Length: 14.5 miles

Elevation change: 1,344 feet

Nearby Towns: Hillsdale, Craryville

Begin and End: At the corner of Rodman Road and West End Road in Craryville, Columbia County.

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Sweet corn season had come and gone the first time I rode this loop in the Upper Hudson Valley. Fields were golden with the spent stalks, but dairy cows still lay in the fields, chewing their cud and enjoying the sunshine as the late autumn crickets sang.

This is a magnificent loop ride that you will want to return to. Tucked into the foothills, open fields and working farms share a backdrop of misty blue Berkshire mountains and Taconic hills. You’ll pass small hobby farms and backyard apple orchards, a hilltop graveyard and a poem etched in a roadside outcropping of marble.

If you love browsing books, bring a backpack in case you find something irresistable at Rodgers Book Barn. The timber barn crouches at the corner of Rodman Road and Pumpkin Hill Road. I’ll let Travel and Leisure describe it best:

“Rodgers has more than 50,000 items, including record albums in mint condition, crammed into every cranny of the place and guarded by a sleepy spaniel. Opened in 1972 at the crux of two never-traveled roads, the barn feels like a temple for America’s remaining readers, and the best place to spend a rainy country afternoon.”

But the real pleasure of this ride is those distant blue Berkshire foothills, backdrops to every bend in the road.  On this route, you should leave plenty of time to stop for a photograph or two — it’s just a gorgeous ride.

The Details:

Elevation change: 1344 feet up and down over the whole ride.

Direction: For best results, leave your car at the corner of Rodman and West End, and ride north up Rodman. Turn right at Pumpkin Hill, and follow the route in a counter-clockwise direction.

The Roads:

Where the roads are unpaved (mostly on Pumpkin Hill), they are well-packed. Most roads on this route are paved.

There’s nothing strenuous about this ride, but there are a few hills that your pedal-assist electric bike should handle well.

The only traffic you’ll see on this route comes at the halfway point, as you ease out onto Route 22 for a less-than-half-mile segment to the left-hand turn onto Hunt Road.

Afterwards:

Once you’ve finished your ride, you have plenty of eating options in this corner of Columbia County.

In Craryville, Random Harvest (1785 NY Route 23, Craryville) serves locally-sourced produce, dairy and bread products and fresh and frozen pasture raised meats. Pick up something before you head home, or grab a sandwich in their cafe — the sandwiches are creative and delicious. They also sell soups, wraps and salads.

You’re just a five-minute drive from Hillsdale, too, famous for its 3-day Falcon Ridge folk festival. But I like it for the little business district at the crossroads: an interesting and eclectic collection of shops, cafes and, now, the Roe Jan Brewing Company (32 Anthony Street, Hillsdale). At the crossroads, you’ll find artisanal ice cream at The Village Scoop, a coffee shop, gifts and cafes, plus (around the corner) the Hillsdale Diner.

Rodgers Book Barn, at the corner of two never-travelled roads in Craryville, New York.

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