HARLEM VALLEY RAIL TRAIL SOUTH LETTERBOX:

MILLERTON, NEW YORK

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Planted:                June 28, 2004

Length:                Wassaic Train Station to Millerton Station; 10.8 miles

                             Wassaic Train Station to Letterbox; 8 ½ miles

                              Amenia to Letterbox; 6 miles

                              Coleman Station to Letterbox; 1 ½ miles 

                             Millerton Station to Letterbox; 2 ¼ miles                     

Difficulty:            Easy. Paved flat trail.

Directions:

To start from the Wassaic Train Station; you can take the Metro-North train from NY to this station, including your bike or from Routes 22, 44 & 343, take Route 22 south to the train station parking lot in Wassaic. Note; Parking is free only on weekends and holidays. For more information concerning Metro-North visit; METRO-NORTH  . For information concerning taking your bike on the Train visit; METRO NORTH; BIKES .

To start from Amenia; From Routes 22, 44 & 343 in NY, take Route 343 east. From CT, take Route 4 to Route 343 west. When you reach the town of Amenia , look for a Cumberland Farms store on the north side of the road. Across from this store is Mechanic Street . The trail parking lot is just down this street on the left. 

To start from Coleman Station; Head north on Routes 22 & 44 from Amenia and turn right when you reach Route 58. The parking lot will be to your right where the trail crosses Route 58. 

To start from Millerton Station; Continue up Routes 22 & 44 to Route 44 east to the town of Millerton where the trail crosses the road. A parking lot is located here.

For a Drive By; Continue north up Routes 22 & 44 and look for Downey Road on your right. This will be just before Route 64, next to a muffler shop. Travel 1 ¼ miles to an intersection where the rail trail crosses on a bridge in front of you. Turn right on Mill Road and look for a small dirt pull off on your left after just 0.2 mile. A foot path will bring you to the trail where you turn right and follow the clues to the Letterbox. 

The Harlem Valley Rail Trail right-of-way spans 46 miles from Wassaic to Chatham , NY . At present, 4 of the 6 sections of the trail are open, totaling about 14 ½ miles. This Letterbox is located along the first-third sections. Section four is scheduled for construction to begin in 2008. The fifth section runs from Ancram to Copake Falls . See; Harlem Valley Rail Trail North Letterbox.  And the sixth section, up to Chatham is undeveloped. The New York & Harlem Railroad was built in 1851 and became the Harlem Division of the New York Central Railroad in the 1870's. For more information visit; HARLEM VALLEY RAIL TRAIL .

Starting from the Amenia parking lot; You'll find a signboard here, as well as a Porto-potty.

Note; If you headed south, the trail would take you 2.6 miles to the Wassaic Train Station, where the Metro-North Line operates.

Heading north, the trail starts out traveling through a wooded area until you cross over Route 343 after a mile and encounter farmlands. You pass through a rock cut at 1 ¾ miles and a marsh at 2 ¾ miles. There will be a nice bench overlooking the marsh just shy of 3 miles and you'll reach the old Sharon Rail Station at just over 3 miles.  The old station is now a private residence. Just short of 4 ½ miles you reach Coleman Station parking lot. There is a signboard here, as well as a Porto-potty. Just across the road is an historic signboard that explains the local history, including that this area was once a part of Connecticut . You pass by a reclaimed landfill at 4 ¾ miles and cross over an old railroad trestle at 5 ¼ miles. At 5.4 miles you cross under what looks like a railroad trestle, but when we took a closer look, it appears to have been a road or other crossing. Another bridge crossing at 5 ½ miles and then you pass through a steep rock cut at 5 ¾ miles. Right after you pass through this rock cut, at about the 6 mile mark, you will come to a wooden mile post that reads 90.S (sta. 477 + 840). Look to your right to spot a stone wall descending down the rock cut. At the base of the stone wall will be a white rock, next to a flat rock leaning against the stone wall. You may also spot this area by looking for 3 rocks on top of each other in front of a tree next to the trail. Behind the tree is the flat rock in the stone wall. Behind the flat rock is the Harlem Valley Rail Trail South Letterbox. Another ¼ mile brings you to a bridge over Downy Road . Mill Road parallels the trail to your left. You come alongside a brook at 7 ¼ miles and cross the brook a couple more times further up. You reach Millerton and cross over Route 44 to the currant end of the trail next to the old Millerton Freight Station after 8 ¼ miles. There are shops and places to eat here, as well as a parking lot. The original NY & Harlem Rail Station, built in 1851, is located on the west side of the trail and contains a florist shop, while the old NY Central Rail Station , built in 1910 is located on the east side of the trail

HH

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LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON

NOVEMBER 14, 2007

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