D & H CANAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR;

SOUTH LETTERBOX:

KERHONKSON, NEW YORK

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Planted:                July 13, 2008

Length:                 Kerhonkson to Accord section; 3 ˝ miles.   

Kerhonkson to Letterbox; 1.1 miles.   

Berme Road parking lot to Letterbox; 0.2 miles.

                               Summitville to Wurstboro; 4.1 miles

                              Bashakill Wildlife Management Area/O & W Railroad Trail; about 6 miles.

Difficulty:            Moderate. Flat, grass and hard packed dirt trail.                            

Directions:

To start from Kerhonkson; From the junction of Routes 209 & 55, Follow Route 209 northeast into Kerhonkson. At the traffic light turn right down Frances Lane and follow across the Rondout Creek Bridge . Take you’re first left onto Main Street (does not look like a normal Main Street ) and you'll come to the Firehouse on your left. Parking is located on your right. To reach the Berme Road parking lot continue past Main Street on Frances Lane and take a left onto Church Street . At the end of Church, turn right on East Street , then left onto Berme Road . The parking lot will be on the left.

To Start from Summitville/Wurstboro; From Route 17 take exit 113 to Route 209 north into the village of Wurstboro . Then…

To start from Wurstboro; take a right down Sullivan Street (Route 171) and you'll see a small pavilion on your left between Canal Street and Burger Lane . This is where the trail crosses.

To start from Hornbeck's Basin; continue along Route 209 north and after 2.2 miles from Route 17, look for the entrance sign on your right.

To start from Summitville; continue along Route 209 and after 5.8 miles from Route 17 look for Bova Road on your left and the entrance to D & H Canal Interpretive Center.

For the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area; From Route 17 take exit 113 to Route 209 south. Travel 1.9 miles, ignoring the first sign you see for Bashakill on your left, until you come to Haven Road on your left. Cross over the Bashakill and the trail crosses the road here. Take a left along the gravel road to the parking lot. See map for other parking options. For the D & H Canal , continue south on Route 209 until you come to Stone Field Lane on the left. This should take you to a parking lot for the canal.

The D & H Canal Heritage Corridor runs for thirty-five miles in central Ulster County . This route traces the Delaware & Hudson Canal, the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad, and the scenic Rondout Creek. Most of the northern section of trail that I describe follows the old route of the abandoned O&W Railroad, while the southern route contains bits of the old D&H Canal towpaths and locks, as well as, the O & W Railroad. There are two letterboxes planted, one along the southern section and a second along the northern section. See; D & H Canal Heritage Corridor North Letterbox . For more information visit; D & H CANAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR .

This southern section is broken into two parts; the first leg I describe follows the old O & W Railroad from Kerhonkson to Accord and contains the Letterbox. The second leg follows the D & H Canal from Summitville to Wurstboro. I also provide information concerning the section of trail that travels through the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. As with most trail systems of this length there are undeveloped sections along the route making a complete journey difficult. 

Starting from Kerhonkson; From the Firehouse, continue east along Main Street and you'll come to a gate after 0.2 miles. The grass-lined single track trail starts here following the old rail bed of the former O & W Railroad. The D & H Canal crossed somewhere along this section, but I couldn't spot where. The trail travels through the woods and soon crosses a small bridge at 0.4 miles. The trail improves with a crushed cinder surface but you still have to contend with the occasional tree root. Down to your left is Rondout Creek. After 1.1 miles you cross a larger wooden bridge. After crossing, go around the railing along the right side and over to the bridges stone embankment. NOTE; ONLY ADULTS SHOULD RETRIEVE THIS BOX. Look underneath the bridges support and you'll spot a small flat rock on the cement support. Remove only this rock along with another on top of the box that helps protect it and you'll be rewarded with the D & H Canal Heritage Corridor South Letterbox. Continuing along the trail, you'll pass by the Berme Road parking lot at 1.3 miles on your right. At about mile 2 will be a dirt path on your left leading to a picnic table overlooking the creek. After passing through a rock cut the trail ends at 3 ˝ miles next to the Town of Rochester Park in Accord. There is a picnic pavilion and playground here.  Out to your right is Granite Road (Route 27).

Starting from Summitville; Located here off Bova Road is the D & H Canal Interpretive Center . It was under construction when I was here in July of 2008, so it may not be open yet. Lock # 50 of the canal is located here (there were a total of 108 locks between Hornsdale , PA and Kingston , NY ) as well as informational signs and wooden mileage posts. This is a grass lined trail that follows alongside the old canal (called Basher Kill).

Note; Heading north the trail ends at Route 209. See the map below for directions to visit Locks # 42-45 nearby.

Heading south the old canal is on your right and marsh along your left. After a mile you come to Summitville Road . A short 0.3 mile detour is necessary. Turn right and cross the bridge, then cross the road and go to the dirt road near the power lines. A quick left up a dirt trail will take you out to a parking area along Route 209. Travel right a short distance and then cross over Route 209 to the canal. USE CAUTION AS THIS IS A HIGH SPEED ROAD AND THERE IS NO CROSS- WALK. The canal is wider and more open along this section with a marsh along your left side. The trail is double-track grass and gravel, but contains multiple wooden culverts that you must cross over. Can be annoying on a bike. There is also a picnic table and Porto-potty here. The trail follows the canal through woodland and marsh until just past Leadmine and McDonald Roads. You then cross a bridge over the canal and head back into the woods. At about 3.2 miles you'll come to the gravel trail access on your right for Hornbeck's Basin which contains parking and a Porto-potty. Continuing along the trail you enter Wurstboro and will start to see houses. When you come to Ferguson Lane at 3.6 miles, you'll need to take a 0.3 mile on-road detour. Turn right up Ferguson Lane (dirt road) and then left onto First Street (residential road). Travel past the Town Water Authority on your left and you'll come to a sharp right turn. Look to your left and head into the woods past a chain gate. This will bring you back to the trail atop a berm. A wooden fence runs along it. I'm not sure why they haven't connected this gap yet. If you head left, you'll see that the gap is small. Heading right, you cross over an iron bridge, pass by the white fire department building and cross over Pine Street . This brings you to a pavilion with benches, a picnic table and an informational sign and Sullivan Street at 4.1 miles. The trail crosses over Sullivan Street and goes around a sub-station, but I stopped here so I don't know the trail condition or if you can reach the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area which is another completed section of trail.

The Bashakill Wildlife Management Area consists of 2,175 acres and is the largest freshwater wetland in southeastern NY. There are 15 miles of trails and several observation towers. One trail follows the D & H Canal, which borders the Bashakill on the west and another follows the old O & W Railroad bed on the east side. I didn't have a chance to ride either trail, but I did check out the old O & W Railroad bed. It appears to be a flat, grass-lined trail and looks to run from Walker Lane , which is just north of Route 17, south crossing over Bashakill Creek, then alongside the Bashakill and ending near South Road close to Route 61. I don't know the distance, but I estimate it to be about 6 miles. I hope to get back there next year, however, if you have any information on these trails, please email me at letterbox@snet.net .

HH

CLICK HERE FOR MAP

CLICK HERE FOR SUMMITVILLE SECTION

CLICK HERE FOR BASHAKILL SECTION

 

LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON

AUGUST 30, 2008

TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION

CLICK HERE

 

BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE

WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER

 

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