Last weekend, along with my two of my running partners, I took my first ride on the Empire State Trail. There had been a recent birthday, complete with a new bicycle, and we took to the trail for the maiden voyage of K’s new whip.
The plan was to ride from Schodack to Kinderhook, where we would reward our efforts with donuts and cider, before riding north back again. Our completely inaccurate estimate was that the ride was about 20 miles round trip. While that guess may have been completely off base (it was actually 36+ miles!), that was the only “wrong“ thing about our ride. We had a truly great afternoon and ride.
We met and parked in a lightly used (at least on Sunday) lot on Miller Road, aka exit 10 off of Route 90. There was a brief ride along the side of the road to access the trail, including crossing highway ramps, but it was well marked, complete with button activated flashing lights to clue in drivers.
The ride began parallel with Route 90, but quickly became much more pastoral as we wound our way through fields, wooded areas, horse farms and marshy areas. The foliage, while still on the greener side, was beautiful with reds and oranges starting to pop and purple asters and milkweed punctuating the tall grasses alongside the trail.
We encountered some dog walkers, stroller pushers, runners and other cyclists, but the path never felt busy or crowded, particularly when contrasted with the heavily used Corning and Helderberg to Hudson trails. While I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of congestion on the path, what most thrilled me were the number of bridges we crossed spanning creeks and kills along our ride. We also were impressed with the larger bodies of water such as Nassau and Kinderhook Lakes. It’s just a lovely ride.
Our destination was Samascott Garden Market where we planned to snack on seasonal treats to refuel for the ride home. We arrived hungry and indulged in cups of piping hot chili, fresh empire apples and cider donuts, all provided by exceedingly pleasant employees. That alone made the ride worth the effort. Well, that and the 3-pack of Bread Alone molasses cookies I tossed into my saddlebag for our eventual arrival back in Schodack.
Some information about the actual trail that you might be interested in – the surface is mostly paved, although some parts have small, loose stone. All road crossings come with crosswalks and following the trail is easy, other than one wonky spot in North Chatham where we momentarily got confused about which direction was correct. There are a couple of gradual hills, but like all former rail lines, the grade is not anything too extreme. On the approximately 18 mile length we rode, there were a number of possible options for those needing food, drinks or a bathroom stop.
The Empire State Trail is a wonderful new area option for cyclists, runners, walkers and anyone who appreciates fresh air and captivating views. I’m really looking forward to exploring more of it, perhaps pushing on to Hudson next time – as long as riding the train home is an option.
