Here is what well may be the first bike touring company to come out with a guided, inn-to-inn trip along the recently completed Empire State Trail in New York State: Discovery Bicycle Tours’ has introduced a six-day itinerary that rides from the very tip of Manhattan, to Albany.
The six-day trip rides 200 miles of the newly completed Empire State Trail, which actually extends 750 miles from Manhattan to Canada and from Buffalo to Albany.
The Discovery Bicycle Tour goes through a wide variety of landscapes in New York State. Cycle passed the Freedom Tower and Manhattan skyscrapers, through forests, along lakes and rivers, with a triumphant finish in Albany, the state capital. You can be one of the first to enjoy this full section of the newly finished Empire State Trail, which allows cyclists to traverse the state almost entirely on dedicated hike/bike paths and routes.
Cycle up the west side of Manhattan Island on the Hudson River Greenway and see the waterfront and famous buildings. Spin along the Hudson with views of the towering cliffs known as the Palisades, into historic villages and through forests and farmland. Then leave the bustle of suburbia behind as you enter rural lands and farm country.
Many miles are on dedicated rail-trail. And the riding is fairly flat with gentle hills. Look for vistas of the Catskill and Shawangunk mountains as you follow the gorgeous Hudson River Valley — favorite subject of Romantic landscape painters in the mid-1800s. As a bonus, you cycle across the Walkway Over the Hudson, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge, and the iconic Rosendale Trestle.
Visit the villages of Rhinebeck, Hudson and Mahopac and the town of New Paltz — with chances to enjoy fascinating history, architecture and stunning scenery.
You can take advantage of optional leader-led segments through the urban areas of New York City and the outskirts of Albany — or ride them on your own. At the finish, you can explore Albany itself or continue your travels home by air or train from there. Or let us give you a lift back to your car at the start.
Start with a Sunday morning spin up the west side of Manhattan — with thrilling views on both sides of the Hudson River. You can choose to ride the city stretches with the leader or on your own.
Then continue north to visit historic villages on newly paved bike paths and quiet roads. Many miles are on dedicated rail-trail. And the riding is fairly flat with gentle hills. Look for vistas of the Catskill and Shawangunk mountains as you follow the gorgeous Hudson River Valley — favorite subject of Romantic landscape painters in the mid-1800s. As a bonus, you cycle across the Walkway Over the Hudson, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge.
Rated Level 1 (easier), daily cycling mileage ranges from 28 to 47 miles.
Accommodations are in casual and historic inns and a stylish boutique bed-and-breakfast.
The tour includes: 5 nights’ lodging, 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners (you are on your own for 1 dinner in Rhinebeck), cycling routes with detailed maps and/or app-based navigation for those interested, plus bicycle, helmet, tour guides and van support, free week-long parking for guest cars in Hawthorne, NY. Free transfer on final day to either the Rensselaer Train Station (Albany) or take the van transit back to Hawthorne.
The trip is scheduled June 6-11, July 25-30, Aug. 1-6, Aug. 29-Sept. and Oct. 3-8, and is priced at $2,495; https://discoverybicycletours.com/empire-state-trail-bike-tour..
Discovery Bicycle Tours, Woodstock, VT., 800-257-2226, [email protected], www.discoverybicycletours.com.
See:
NEW YORK’S EMPIRE STATE TRAIL COMES TOGETHER: BIKING THE WALLKILL VALLEY RAIL TRAIL IN HUDSON VALLEY
NEW YORK’S 750-MILE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL, LONGEST MULTI-USE STATE TRAIL IN NATION, OFFICIALLY OPENED!
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