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The Ashokan Rail Trail (“ART”) is now partially open to the public!

The Ashokan Rail Trail is now partially open offering nearly eleven miles of trail and one public trailhead. The remaining 0.5 miles of trail and two additional public trailheads are anticipated to open before Thanksgiving 2019.

The opening weeks of the ART have been very busy with an estimated 9,000 visitors in the first two and a half weeks since the opening. We appreciate your patience on the limited parking available as we work to open additional trailheads. Please respect our neighbors by parking at the official trailhead and not on Route 28 or adjacent private properties.

Currently, public parking for the ART is available only at the Woodstock Dike Trailhead located at 1285 NY-28 in West Hurley. The Trailhead entrance is 5.3 miles west of the NYS Thruway Exit 19 Traffic Circle and approximately 1,500 feet west of the Stewart’s Shop (by Zena Road).

The ART, which is dog-friendly and wheelchair accessible, is open from dawn to dusk every day.

Partnership

The ART was developed by the County of Ulster through an historic partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), which owns and operates the Ashokan Reservoir and adjacent lands.

About

Opened in the fall of 2019, the Ashokan Rail Trail (“ART”) is a shared-use recreational trail running 11.5 miles along the northern edge of the Ashokan Reservoir between Basin Road in West Hurley and Route 28A in Boiceville. The ART was developed by the County of Ulster through an historic partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), which owns and operates the Ashokan Reservoir and adjacent lands. Open from sunrise to sunset year-round, the ART has provided public access to the County’s scenic abandoned Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor without a DEP Access Permit for the first time since the Reservoir was constructed in 1911.

The ART trail surface is highly compacted crushed stone ranging from 10 to 12 feet in width, and this flat trail is ADA compliant and accessible for persons with disabilities. The ART is open for non-motorized uses, including hiking, bicycling, running, nature observation, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing and offers approximately three large public trailheads from which the trail can be accessed.

Contact

For more information – Ulster County Planning Department

Christoper White, Deputy Director  Ι  Phone: (845) 340-3338  Ι  Email: ashokanrailtrail@co.ulster.ny.us

For maintenance – Ulster County Public Works

Address: 315 Shamrock Ln, Kingston, NY 12401  Ι  Phone: (845) 340-3102