The views from the Promenade are not to be missed! Although the trail itself is very short, at 2.5 miles it makes for a lovely stroll. But the views here are better than the 29 mile Rail Trail, so I’m glad we went here first before our exhausting Rail Trail Ride.
Starting at the Promenade, we joined many families and little toddlers learning to ride out onto a large cement embankment. The views were stunning and we gained new appreciation for the Catskills. As one of the largest sources of New York City’s drinking water, no public access is available but we did spot patrol boats on the water.
After driving another 8 or more miles back to the Ashokan Reservoir’s trailhead, we met all of New York City there as the parking lot was near capacity. Lucky for us, 80% of the people were on foot so we were able to don our masks and quickly bypass all the pedestrians. The trail was newly developed and the day was gorgeous, so I imagine many people were seeking out a way to get out of their pandemic lockdown and out into nature. We were on a quest to ride some miles in gorgeous area.
Early on in the trail is a education station with a new resin composite bench and a little of the former rail trail.
Soon we were pounding down the gravel as this trail was very flat, no potholes nor roots, being that it was newly graded and had new gravel. Since it followed an actual old railroad line, there was a noisy busy road on one side and thicket on the other hugging the edge of the reservoir. Wasn’t very calming nor peaceful nor challenging (i.e., no hills). Thankfully it was mostly in the shade as it was near 90 degrees the day we went.
We saw the goats munching poison ivy and enjoying the fresh air. I love that they keep the weeds down and provide some entertainment. Such a better solution than mowing or insecticides.
There is at least two smaller parking lots with some restrooms, water fountains, and park benches. We didn’t stop due to the crowds but it was nice to see some amenities if we needed them.
It turned out to be a very monotonous training ride and had few views of the mountains. When there was a break in the trees at around mile 13, I took some pictures.
We turned around near mile 12.5 but there were about 2 miles left before the terminus. Total roundtrip of trail is 29 miles but we completed around 27 miles.
Notes from the Trail 