Hudson Highlands Adventure

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Beacon, NY, US

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Route Overview

Alin Bota

modern explorer

102 mi.

8,562 ft.

Are you ready for an all-day adventure in the Hudson Highlands?! Look no further than this epic route, which combines a majority of the gravel roads and mostly rideable dirt trails east of the Hudson River.

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Route Details

The route conveniently begins near the town of Beacon, a central point in the Hudson Valley. It eventually passes thru parts of Hudson Highlands State Park, Fahnestock State Park, FDR State Park, New Croton Reservoir, Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, Croton Point Park, and Blue Mountain Reservation. The unpaved sections consist of gravel roads of varying conditions, rough and rocky double-track, narrow single-track, and a little bit of hike-a-bike in a few spots. There is ample resupply, as the route passes by various towns and convenience stores. @poi[Uncle Giuseppes](149627025) in Yorktown Heights is a great lunch spot. You'll want to get an early start in order to finish by dusk. The first three miles are some of the most difficult on the entire route since you'll be climbing up and over the Fishkill Ridge. Take great care on the single-track descent and walk the steepest parts. Don't be discouraged by these first few miles; the pace will pick up considerably afterwards. Plan on finishing before dark because the last few miles are on Rt 9D, which has fast traffic, a minimal shoulder, and is not well lit. A 10mph overall moving average would be doing quite well. Determination and grit will get you thru this adventure!

* Strong navigational skills and GPS required
* About half of the route is unpaved, included many rocky and rough miles
* Its been done on a gravel bike, but I highly recommend a mountain bike with 2.2" tires minimum and some front suspension
* Free parking at the @poi[Mt Beacon trailhead](149657642)
* @poi[MTA Hudson line Beacon station](149657644) is less than a mile from the start
* Some parts of the route do not have good cellular reception, so come prepared
* Best time of year is early October at peak foliage before the leaves have dropped
* Be very careful crossing the busy Route 9, which the route crosses at mile 7 and 93

Hudson Highlands Adventure

Route Overview

Route Details

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Hudson Highlands Adventure

Route Overview

Route Details

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