Length: 11.9 miles

Nearby Towns: New Paltz, Gardiner, Ellenville

Begin and End: Minnewaska State Park (Peter’s Kill parking area on Route 44)

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With its stunted pitch pines, white Catskill conglomerate outcroppings and cliffs, rare old-growth forests and magnificent creeks, lakes and waterfalls, Minnewaska State Park Preserve is the jewel in the crown of the southern Catskills.

This loop ride along comfortable carriageways weaves through some of the most spectacular landscapes in all of New York State, punctuated here and there with breathtaking overlooks across distant mountains and farmlands.

And you don’t have to sweat like a billy goat to get to them. The carriageways thread the woods along gentle inclines designed for the working horse. So no hill is too steep or treacherous, and the electric hybrid bike should handle the trails with ease.

Be Aware: The park is closed to bicycles in the late

fall, winter and early spring. Always check the park website before you go!

Plan on spending a few hours on this ride, especially if you like to stop for pictures or to have a packed lunch at any of several incredible viewpoints.

You can start by parking at the Peter’s Kill area parking lot on Route 44/55, where you’ll also find water, bathrooms and paper trail maps. Turn right out of the parking area onto  Route 44, and stay on this road for a little less than a mile, until you see a small car pull-out and gate, blocked with boulders, on the opposite side of the road (if you come to the main gate to the park, you’ve gone too far). Cross the road, and enter the park here.

This little connector trail quickly meets Awosting Falls Carriageway, and the real beauty of the park begins here. Turn right onto Awosting Falls. Immediately you’re immersed in the deep green of hemlock and pitch pine, and the earthy smells of decades of duff. Take this carriageway as it meanders alongside the Peters Kill to your right, eventually coming to stunning Awosting Falls. If it’s not too crowded, spend some time here, taking pictures of the 60-foot plunge into a clear pool, or just relaxing for a bit.

The trail continues to wind gradually uphill, and you’ll see more hikers as you approach the main gate of the park. When you come to the parking area, cross the paved road to find a pathway that leads to the lower parking lot. Cross the parking lot to its furthest end where Lower Awosting Carriageway begins.

For the rest of your ride, you’ll be on the comfortable carriageways of Minnewaska State Park, a network built in the late 1800s. The crowds thin here. Pitch pines decorate the edges of the Lower Awosting Carriageway, a long, straight 3-plus mile stretch before you reach the edge of Lake Awosting. (Note: You could completely encircle Lake Awosting Carriageway as a side trip, but make sure your bike is ready for the rocky parts! A hybrid bike is probably underprepared; if you’re on a mountain bike you’ll be fine.)

After a climb at the south end of Awosting, catch your breath at one of several awesome viewpoints atop the rocky cliffs. Lake Awosting is a long trek for most day-trippers to the park, who prefer to loop Lake Minnewaska instead. So you’ll find silence and solitude, even on the busiest days, at Awosting. And you should find ample room to enjoy a packed lunch or snack while taking in Awosting’s blue, sparkling expanse, and the foothills of the Catskill Mountains.

And though you may not want to leave the scenery in front of you, keep going. The Castle Point carriageway leads you up and over the highest point in the park, passing under the rocky Battlement Terrace, a cliff face that looms over the trail.

The trail swings and dips, but mostly gently ascends. Once you’ve topped out along the Castle Point Carriageway, the five-mile downhill roll is an absolute pleasure. The route steadily descends while passing views to Gertrude’s Nose and the wider Hudson Valley, and through the Palmaghatt Ravine, one of the last undisturbed old growth forest in America. Take it slowly and ease into the curves, because the carriageways are adjacent to cliffs and steep drop-offs.

Soon, you’ll find yourself again among the walking crowds of Lake Minnewaska. Follow the route back to the upper parking area, then take the paved park road back down to where the Trapps Trail emerges, and retrace your route back to your car, again passing Awosting Falls.

I promise: you will love this ride!

Hikers take a break to enjoy the top-down view of the plunging Palmaghatt Kill Ravine, an ancient (and off-limits to hikers) forest of the Minnewaska State Park.

The Details:

Elevation change: 1182 feet up and down over the whole ride.

Direction: For best results, take the loop in a counter-clockwise direction: after you arrive at the parking area in the main entrance to the park, follow Lower Awosting Carriageway first, and return via Castle Point Carriageway.

The Roads:

The carriage roads are generally well-packed, wide and comfortable to ride. You’ll encounter more hikers along the carriageways the closer you are to Lake Minnewaska, but as you leave that end of the park and ride toward Lake Awosting, the hiker traffic will thin out and you’ll pretty much have the roads to yourself.

But don’t get carried away! The roads, while gently inclined, are often bordered by steep drop-offs and overhanging cliffs. So take your time and keep away from the drop-offs.

The Rules: Minnewaska State Park Preserve has special rules for riding electric bikes on the trails.

• Cyclists may ride Class I E-bikes only on Carriage Roads where traditional “pedal” biking is permitted.
• Class I E-bikes are defined as a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. It’s your basic pedal-assist bike.
• The park closes to bikes in the winter months — generally from November 1 to sometime in mid-spring. Check the park website for special bulletins concerning bike closures.
• You can only ride on park roads and carriage roads while in the park. Don’t go off the maintained roads, onto hiking trails. Don’t ever. When you get to the park, pick up a trail map which will tell you which routes are carriage roads, and which are hiking trails.
• You must wear a helmet when biking in the park. You’ll likely be stopped by a park official if you’re seen riding without a helmet.
• There is an entry fee at Minnewaska, but  if you get the Empire State Parks pass — a bargain if you use the parks more than eight times a year — you won’t have to pay. If you’re over 62 and visiting on a weekday, just show your driver’s license at the gate for free entry — no special pass needed.

Afterwards:

Three southern Catskills towns encircle the Shawangunk Ridge and are worth a stop before or after your ride.

To the east, lively New Paltz is a college town with a distinctly ’60s hippie vibe. The main street is a colorful collection of independent retail shops, places to eat and outfitters selling climbing gear and other outdoor equipment.

And it’s hard to find a more bicycle-friendly town if you need to fix or outfit your bike. You can get your bike repaired at the Bicycle Rack, rent a bike (no e-bikes yet!) at New Paltz Biking, or outfit your bike at the Bicycle Depot on Main Street. The Empire State Trail runs through New Paltz (though not right through Main Street), as does the bone-jarring but paved Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

In the small village center of Gardiner — smaller than New Paltz — you’ll find pizza at Pasquale’s and a creative, casual-American and locally-sourced offerings at  Cafe Mio (2356 US-44, Gardiner; closed Monday and Tuesday).

Ellenville is nestled in the Rondout Valley to the west of Minnewaska and the Shawangunk Ridge. It’s worth the drive to reach Aroma Thyme (165 Canal St Ellenville), a bistro with roots in the farm-to-table movement and one of the best local brew bars in the area. (Note: Aroma Thyme has limited daytime hours, opening at 3 on weekends).

As a lover of Austrian food (yes, it’s not great, but there’s something about that spaetzle!), my go-to place after an afternoon in the ‘Gunks is the Mountain Brauhaus, (3123 Route 44, Gardiner NY). You’ll be in the company of congenial climber groups, tired hikers and road-trippers, dirndls and pure gemütlicheit!