with beautiful farms in Dutchess and Columbia counties.  Climb to the biggest views from a Dutchess county road.  Lunch at the two bakeries of Ancramdale.  Ride sections on the nicest paved "rail trail" around.  Start points:  Wassaic train station, Amenia, Millerton, Copake Falls, Sharon CT.  3900 vertical feet, hill index 3.8  [ Description | Map ]
     
  • Roeliff Janssen Kill -- 71 miles or 80 miles, hilly.  Lots of beautiful farm country and woods, sweeping views, and a great descent.  5200 vertical feet, hill index 4.3.  Start points Livingston, Elizaville, Philmont, Hillsdale, Copake. [ Diagram | Map ] 
     
  • Grand Tour of Columbia County -- 79 miles, hilly.  Sweeping views, old houses, farms and lots of quiet roads, a waterfall or two -- and a long, beautiful downhill run.  (Also a 58-mile variation).  Start points Lake Taghkanic State Park, Livingston, Hudson, Kinderhook, Hillsdale, Copake Falls.  5000 vertical feet, hill index 4.3.  [ Description | Map ]
     

 
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River Routes -- Bridge to Bridge

Columbia County has a beautiful bridge across the Hudson River -- the Rip Van Winkle -- and it's a special thing to ride across it.  You can also combine it with another bridge, to make a loop route where you ride on both sides of the river, and across both bridges.

  • 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.  
     
  • Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Albany, loop on both sides of the Hudson river -- 74 miles, moderate hills, from Catskill and Hudson to the Dunn Memorial Bridge between Albany + Rennselaer.  Lots of sweeping views across beautiful farm country, a variety of angles on the Catskill mountains and the Hudson River, and the new and old buildings of Albany.  [ Details | Map | GPS | Cue sheet ] 
     

Columbia County also has some roads which stand out on their own as fun descents, including:

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Routes reached by Trains from New York City

Another special thing about Columbia county is that it is served by train from New York City.  Several of the bike routes above can be started from the Amtrak train station in the city of Hudson.  See Routes from Trains.  

more . . . 

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concept words: 

places: Hudson river valley, New York state, NY

towns:  Hudson Kinderhook Chatham Philmont Ancram Ancramdale Stuyvesant Livingston Copake Falls  Germantown Ghent Claverack Hillsdale Taghkanic Valatie Lebanon -- west east north south -- city town village hamlet

bicycling: bicycle bicycling bike bikes bicycles bicyclist cycle cyclist cycling touring riding rider riders

routes: route routes ride rides tour tours turn cue sheet sheets map maps

 

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