• Where:  in the Catskill mountains in northern Ulster County, not far from Woodstock.
   

• 20 miles.  Gentle-to-moderate hilliness (900 vertical feet, hill index 2.6)

29 miles, with added variations.  (1700 vertical feet, hill index 3.3)

     

For a short and flat tour in this same area, see the Ashokan Reservoir Dam route.  For a longer route that goes all the way around the Reservoir, and also visits the village of Woodstock, see Woodstock and around the Ashokan Reservoir.

• Highlights:  Beautiful views across the largest lake in the Hudson Valley, and of the highest summits in the Catskill mountains.
   
• Characteristics:  Lots of gentle hills -- this route might edge into the "moderate" category because of the number of them.  Traffic interaction is typical for routes on this website.

Hill climbs:  Total climbing around 900 feet.  One climb of about 175 vertical feet, with a section over 5% grade.  Two others around 100 feet, each with sections over 4%.

Downhills:  Similar to the climbs (see above).

Variation A adds about 500 vertical feet of climbing on rolling hills, with some climbs around 50 feet, perhaps with a couple of sections near 6%.  Downhills same as the climbs.

Variation B (taken West to East) adds a downhill of about 250 vertical feet, with a section over 5% grade, and hill climbs of about 300 feet with grades around 3%.

Traffic:  There can be a significant number of vehicles out on a popular weekend afternoon, but for us it's always felt very manageable.  

Most of the miles on roads have little or no paved shoulder.  But the lanes are not narrow, and visibility is mostly reasonable. 

• Warning:  Riding a bicycle on roads is risky.  See Notes on Bicycle Road Riding about some of the risks, and also some other helpful ideas.

Map | Cue Sheet Directions | Reports | Photos

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More . . . 

• Directions to Start: 

  By car from South:  NY Thruway to exit 19 (Kingston).  From the exit, take Rt 28 West about 5 miles to the traffic light where Rt 375 goes to Woodstock, then continue on Rt 28 West about another 5 miles.  Turn Left onto Reservoir Rd and go South 1.8 miles.  Turn Left onto Monument Road and go East 0.3 miles.  Turn Left onto Rt 28A and go East 0.9 miles.  Turn Left into an unsigned road (perhaps marked "Dead End"), and go 0.3 miles to a parking circle, sometimes called the "Frying Pan" area.  (There are other parking options in the Ashokan Reservoir area).

GPS latitude-longitude = N41.9478,W74.1815 = 41.9478,-74.1815  [on Google Maps]
alt parking at west end = N41.9335,W74.2219 = 41.9335,-74.2219  [on Google Maps]

By car from North:  NY Thruway to exit 20 (Saugerties).  From the exit, turn Left onto Rt 32 North, then continue straight on Rt 212 West about 7 miles.  As it enters Woodstock, turn Right on Rt 375 and go about 2.4 miles to a traffic light.  Turn Right onto Rt 28 West and go about another 5 miles.  Turn Left onto Reservoir Rd -- and follow the directions under "from South". 

By car from West on Rt 28:  coming from Phoenicia on Rt 28 East, note where Rt 28A turns off just after Boiceville.  Continue Straight on Rt 28 East about 3.4 miles. 
 

• You should have a detailed road map of Ulster County to do this route (see Maps). 
    

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