LOCAL HIKES & BIKES
Alford Springs Trail
Alford Springs, 899 acres of mostly forested ridgeline, has more than six miles of trails for hikers, snowshoers, seasoned cross-country skiers, hunters and berry-pickers. The reserve, named for feeder streams of Alford Brook and the Green River, offers vistas of Greylock and Tom Ball mountains and Alford Valley.
Monument Mountain
For almost two centuries, Monument Mountain has been a source of inspiration to poets, novelists, and painters. On August 5, 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville enjoyed a well-chronicled picnic hike up Monument Mountain. It was their first meeting, and, when a thunderstorm forced them to seek refuge in a cave, their lengthy and vigorous discussion inspired powerful ideas for Melville’s new book, Moby-Dick, which he dedicated to Hawthorne. Today, more than 20,000 hikers explore these pale boulders, cliffs, and ledges every year.
Harvey Mountain
Harvey Mountain Trail is a 3.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Austerlitz, New York that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Biking
HVRT- Harlem Valley Rail Trail
The Harlem Valley rail trail at Copake. Easy paved path with bike rental. Welcome to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, two sections totaling 26+ paved miles through stunning rural Dutchess and Columbia County landscapes. Since the mid-1980’s, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association has dreamed of a 46-mile rail trail in the Harlem Valley and Taconic Hills of eastern New York. The first segment of the trail opened in 1996.