New Route: The Carriage Roads of Mohonk Preserve
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.
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.
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:
- Only Class 1 (pedal-assist, no throttle) electric bikes are allowed on the carriage roads of Mohonk Preserve.
- 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).
- 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!
- 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.
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:
Further Afield: Franklin Parker Preserve
Old cranberry bogs, twisted pitch pine forests and remarkable wetlands teeming with animal life and rare plants are the enchanting backdrop for this electric bike ride through the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
Further Afield: Stokes State Forest and Tillman Ravine
The off-season is the perfect time for this electric bike adventure in Stokes State Forest. In winter, the gated roads are off-limits to cars, but not to your electric bike. This is when the sense of isolation is deepest, and the hillsides, thick with hemlocks, provide a welcome contrast to the blahs of winter.
The Ashokan: A Catskills Ride
Climb High Point Mountain Road, briefly; then enjoy a mostly-downhill roll through the foothills, all while surrounded by the Catskill Mountains. This 13-mile ride is lovely in autumn.
The Vernooy Kill: A Southern Catskills Ride
A rushing stream with intermittent waterfalls follows the early part of this loop ride in Kerhonkson, in the Southern Catskills. Then the woods give way to farmland and grazing cattle.