New Route: The Carriage Roads of Mohonk Preserve

Apr 16, 2021 | 'Gunks, Camping, Carriage roads, Ulster County

A NEW ROUTE: Climbing the Mohonk ridge, this ride then circles through some of the prettiest carriage roads in the Preserve. Shimmering hemlocks, white-rocked cliffs, and surprises tucked around every corner.

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A well-tended carriage road with cedar split rail fencing
With spring’s warmth and green finally here, I took in one of my all-time favorite rides through Mohonk Preserve. Like the Minnewaska route, this ride follows carriageways to some of the prettiest spots in the Shawangunk ridge, a recreationist’s paradise.

On a brilliant mid-April morning, the carriage roads were clear of snow and mud, ascending from the farmland dotted with barns and fields to the top of the ridge, and famed Mohonk Mountain House.

Trail signs carved from cedar at Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz, New York.

Cedar trail signs at Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz, New York. The carriage roads are well-marked and tended, but make sure you have a paper map with you, or load the RideWithGPS app on your phone and bring along a backup phone charger.

Here are some things to note about this ride:

  1. Only Class 1 (pedal-assist, no throttle) electric bikes are allowed on the carriage roads of Mohonk Preserve.
  2. The cost of a day pass for bikers in the park is $20.00 per day. However, if you purchase an annual membership for $105, this gives you and your bike unlimited free access for a year. (Hike-only passes are $60.00/year).
  3. The park opens at 9:00 for the general public, but if you have the annual member’s pass, you can get in at 7:00am — highly recommended (especially if you’re a photographer and love that early morning light). Do yourself a favor and get the member’s pass!
  4. Bikes are allowed on carriage roads only. There are 71 miles of carriage roads, and enough connections to get you from one to another so you shouldn’t be tempted to sneak onto trails.

A glassy blue lake with Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz, New York.

The glassy blue Mohonk Lake, with the Mohonk Mountain House in the distance. The new route skirts the lake and brings you to the incredible resort. New Paltz, New York.

More e-bike routes you might like:

An electric, pedal-assist bicycle leans against a stone wall under a leafless tree canopy.

The Fahnestock

Ride alongside a gorge and under a canopy of hemlock and pine. This ride takes you past otter ponds, a centuries-old inn and the site of an old Revolutionary War inoculation station.

A sunrise view of the Hudson River and valley in autumn

The Perkins Memorial

Perkins Memorial Drive leads to the tower atop Bear Mountain, but the real pleasure is having this road to yourself when it's closed to cars. Take your electric bike effortlessly to the top, then swing back downhill and into the Bear Mountain Inn.

Unpaved road through the woods in fall.

The Whitlock

A Mid-Hudson ride past country laneways, farms and horse pastures, with a sweet diversion to Millbrook Vineyards and Winery. Start at Whitlock Preserve, in Clinton Corners.

Spiky plants grow along a dirt road in the forest

Further Afield: Brendan T. Byrne State Forest

Late winter is the perfect season for this pine barrens adventure in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. Unlike other pinelands routes, this one is mostly paved, but the roads through the forest and along the wetlands are remote and isolated.