It was an absolutely beautiful day, where the attire du jour was t-shirts and shorts (as long as his wife has no say). Met best friend, Hopalong Casualty. After parking in a big dirt lot just past Rosendale, we walked south for about a half mile (over the trestle over the Rondout River). Then NOBO for a bit over 3 miles past an old abandoned outhouse (2-seater). Past William's Lake on the left, and past an area about 100' long where the temp suddenly drops a good 10 degrees. Weird, but it happens every time we walk past this area. Must be an aura or vortex. At the 18 mile mark (there are posts marked every half-mile), a lunch break. Sal, Kris and Charlie's deli hero. Best of the best. HC brought the brandy, but forgot to decant it. WVRT is absolutely beautiful. Cinder surface. Very gentle terrain. The part north of Rosendale is lightly trafficked. Bring fluids, and please practice Leave No Trace principles. 5 stars read more

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I hit this trail up for an early morning hike and it was such a solid way to start the day. I started from the southernmost point and walked about 2.5 miles north to the Gardiner Library. FYI, that southern start point has zero parking, so you're better off finding a spot near the Gardiner Library and going from there--it'll give you options for heading north or south. The path itself is wide and super chill. It was covered in leaves when I went, which was pretty, with big trees lining both sides. You can actually see some beautiful houses tucked in beyond the trees, which was a fun little treat as you walk. Heads up, though, it's not all nature; you do cross some streets, so stay aware of traffic. This thing is huge--the entire trail is over 20 miles and connects a bunch of towns like Wallkill, Gardiner, and New Paltz. It's a true multi-use path for walkers, runners, cyclists, and equestrians (no motorized vehicles, thank goodness). Quick tips for hitting the trail: Parking: Skip the southern end. Park around the Gardiner Library area; it's the smarter move. The Path: Remember, this is a linear trail, not a loop, so be ready to turn around and backtrack or arrange a ride back! Weather: If it's sunny out, you're set. It's an easy, flat walk. If you're looking for a relaxing, easy walk or ride with some nice scenery and want to knock out a few miles, this trail is a winner. Great for a Saturday morning coffee walk! read more

Wallkill Valley Rail Trail - Bee Hive off the Trail - Parks Near Me - New Paltz, New York

This is a wonderful hiking trail, especially in this area. The surroundings are lovely to view along the way, although, the trail is unpaved and has stones along the journey. Bike riding may be a challenge to some, so do take caution with pedestrians walking. The Wallkill Valley trail covers from Kingston to Gardiner and much more exploring will soon come. To my observation, the section in Gardiner I've explored seems to be pretty quiet and not crowded with a lot of people around. I'm sure in other areas it will vary. Explore and enjoy! read more

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We took a hike on the rail trail the other day. Walkers and bikers galore. We saw a large cave where cold air emanated, very interesting. We went down as far as we could. The Trestle was the high point of the hike. Very scenic and very pretty. You can see the Catskills on the horizon. We didn't get to the café. read more

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My coworker and I decided to venture out and go site seeing. The views from this trail are beautiful! Would recommend taking a walk through this trail. If you have a bike you can cover a lot more ground! Park at the binnewater parking area and it's only about a 5 minute walk to the bridge. read more

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Went hiking with a group of friends and some doggies. We hiked a total of about 5 miles. The incline wasn't too bad and right when I started ferried tired we reached the top and the view was totally worth it. read more

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I am giving this 4 stars primarily for the bucolic views of flowers, far off hills, the Gunks, farmland, apple orchards, the very short ride through the sweet, little town of Gardiner, but not for the trail itself (check out my pictures) I believe that it is best suited for mountain bikes & walkers because of its very rough, not particularly well-maintained surface. We started southward from New Paltz & for a short period, the trail is all loose & small stones & then becomes hard-packed dirt with both large & sharp rocks & more smaller stones but with a stable feel to it, although it was necessary to keep our eyes peeled for those jutting stones. The width of the trail varies greatly from about ten feet wide down to maybe four inches wide. South of Gardiner, the trail is hardly maintained at all & this is where it narrows down to two side by side, super narrow, 4" wide tracks. Still, we enjoyed the challenge & the views. read more

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This was one of the nicest trails that I have found for horseback riding. It was perfect for our geriatric horses (they are 25 and 35 years old). This trail meets our needs perfectly because it was mostly flat, impeccably maintained, and the footing was perfect. There were no large rocks or anything unexpected on the trails. There was a lot of foot traffic with many dogs and children and many bicyclists. Everybody was very respectful of the horses. The parking lot at 720 Binnewater Rd. in Rosendale is very easily accessible from the road with plenty of room to turn a horse trailer around. Also very easy access to the trail. If I could give this trail six stars for horseback riding I definitely would. read more

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Ordered a pizza waited 45 minutes with countless mosquito bites and was demanded to put $10 pp in the tip basket by Holly.

I've walked this trail a few times from the Binnewater Kiln parking lot. The highlights are the view from the Rosendale Trestle and stopping at the Rail Trail Cafe for a bite to eat. After the cafe it can get a little boring because there isn't too much to see, but it's still enjoyable. This trail is perfect for bikers and horseback riders. read more

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We loved biking this trail. We parked in Kingston and rode to Rosendale and back passing interesting caves with a surprising swoosh of cool air, old cement company buildings, a lake and the beautiful Rosendale Trestle. We didn't see any other walkers or bikers until we got close to Rosendale. It was an early Spring Sunday so I was expecting muddy conditions and there were some but not bad at all. A fun ride that we want to do again and explore the southern part of the trail and the Rail Trail Café. read more

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I've walked this trail quite a few times with my dog, it's a very pretty trail at any time of year but boring in the sense that once you reach the end you have to walk back the same exact way you just came. There are benches along the way to rest at, at least one bridge to cross (maybe more that I don't know of) and the path is kept well maintained. read more