DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL:
POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 8, 2009
Length: Dutchess Rail Trail; 12 miles when completed.
Northern section; 2.4 miles
Southern section; 1.8 miles
Difficulty: Easy. Flat, paved rail trail.
Directions:
Northern section; From the Taconic State Pkwy take the Route 55 exit west. Continue along Routes 55 & 44 in Poughkeepsie. Take a right on Smith St. Bear left onto Creek Rd and you'll come to the Morgan Lake parking lot.
Southern section; From I-84 take exit 16 to the Taconic State Pkwy north. Take the Route 52 exit west to Hopewell Junction. Take a right on Route 376 and travel 0.3 miles to the trailhead on your left. Follow the gravel road to a parking area.
The Dutchess Rail Trail was built on the old rail bed that was once part of the Maybrook Line. The double track line opened for service in 1892 and functioned as a passenger and freight line until well into the 1900’s. The Maybrook Line provided the only train crossing of the Hudson River between New York City and just south of Albany and was an important railroad link for Connecticut and the rest of the Northeast. In 1974, its regular use was terminated after a fire on the Poughkeepsie Railroad-Highland Bridge interrupted the line’s continuity. This bridge, at 6,767 feet long and 212 feet above the river, was hailed as the longest railroad bridge in the world when it was completed in 1888. Future plans call for connecting the Dutchess Rail Trail to the old RR bridge that will soon become a pedestrian bridge over the Hudson River. They broke ground in 2008 to convert the old trestle bridge across the Hudson River into a walkway. Plans call for its completion by Oct. 2009. See; WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON . Future plans also call for connecting the west side of the bridge to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. See; HUDSON VALLEY RAIL TRAIL LETTERBOX . For more information visit; DUTCHESS RAIL TRAIL .
NORTHERN SECTION:
Starting from the Morgan Lake parking lot; Restrooms, a map board, benches and picnic tables are located here. From the map board the paved trail heads down to the old rail bed.
Note; Left the trail is currently undeveloped. Future plans call for continuing the trail west to the Walkway Over the Hudson, currently under construction.
Heading right, the wide paved trail travels underneath Creek Rd. Green mile markers are located along the trail. After a 1/4 mile you travel over Fall Kill Creek via an old RR bridge. Head past St. Peters Cemetery along a high berm. A lot of the trail travels along a berm. Cross over Route 115 via another old RR bridge and then take a cross-walk over North Grand Ave at 0.7 miles. Here you'll find an original Maybrook Rail Line signal. Cross over Van Wagner Rd via an old RR bridge at 1.2 miles. Pass by the Love Road parking lot at 2 miles and you'll travel through a tunnel underneath Route 44. A cross-walk takes you to the Overocker Road parking lot where you'll find another map board and picnic tables. The trail currently ends after 2.4 miles. The next section is scheduled for construction in the Spring of 2010.
SOUTHERN SECTION:
Starting from the Bridge St (Route 376) parking lot; From Bridge St the trail heads south towards Hopewell Junction but is undeveloped at this time. Heading north, the paved trail follows the gravel road used for parking. A Porto-potty is located here. The trail heads into the woods and is much more isolated then the northern section. After 0.8 miles you travel past Lake Walton on your left. Pass under a transmission line at 1.3 miles and come to the current end of the trail after 1.8 miles at Lake Walton Rd. A parking lot is located on the opposite side of the road where the undeveloped trail continues north. The next section is scheduled for construction in the Fall of 2009.
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BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
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