Blooming Rose Century Narrative
by Brian Cavanagh

Blooming Rose Century - a relatively flat 100 mile bike route through Sullivan, Orange and Ulster Counties.

Bloomingburg to Rosendale and back via Howells area, Circleville, Pine Bush, Bruynswick, Wallkill, Gardiner, New Paltz, turn around within the Town of Rosendale, return on some of the same roads but with slight variations, passing Watchtower Farms, going closer to Burlingham on return trip. Stops at stores for food and drink and at bathroom facilities are incorporated into the route.

Print out this page for directions along the route, then go to maps page which has 21 detailed topographic maps of sections of the route.

All measurements below are from TOPO! unless otherwise indicated.

Route summary:

A) Bloomingburg to Springtown Rd & River Rd (north of New Paltz-Rosendale border) via Howells, Circleville, marathon course to Bruynswick: 54.9 miles

B) Rosendale to Bloomingburg via The Bakery in New Paltz, Red Mills, Pine Bush, Gillespie Rd, Burlingham Rd, Stone Schoolhouse Rd: 43.3 miles

C) Total = 98.2 miles (approx 102 miles after 4 pct  TOPO error is added).

Notes:

1) If New Paltz-Rosendale border is used as turnaround (2.84 miles shorter, out & back), route would be 95.35 miles (TOPO!), or 99.16 miles after 4 pct correction added. TOPO says 53.5 miles at New Paltz-Rosendale border on the way up. If it was more than 55.7 miles by bike, the route should turn out to be > 100 miles by bike, assuming no wrong turns.

2) Since route may be changed after riding it, plan to use Springtown Rd & River Rd as turnaround until route changes are complete. Don't paint any route arrows until full route is more clearly decided, based on traffic and rideability.

3) Course elevation profiles:
First 49.0 mi: +1720', -1434' to Village of New Paltz line on Plains Rd, just after (north of) cemetery on L, just after Locust La on R.
Second 49.2 mi: +1100', -1386'
Total: 98.2 mi, +2820', - 2816' (note: this is at Level 5)

Route details:

Bloomingburg to Springtown Rd / River Rd intersection turnaround (N of New Paltz):

Turn RIGHT (south) out of library parking lot on Burlingham Rd in Bloomingburg and stop at traffic light. Go L here onto Rt 17M, then R onto Prosperous Valley Rd; at next T (continuation of Prosperous Valley Rd), go R. At next intersection (4-way), go L (continuation of Prosperous Valley Rd). (At this intersection, York Rd is to R and Lopresti Rd is straight ahead.) At next T, go L onto Brola Rd. Cross town line, come to T intersection (sign says Howells Tpk & Timothy Collard Rd), make L onto Howells Tpk. Continue past James Clark Dr? to Y with Prosperous Valley Rd. Go R (continuation of Prosperous Valley Rd), come to T with Rt 17M (unmarked, although Shawangunk Rd sign is across the street). Go R (SE) and follow Rt 17M until you pass gas station / convenience stores on both sides of road. Go L onto Brown Rd, follow to T with Goshen Tpk (make R), follow to Circleville (deli on corner). Cross Rt 302, go L then quick R to continue on Goshen Tpk.

Next, go L onto Hufcut, follow as it curves L at Tice La, curves R until 4-way w/ Lybolt Rd & Brimstone Hill Rd (14.9). Go L onto Lybolt Rd (AKA Scotchtown Rd), then R onto Scotchtown Rd Spur (16.4) (just before Bullville 5 corners). At T with Rt 17K, go R, then go make quick L onto Bullville Rd (16.7).

Bullville Rd curves R, then L. At T with Collabar Rd  (19.9) (AKA Orange Co Rt 43, 17), go L. Road becomes Orange Co Rt 17, then take L onto Searsville Rd at dairy farm (20.3). Go up hill, follow until 4 way intersection with Hill Ave (22.6) (Orange Co Rt 89). Go L onto Hill Ave, follow to NYS Rt 52 (23.2) (full stop). Cross safely, then go L, then make first R onto Dubois St (23.4). Follow to T w/ Red Mills Rd, go R (24.2). To take bathroom break at Crawford Town Park (no mileage added), make L on Red Mills Rd into park entrance.

Coming out of Crawford Town Park, go L onto Red Mills Rd. Follow as it curves R, then make a quick L, staying on Red Mills Rd and not going R onto Konefal Ave (24.7). Next make L onto Wallkill Ave (25.8), cross bridge, uphill, go R onto Red Mills Rd (25.9). When passing Watchtower Farms complex, get on smooth bikeable mile-long sidewalk on L when possible. Go R at T (27.1) (Steen Rd on L) onto Red Mills Rd, pass portapotty on L (27.2) at truck entrance with gate, follow Red Mills Rd downhill as it sharply curves L past orchards to Bruynswick Inn intersection (29.5), go R onto Hoagerburgh Rd (29.5), curve south, L onto Bate Lane (32.1), full stop at Albany Post Rd (33.6), cross road; road becomes Lippincott. At next T, go L onto sometimes busy Wallkill Ave (35.0) (AKA Bruyn Tpk), across bridge into Wallkill, L into parking lot to grocery store (35.4) (stop to refill for drinks), follow River Rd N, make sharp L uphill at River Rd/Birch Rd/Galeville Rd intersection (37.3). Go uphill on Galeville Rd until 1st R onto Sand Hill Rd (37.6) (N) to Gardner. At busy intersection in center of village of Gardner (41.4), veer a bit L, then immediately R onto Dusinberre Rd (ie pretty much go straight thru this intersection, but watch for cars), follow Dusinberre Rd N. At next T with Philly's Bridge Rd (42.6), go L, across RR tracks, then quick R onto Old Ford Rd (42.7), follow N, go R onto Forest Glen Rd (43.3), come to full stop at NYS Rt 208 (44.3). Go R, then soon go L onto Jenkinstown Rd (44.4). At T w/ NYS Rt 32 (45.4), go L, then take 1st L onto Dubois Rd (45.7). At T w/ Jansen Rd (47.9), go L (NW) to T w/ Rt 208 (48.0). Stop, then safely cross over onto Cedar Lane (unmarked), which becomes Plains Rd as it curves R (48.3). Follow Plains Rd N, staying on lower elevation by veering to left at a Y intersection when you see an uphill on your R in New Paltz (49.7). At T w/ Main St (Rt 299) (49.8), watch for traffic and then carefully go L across bridge over Wallkill River, then make a quick R onto Springtown Rd (50.0) (Ulster Co Rt 7). Soon veer R at intersection with Mountain Rest Rd. A few miles later, cross New Paltz-Rosendale border; make note of mileage at this point - TOPO says ___ miles.

Turn around at Springtown Rd & River Rd (54.9) (north of New Paltz-Rosendale border). Make note of mileage at New Paltz-Rosendale border - TOPO says 53.5 miles.


Return route:

Springtown Rd & River Rd corner south on Springtown Rd to The Bakery (New Paltz):

From Springtown Rd & River Rd, take Springtown Rd S, carefully go L at T w/ NYS Rt 299, then carefully go L after bridge onto Huguenot St (Gilded Otter will be on your R after making the turn). On Huguenot St, go R after cemetery and onto North Front St. Stop at North Chestnut St (NYS Rt 32), then carefully cross to get to next block where The Bakery is.

The Bakery (New Paltz) south to Bloomingburg:

Go L out of The Bakery. Go down North Front St, stop at North Chestnut St (NYS Rt 32), then carefully cross. North Front St curves L into Huguenot St, passes cemetery, comes to T with NYS Rt 299. Cross carefully, then go S on Water St (continuation of Huguenot St), veer R onto Plains Rd (not L up steep hill), follow to L up Cedar La and stop at T w/ NYS Rt 208 (63.5 ???). Carefully cross (becomes Jansen Rd), then make 1st R onto Dubois Rd, follow. Rd curves L and meets NYS Rt 32 at T. Stop, then go R (S), then R 0.2 miles later onto Jenkinstown Rd. Follow, then stop at Rt 208, safely go R on Rt 208, then cross over and take L onto Forest Glen Rd, cross rail trail. At T, go L onto Old Ford Rd. At T w/ Philly's Bridge Rd, go Lacross RR tracks, then R onto Dusinberre Rd, follow S to Gardiner. At busy intersection in Gardiner, stop, then go straight onto Sand Hill Rd on far side of intersection. Follow to T w/ Galeville Rd, go L. At bottom of hill (River Rd/Birch Rd/Galeville Rd intersection), go sharply R onto River Rd, follow S to Wallkill, stop at store for drinks. Take back parking lot and R onto sometimes busy Bruyn Tpk/Wallkill Ave, then first R onto Lippincott Rd, then stop and then safely cross Albany Post Rd. Lippincott Rd becomes Bate Lane. At T at end of Bate Lane, go R onto Hoagerburgh Rd, follow to Bruynswick Inn, go L to go onto Red Mills Rd. Rd eventually curves to the R uphill and passes portapotty station at trucking entrance for Watchtower Farms. Get on sidewalk here. Take next L onto Red Mills Rd, get on smooth bikeable mile-long sidewalk on R side of rd, pass Watchtower Farms complex.

At next T with Bruyn Tpk (85.8), route diverges from the route you started on this morning. Go RIGHT at this T onto Bruyn Tpk (AKA Wallkill Ave), then take first L onto Hardenburg Rd (86.2), pass dairy farm, go up hill, then down to T w/ North St (88.1). Go R, then rd curves L (becomes Maple Ave). Stop at light at Rt 52 intersection in Pine Bush, then go straight on Rt 302 and take R onto Ulsterville Rd (opposite Black Hawk Rd) (89.1).

(Note: if Rt 302 traffic is too heavy, retrace steps to North St by going N on Maple St, then R onto North St, then take R onto Dubois St, R on Rt 52, carefully cross over Rt 52 to take L onto Black Hawk Rd, follow until crossing Rt 302 to go straight onto Ulsterville Rd. This adds 2.0 miles and an additional 100 feet of climbing onto the route.)

Follow Ulsterville Rd W, go L onto Gillespie St S (90.0), take 1st R onto Bruyn Ave (90.9) to lessen the amount of hill climbing remaining. Next, make L onto Crawford St (92.0), pass Howard Seeley Ave on R, then make R onto Co Rt 48 (Burlingham Rd) (93.7), pass Dunthorne Dr on L, then take Bible Camp Rd on L (94.0), follow as it passes Petticoate La ((______), becomes Stone Schoolhouse Rd, then T's with NYS Rt 17K (97.2). At T, carefully go R, follow until T with Main St in Bloomingburg ((______), go uphill, then R onto Co Rt 61 (Burlingham Rd) at light to library (______ miles). (98.2 x 1.04 = 102 mi.)

(end of narrative)
EM = Electronic mapping program (National Geographic's "Topo!") used on home iMac to measure route. Numerous route possibilities checked for minimal elevation gain and traffic safety. Route checked by riding with calibrated cyclocomputer. Fellow cyclist Ron Phillips assisted.
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