The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail is a New York multi use trail that runs a bit over 22 miles from the edge of Kingston, NY south to Wallkill. The trail surface is generally stone dust but some sections near towns are paved. The trail is part of the longer Empire State Trail and it includes the Rosedale Trestle offering spectacular views of the Rondout Creek. A short bit of street riding will take you to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail that in turn connects to the popular Walkway Over the Hudson.
The trail passes historic cement kilns and cement mines. Cement from these mines/kilns was used in projects including the Brooklyn Bridge, the US Capitol, Erie Canal, Grand Central Station and the Statue of Liberty base. Learn more about this cement industry in an article from the Hudson Valley Magazine.
I rode the trail in late September of 2023. I started from the municipal parking lot adjacent to the library in Gardiner (41.67918, -74.15229) and turned around at the trailhead at the edge of Kingston (41.91026, -74.02128). Strava indicated 40.5 miles for the round trip ride with an elevation gain of 566 feet. The trail is nearly flat except for one very short but steep incline near the cement kilns.
There was a notable absence of comfort stations but there were quite a few businesses along the trail. There was a port-a-potty at Sojourner Truth Park in New Paltz (41.74321, -74.09278). A short pedestrian bridge connects it to the trail.
For more information about the trail see:
New York/New Jersey Trail Conference
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