Sept-2003 report: Access to North Trailway from New York City

Tours combining roads with the Westchester County Trailways 

I skated up to North County Trailway on a weekday afternoon, and it worked out well.

Mainly I reversed some of the roads of the GWB to Bear Mt Bridge loop -- sections H, G, F (with some variations) to Tarrytown.  Then east on Neperan to the Tarrytown Lakes extension of the Westchester Trailways.

I gave myself a head start this time with a ride on the IRT subway #1 train up to the Bronx.   From Broadway and 242nd St station I headed west up Manhattan College Parkway.  The climb is not steep, but I was glad I took it easy starting out, because the hill keeps on going a long way.

Then I got on the Henry Hudson Parkway service road went north on that and Riverdale Ave.  Not too much traffic, a couple of moderate downhills on Riverdale that go into a traffic light.

Left on Valentine Lane (another moderate downhill into a traffic light), Right on Hawthorne (another moderate downhill), Left on Herriot St, Right on Buena Vista.  We found these streets pleasant and quiet.

The north end of Buena Vista has a steep-ish downhill into a traffic light, and we didn't feel comfortable taking that on skates, to we turned Right and went a couple of blocks east back to Riverdale.  Then a block north on Riverdale (or is it Warburton at this point), and Left onto Main St of Yonkers and west on that to the waterfront. 

Still lots of construction at the Yonkers waterfront, and we always like to stop by and see how its going, but I think it needs a little more before it will be an attractive touring stop.

A block north on Buena Vista, then a Right to take us east a block or two.

Left on Warburton, which we followed a long ways.  Parking on both sides for a ways at first, but not too much traffic.  Later some nice views of the Hudson River, and rolling hills (none that felt steep to us), finally thru Hastings-on-Hudson.

Left onto Rt 9 North:  wide, good pavement, not too much traffic.

Left onto Livingston Ave to go into Dobbs Ferry.  (Our memory from previous trips is that continuing north on Rt 9 here leads to a steep-ish downhill with parked cars into a busy traffic light.)  Moderate downhill, then moderately climb, and I stopped halfway up for a snack at the Settepani bakery.

More climbing back to Rt 9.  The GWB / Bear Mt Bridge loop section F, takes the Old Croton Aqueduct trail north from here.  But that's dirt, and I was on skates, so instead I took the reverse of Variation F-3.

Turn Left at the traffic light, Left at the next light (lots of cars, complex turning lanes) then skated on Rt 9 North.  I had been dreading this part of the tour, but somehow it turned out rather pleasant.  Rt 9 was wide thru here with good pavement.  Some long segments were two lanes in each direction with no shoulder, so I skated in the outside lane.  Not much traffic at the time and day I was there, so the cars and trucks just used the inside lane to pass me.  At least one moderate downhill into a traffic light.

When I came into Tarrytown, I turned Right onto Neperan Rd, a long uphill with some steep sections and some gentler sections.  The road was decently wide, and not as much traffic as I feared.

(I also checked out an alternative I'll next time take to avoid a little of that hill and traffic -- by turning off Rt 9 sooner further south -- Right on E Franklin St, Left on Grove St, Right on Neperan.)

After the top, a moderate downhill.  When I reached Sunnyside Ave, I made a half-right onto a paved trail, the Tarrytown Lakes extension of Westchester County Trailways, and went east to its end.  Trail pavement was mostly in good condition, but ends in a short moderate downhill on rougher stuff into a closed gate, followed by a brief section of rough stuff to the main road.

Then across Rt 100C to the Eastview Park & Ride and past that to North Country Trailway.  

 
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