O&W RAIL TRAIL:
[HURLEYVILLE MILK TRAIN TRAIL]
MOUNTAINDALE to HURLEYVILLE, NEW YORK
LIBERTY RAIL TRAIL:
LIBERTY, NEW YORK
PARKSVILLE RAIL TRAIL:
PARKSVILLE, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 14, 2021
Length: O&W Rail Trail (Mountaindale to Woodbridge); 2.7 miles
O&W Rail Trail (Woodbridge towards South Fallsburg); 1.8 miles
O&W Rail Trail (South Fallsburg through Hurleyville [Hurleyville Milk Train Trail]); 5.3 miles
Liberty Rail Trail; 2.6 miles
Parksville Rail Trail; 1.3 miles [2.7 mile Loop]
Difficulty: O&W Rail Trail (Mountaindale to Woodbridge); Easy. Flat, hard packed dirt, cinder & grass trail.
O&W Rail Trail (Woodbridge towards South Fallsburg); Moderate. Mostly flat, hard packed dirt, gravel & cinder rail trail.
O&W Rail Trail (South Fallsburg to Hurleyville); Moderate. Flat, hard packed dirt & grass rail trail for first 1.8 miles. Easy. Hurleyville Milk Train Trail, Flat, paved rail trail.
Liberty Rail Trail; Moderate. Flat, rail trail with varying surfaces. Old asphalt, road, grass, hard packed dirt, cinder & gravel.
Parksville Rail Trail; Moderate. Mostly flat stone-dust, hard packed dirt, gravel and grass rail trail. Mt bike recommended.
Directions:
To start from South Fallsburg (O&W Rail Trail); From Route 17 take exit 105B to Route 42 north to downtown South Fallsburg. Turn left on Railroad Plaza and come to an intersection with Griff Rd. You may park on your left by the small playground. The trail starts further up Railroad Plaza behind an enclosed basketball court on the left alongside Water St.
To start from Woodridge/Mountaindale (O&W Rail Trail); From South Fallsburg continue north on Route 42. Turn right on Old Falls Rd (Route 53) and follow to Woodridge, now Roosevelt Ave. As you enter the town the northern section of the trail starts on your right by the small pavilion. Parking available on your left along Green Ave. Continue along Green Ave Ext (Route 53) through town. This is also part of the on-road detour for the trail to the southern section. You come to the southern section and small parking area straight ahead. Turn right up Greenfield Rd, then left onto Mountain Dale Rd (Route 54) and into Mountaindale. Turn left on Post Hill Rd and then left down Railroad Ave to the Mountaindale parking lot. Cinder Track Bikes is located here. Unable to find a web site however.
To start from Hurleyville parking lot (Hurleyville Milk Train Trail); From Route 17 take exit 105B to Route 42 N. Take your first left on Route 103 and travel 4 miles to Anawana Lake Rd and turn left, then right along Columbia Hill Rd. Follow to downtown Hurleyville. Parking lot on your right where trail crosses road.
To start from Chestnut Street in Liberty (Liberty Trail); From Route 17 take exit 99 to N Main St and head left. Turn right at the intersection of S Main St & Chestnut St (Route 52). Trailhead on left just before a sharp left turn.
To start from the Old Route 17 parking lot in Parksville (Parksville Rail Trail); From Route 17 take exit 98 to Short Ave and head east to Parksville Rd. Head left and travel 1.4 miles. Parking lot is on your left.
In Sullivan County plans are to complete a Rail Trail along the former rail bed of the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad [See; O&W Historical MAP]. The O&W RR operated from 1868 until 1957 and ran from Weehawken, NJ to the shores of Lake Ontario, passing through the southern Catskills. From its start in the late 19th century until its bankruptcy in the 1950’s, the route was mainly used for transporting people, coal, and dairy to and from rural communities across New York and the New York City metropolitan area.
Two sections of the old O&W RR intersect in Summitville. Summitville was a junction point, where passengers could disembark and take the branch line southwest to Monticello, or northeast to Ellenville and eventually Kingston. It was here that the O&W also crossed paths with the remains of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. For more information visit; O&W Rail Trail (Sullivan County) .
In Summitville the old O&W RR traveled roughly north-south from Kingston in the north to Port Jervis in the south. See; D&H Canal Trail-O&W Rail Trail Corridor .
Sullivan O&W Rail Trail (Project Spotlight here)
O&W Rail Trail; Mountaindale to Woodridge:
Starting from Mountaindale; From the old Mountaindale Train Station, now a visitor center with restrooms head past the parking lot and you'll come to a sign board for the Mountaindale O&W Linear Park. Head into the woods along a wide hard packed dirt, cinder & grass trail following alongside Sandburg Creek. Markers every half mile starting from the train station. Leave the stream behind after crossing Hatt Rd. Trail parallels Route 54 and crosses Quiat Rd at 1.2 miles where you'll find a small parking area. Here you'll find an original O&W RR Signal House that was moved to this location. Cross Silver Lake Rd at 1.7 miles and the trail becomes more isolated. Travel across a causeway between Silver Lake, then head back into the woods. Come to the end of the trail at 2.7 miles at the Greenfield Rd parking area in Woodridge. Woodridge Rail Trail sign overhead.
Note; To reach the next section in Woodridge you'll need to travel on-road. Continue straight along Green Ave Ext (Route 53). You'll pass by a small RR park on your right that contains an old RR crossing sign, some tracks and a miniature train planter. Just past here at 0.2 miles is a crosswalk over Route 53 to a sidewalk. Wooden posts and flags guide you along this detour. You'll travel past a kiosk that explains the history of the O&W RR. Across the street is parking along Green Ave at 0.3 miles. You'll then come to Veteran's Memorial Park after 0.5 miles and the start of the Woodridge-South Fallsburg section.
O&W Rail Trail; Woodridge towards South Fallsburg:
Starting from Woodridge; From the gazebo and sign board at Veteran's Memorial Park alongside Roosevelt Ave/Green Ave Ext (Route 53) the gravel based O&W Rail Trail heads down a slight hill through the woods. The trail follows an open gravel road with a few potholes and loose stones. Wooden Mile Marker on your left (3 miles). After 0.5 miles you'll bear right and re-join the rail trail. Brown O&W sign marker. The trail heads into the woods along a hard packed dirt & cinder surface with the occasional root. Some ATV use apparent. Travel across a causeway at 1 mile through a marsh before re-entering the woods. The trail currently ends just above Avon Lodge Rd after 1.8 miles. The old RR bridge over the Neversink River is long gone and will need to be replaced in the future for the trail to connect to South Fallsburg.
O&W Rail Trail; South Fallsburg through Hurleyville [Hurleyville Milk Train Trail]:
Starting from South Fallsburg; The narrow, hard packed dirt & gravel O&W Rail Trail begins behind the basketball court and travels through the woods. Cross La Vista Dr at 0.5 miles and then travel alongside a small pond. Some washouts along this section. Cross over Westwood Dr at 0.9 miles. This heavily wooded section has a nice crushed gravel base but hasn't been maintained, so mind the roots. You'll catch glimpses of Alta Lake along your right. You come alongside Westwood Dr briefly before heading back into the woods along a moderate berm. Return to Westwood Dr at 1.8 miles. Travel right a short distance up Westwood Dr where the trail continues across the road.
This is the start of the wide paved Hurleyville Milk Train Trail. (Continuing Mileage) This next section is the most scenic. The trail returns to woods and you pass through a rock cut at 2.2 miles. Informational signs located all along the trail. Cross a long causeway through a scenic marsh. The East Mongaup River passes through the marsh. You come to Main St in Hurleyville at 3 miles. Hurleyville parking lot located here along with a playground, sports courts and garden. Map Board & BIKE STATION. Cross Route 104 to Railroad Ave (sidewalk). Pass by the old O&W Hurleyville RR Station. Past the station on your left you'll pick up the paved trail again as it travels past the Railroad Ave parking lot. Map Board. The trail here is partly shaded. Travel along another causeway through a marsh for the East Mongaup River before crossing Krum Rd where the trail enters the woods. Cross the East Mongaup River at 4.6 miles. The river briefly travels below right. Come to Denman Rd after 5.3 miles where the paved trail ends. The trail continues as hard packed dirt, grass and gravel.
Note; The Center for Discovery and town of Fallsburg have plans to extend the rail trail out to Route 17 near Liberty.
Liberty Trail:
Starting from Chestnut Street in Liberty; A Map Board is located here next to a small parking area. The crushed gravel trail follows the old rail bed along an old road to a cul-de-sac on Spur St. The trail then narrows as it continues to follow old State St (deteriorated blacktop/gravel) along a power line. Pass by a sub-station and gate at 0.6 miles continuing to follow new State St through an industrial area. Cross Lake St (Route 55) and continue along State St until it ends at 1.1 miles. Here you'll re-enter the rail trail (much more scenic now) as it travels into the woods and through a rock cut. Hard packed dirt, gravel, cinder and grass surface, rough in spots. Travel along a berm with a steep drop along the left. Cross Carrier St (Map Board), then Upper Ferndale Rd where you'll need to bear right to another map board to get past a gate at 1.6 miles. The trail now follows a power line along a grass trail before entering the deep woods along a grass and hard packed gravel surface. The trail improves with crushed gravel and cinder at 2 miles as you travel along a berm and ridgeline with another steep drop off. Pass through a deep rock cut and then the trail ends at 2.6 miles. A knifes edge leads to the top of a ridge where there must have been a long RR bridge in the past. You can hear the traffic from Route 17 in the distance.
Parksville Rail Trail:
Starting from the Old Route 17 parking lot in Parksville; The trail starts out as stone-dust as you ascend a hill into the woods along the old rail bed. The Little Beaver Kill parallels the trail below. Cross a short boardwalk at 0.5 miles and pass by a small waterfall at 1 mile. Come to Short & Main Streets at 1.3 miles. Right on Main St brings you to parking lot.
You can loop back to the Old Route 17 parking lot by heading left along Main St crossing over Little Beaver Kill out to Parksville Rd. Here you'll pick up a stone-dust trail on your left that follows alongside the road. You'll pass by a picnic area and parking lot at 1.7 miles. I believe a path leads down to the waterfall from here. Pass by a second parking lot at 2 miles where the stone-dust trail ends. Continue on-road (wide shoulder) crossing over Little Beaver Kill again where you'll pick up the stone-dust trail again which returns you to the Old Route 17 parking lot after a 2.7 mile Loop.
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CLICK HERE FOR O&W RAIL TRAIL MAP
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