Length: 10.1 miles

Elevation change: 743 feet

Nearby Towns: Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining

Begin and End: At Croton Gorge Park

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In lower Westchester County, it’s hard to find the quiet roads. And compared to others on this site, this route is probably less scenic and bucolic.

But I like it; I like the quiet of an early morning ride, when the rising sun sparkles on the Croton Reservoir, and the dirt path of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail just ahead. And there’s something to be said for the Local Rides, when they’re just up the road from where you live, and you can get them in before breakfast.

Atop the New Croton Dam, in Croton Gorge Park. The dam is the northern terminus of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, a 26.2-mile trail that begins at the Yonkers border. The aqueduct became a linear park in 1968.

This route begins at the magnificent New Croton Dam, a marvel of 19th century masonry. Built by immigrants, the spillway itself didn’t need to be so elegant, but it is. Embroidered with a combination of artful stonework and natural rock, the waterfall roars and roils in all seasons, sending up hovering mist of cool water even on the hottest days of summer.

Park at the Croton Gorge Park in Croton, and take the dirt road that begins to the left of the bathrooms, up to the top of the dam. You’ll see the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail head off along a hairpin turn, but ignore it for now; it’s your return route.

Take in the view from the top of the dam before following the route through a quiet residential neighborhood, then dropping down to the reservoir road.

Embraced by the woods and reservoir, Croton Lake Road is an unpaved, somewhat pocked trail-like road. You won’t meet many cars here, if any; the reservoir is used by fishermen, whose rowboats can be seen gathered on the shore, beneath the trees.

Croton Lake Road.

The route leads under two reservoir bridges and if you stay on the spur, a dirt road that branches out from Aqueduct Road, you eventually come to the Gate House Bridge, a little-used steel deck bridge over the reservoir.

From the bridge, retrace your route back to Aqueduct Road, and turn left. Ride through another residential neighborhood, all the while on unlined, quiet road. You’ll soon be in the Teatown Lake Reservation area, passing several trailheads in this 1000-acre preserve.

The only higher-speed road on this route is Quaker Ridge Road; this stretch is less than a mile, and soon you’re back on quiet roads.

The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, between Quaker Bridge Road and Croton Gorge Park.

Well-traveled and well-built, the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail appears on your right, and is your return route. It can be bumpy, stony, and even muddy after a rain. But for me, that’s part of the charm, like riding your bike through those backyard, well-worn paths of childhood. The trail straightens out, leads down the hill and back to where you parked.

Spillway and waterfall, New Croton Dam

These notes are descriptive only. You should always use the RideWithGPS app and/or download the turn-by-turn directions (provided above) for precise navigation.

The Details:

Elevation change: 732 feet. The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is level, and no hill is challenging on this ride.

Direction: For best results, leave your car in the Croton Gorge Park parking lot at the far end of the park, near the bathrooms. Then follow the route in a clockwise direction.

Start and end: Croton Gorge Park, 35 Yorktown Rd, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 (using online maps). (GPS: 41.225816, -73.857816)

The Roads:

• Lots of dirt! A hybrid bike at the very least, or a mountain bike is your best bet for the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail.
• The hills are modest and won’t leave you out of breath.
• Where roads are paved, they’re smooth and black, recently resurfaced and showing little wear.
• Quaker Ridge Road is a double-yellow lined road, but fairly un-trafficked. Other paved roads have no centerline.

Afterwards:

Follow Route 29/Grand Street away from the dam and south, into the little crossroads town of Croton. Here you’ll find the Black Cow Coffee Company (4 Old Post Road South, Croton-on-Hudson), a convivial community coffee shop with an attached handicraft gift shop. The beans are roasted right in the store.

And right around the corner, there’s The Blue Pig ice cream shop, famous locally for homemade ice cream using locally-sourced ingredients. They’ve opened post-Covid, adding colorful (well, blue) piazza umbrellas to their outdoor tables.

And if you’re an early riser and like to have breakfast after your ride, the Tasty Table (21 Campwoods Road) a great option. Tucked away in a sleepy residential section of Ossining, the recently-renovated, homey cafe (formerly the Wobble) serves creative breakfasts, with a spinach frittata that I can’t get enough of. They’re also open for lunch until 2:00; closed on Monday and Tuesday.

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