Hi,
Has anyone out there ridden the North County Trail and into Putnam county?
It looks like a great rail-trail but access to the trail from Metro North is not easy along its northern stretches without riding on local roads, which are probably hilly, not bicycle friendly, and god knows how you can get lost up there! This is not too much of a big deal for me, but I want to bring some novice cyclists along who would prefer the safety of the rail trail.
I hear there is supposed to be a connection to Brewster Metro North station at its northern end. Ideally, you could start here and go south back towards NYC. Does anyone know what the status is of the Brewster section? Has been completed yet? Any experience with this trail?
Thanks for your comments on this subject.
Westchester North County Trail & Putnam Mahopac Brewster Trail
I rode this trail on Thursday evening and found a very large tree blocking the trail at about the Millwood area. There was no way over it or around it. Does anyone know if tree has been removed?
The North County Trail (and the South Trail) are the best low vehicle paved bike routes in the Metro Area.
The 5bbc does a ride from Broadway and 242nd street (1 train stop) to the South trailway, which is about 6 miles away. Then it connects to the North County trailway. The route claims to be 64 miles although I have not followed the cue sheet I have yet. A friend of mine from Inwood does this ride all the time, but he adds a few miles to bring it up to 80 miles.
I did the ride from exit 23 on the saw mill a few years ago. Nice ride.
Here is a website with some info that might be of interest.
http://www.westchestergov.com/parks/brochures/Trailways/NorthCountymain.htm
http://www.trailsfromrails.com/north_county_trail.htm
I ride the SCT and NCT at least a couple times a year, and they just get better and better. My cue sheet showing how I get to the trail is at http://www.nycc.org/rl_db/ride.aspx?id=134, but since I made it the NCT has been extended south; the cue sheet at http://www.times-up.org/cuesheets/cuesheet_croton_sct_and_nct.php explains how to make the connection in Elmwood with just a very short bit on regular strees. (This cue sheet also contains an alternate route to the start of the SCT trail.)
I haven't explored the Putnam extension in a few years but hear that it's also growing.
Enjoy!
hannah
all the way to Carmel--paved in excellent condition-beautiful with excellent scenery--flat with a small hill at each end--I've only done it on weekdays it may be a bit more crowded on weekdays--bike shops & food in Yorktown & Mahopac.
excellent maps avail from Westch & Putnam Parks Dept--if u need them quickly this week let me know
?'s--email or tel 845-359-6260
I rode it once and hated it - lumpy pavement, scooters, strollers, rollerbladers, families spread out across the width of the path, etc. It's surprisingly claustrophobic, buried between earthen berms that cut off any view there might be ... of the backs of shopping centers and industrial areas (it _was_ a freight line, after all). Ok for a 10mph ride, maybe.
By comparison, the West Side Greenway on a Sunday afternoon is no less unsafe, but much smoother and far more scenic.
I'm with Heath and Hannah on the NCT & SCT.
BTW, While the Putnam line ended carrying only freight, it was a passenger line also until 1958.
There are good sections that parallel swamp, forest, power lines, back of homes, ridgeline, so the view varys. I have only taken the Putnam section from Mahopac back to North of Yorktown Heights. But there is nothing like the bridge over the Croton Reservoir.
I doubt the connection has been made between the NCT and SCT in Elmsford. Switching to route 9a there is a bit of a bitch, and I don't think the SCT has been extended south of Farragut st, again necessiating a switch to 9a (saw mill river Road).
The nice part is heading south is mostly a downgrade, and if you get off in Eastview, you can easily ride into Tarrytown, where you can either hop the train or take Broadway (Route 9) to Weriamus stright into Yonkers, then Riverdale.
It's not a way for a group larger than 4 to make time on. You have to share the road. But it's a change of pace route for me.
also view:
http://www.westchestergov.com/parks/brochures/Trailways/SouthCountyMain.ht
