Joy Ride #5: Hybrid Hudson 
(compiled by Jon Orcutt)

65 miles of beautiful river valley roads and trails: Manhattan to Cold Spring (despite our title, all of the trail segments described here are ridable with road bikes). Ride assumes Metro-North train return to NYC (see Tool Kit on page 16 for info).

A note on the turn sheet: While this ride appears to have complex directions, the route for the most part is a continuous line, and you can keep to most of it by riding as close to the river as possible.

1. Cross George Washington Bridge - end of GWB pathway
2. Left on Bergen Cty Rte 505
3. - past first entrance to Palisades Park - down steep hill
4. Part way down hill, left onto Henry Hudson Drive, aka "River Road"
5. - River Road loops under GWB - nine miles to Alpine, NJ
6. (note, keep to main course of River Road, avoid dead end spurs to boat basins).
7. After climbing hill at end of River Rd. (to top of Palisades) bear left to US. Rte 9W.
8. Right on 9W - 3-4 miles
9. Staying on 9W, cross NJ/NY state fine, go down big hill that swings right. - thru traffic light at bottom of hill, past old-style diner/gas station on right.
10. Look for Tallman State Park trail entrance (marked "bike route") on right immediately after gas station/diner.
11. - follow trail. It will turn from fine gravel to asphalt near the end. - to "T" with Tallman main road
12. Right on road to fork, bear right past "Authorized Vehicles Only" sign.
13. - Down steep, bumpy hill to river level - at end of road to fine gravel trail
14. - trail to end
15. Right on Main Street - into center of Piermont (stores, etc. for food, drinks). Becomes Piermont St.
16. - Continue on Piermont St., becomes River Road under Thruway/Tappan Zee Bridge.
17. - becomes Piermont Ave. in Nyack* to end, left at "T" one block to Broadway.
18. Right on Broadway - becomes North Broadway, to end in Upper Nyack/Nyack Beach park
19. Down hill to Nyack Beach - trail along rivers edge
20. - continue on trail about two miles
21. At trail junction, bear right (down hill)
22. - continue on trail about another two miles
23. - from trail end, continue on paved road (Riverside Rd.) through concrete plant,
24. - continue to "T"
25. Right on Main St. - one block to main square in Haverstraw
26. Left on Broadway
27. Right onto Warren Ave.
28. Quick left onto onto McKenzie Rd. - becomes Peach Rd. - becomes Gagan Rd.
29. Right on Grassy Point Rd., cross RR tracks
30. - continue thru marina, road swings left at Grassy Point, becomes Main St.
31. Right on US. Rte 9W
32. - on 9W 3-4 miles
33. Bear right onto Old Ayers Road (orange signs mark "Alt bike route") - to end of road
34. Continue straight on graded dirt road - to end
35. Right on US. Rte 9W - past Orange Cry line
36. Bear right at traffic circle - cross Bear Mtn Bridge to east side of Hudson
37. Left on US. Rte 9D - 9 miles to Cold Spring
38. (Alternate to #37) Right on US. Rte 6/202 over mountain to Peekskill (Train Station)
39. Left at first traffic light in Cold Spring. Buy beer, food at stores. Train station at bottom of hill. There's a park with gorgeous views of river, Storm King Mtn, Breakneck Ridge, etc. across the tracks at the river's edge.

Note: Route 9D could use some work on its shoulders to make it more bike-friendly. Write: Al Bauman, Regional Director, NY State Dept. of Transportation, 4 Burnett Blvd. Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 or call 914-431-5750.