O&W Rail Trail, NY - Accord to Kingston with High Falls

ABOUT THE PARK: 

The O&W Trail

Marbletown O&W Rail Trail - Marbletown, NY

The O&W Connector Trail - Kingston Greenline

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.81960, -74.16264

Rest Plaus Road Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

O&W Trail Trail Brochure and Map - Marbletown, NY

BIKE DISTANCE: 30.4 miles (about 2 miles of walking included)

THE BIKE: 

If you are expecting a nice smooth crushed stone rail trail you will be very disappointed.  But if you are down for some rocks and roots and lumps and bumps over every kind of trail surface imaginable it's a bit more of a challenging scenic ride.  The really nice part is that most of the world is over at the more manicured trails so this one is more lightly traveled.  All dogs were leashed (which is really important for bikers) and there were no e-bikes at all.  I found it to be a very pleasant ride.

Up to the trail from the parking lot and going left to capture the southern end of this completed section of trail.

Coming up on a lumber yard ...

... the trail turns right on the road a short distance ...

... then left just past the 302 mailbox.

This bridge had a couple of nails sticking up that would have punctured a tire for sure.  I was able to remove the one board (it was the first loose one) and pull out the other nail.

Just half a mile from the end a gnarly blowdown (three tree trunks) that was not worth navigating over with the bike so I turned back.

Back across the street to the red lumber yard building.

A better shot of the grist mill with the waterfall in this direction.

Passing by where I parked ...

... and continuing over Rest Plaus Road.

At High Falls ...

... a very short steep downhill section to Route 213.

It is totally worth it go leave the trail here and explore High Falls.

Right on Route 213 over the bridge over ...

Rondout Creek

Veering left on Old Route 213 ...

... and keeping straight all the way to the end at ...

... the D&H Canal Museum.  I would have liked to have gone in but I was there at 9 AM and they open at 10 AM.

I locked up my bike and walked over to the other side of the museum to start the 5 Lock Walk.

It's only half a mile long and ends at Depew Road.

Heading back.

You can't quite see the Canal House with the foliage but it's that roof and chimney up ahead.

A better view around the trees.

Directly across Route 213 from the museum is a road that leads to some short trails and a paved road to the falls.

Rondout Creek

It's pretty challenging to get a bike through this twisty entrance but I managed eventually.  There is another at the exit. 

The lower falls.

The upper falls.

Back to Route 213 to cross back over that bridge.

Just past Abbott Automotive, right on to the O&W Rail Trail.

There is a dotted section on the map that is referred to as "rough trail."  I wasn't quite sure what that meant because the trail had been pretty rough in spots already.  But it really wasn't bad.  You just have to walk your bike because it is a VERY steep downhill then a VERY steep uphill where a bridge is missing.  The interpretive sign about that is on the other side - I'd hit that on the way back because somebody was reading it when I passed going this way.

Going down does not look steep in the picture but trust me, it is very steep and rutted.

The bottom part is ridable across the bridge.

Then it is an even steeper section uphill.  And that is the "rough section."

At Cottekill Road the crosswalk send you diagonally over to the fire station.

That is not the trail through the grass, that is somebody's driveway.  Continue on the paved fire station drive ...

... then to the left of the fire station.

There is a bench at Beaver Pond that makes for a great break spot.

Green Heron

Just after this sign ...

... it's paved trail to the end.

Up ahead at the kiosk it's a hard right turn on the O&W Connector.

Under the New York Thruway...

... to the end of the trail in Kingston.

Heading back.

Great Blue Heron

Grabbed the bench at Beaver Pond for another break ...

... and watched another (the same?) green heron fly in.

Passing back by the Cottekill Fire Station.

Here is the interpretive sign for the "rough section" showing the original bridge that used to span across this section.  It was dismantled and sold for scrap metal hence the newer bridge down below. 

At High Falls you are supposed to go left and cross at the light but there was no traffic so I crossed on over here.

Some of the gnarly roots on the trail.  I had become pretty good at dodging them but some sections were better walked over.  My water bottle had flown out of the hold twice going over roots.

Mohonk Mountain House in the distance and dark rain clouds moving in.  The rain managed to hold off until minutes after I was heading home.

Back at Rest Plaus Road and the parking lot.

I was only 2 miles from my favorite farm stand.  I try to stop here whenever I can in the summer.  They have the best vegetables, especially the corn - no salt or butter needed.

All of this organic produce for only $40.