"Many hands make light the work."
Written description of proposed and existing trail
system
Overview of Trail Builders project:
Develop a comprehensive 30+ mile trail system in Sullivan
County, NY, connecting Long Path, Neversink Gorge, a ski area, canal
tow paths and rail trails for hiking, running, mountain bicycling, cross-country
skiing, fishing, and nature observation. This project has the support of
individuals, state and local governments, and business owners.
The Trail Builders helped build footbridges, trim trails, and improve
surfaces to create a beautiful new trail system connecting to other major
ones in southeastern NYS. It was a thoroughly satisfying experience.
Project Sections: Table of Contents
- General layout of trail system
- D & H Canal Linear Park: Phillipsport
south to Wurtsboro
- Basha Kill Rail Trail / Long Path: Wurtsboro
south to Westbrookville
- Westbrookville west to Neversink Gorge
- Neversink Gorge network of trails
- 3.5 mile spur north from Neversink Gorge
to Holiday Mountain Ski Area
- Neversink Gorge west to rail trail
- Rail trail north to Monticello
- Further connections to other trails
from this trail system
Possible
through-trip lengths
Total of 34 miles. Go 7 miles south from Monticello
via Stephen Crane Rail Trail, 12 miles east through Neversink Gorge to
SNY-3, 13 miles north from Westbrookville to Phillipsport via Basha Kill
Rail Trail and D & H Canal Linear Park.
Total of 32 miles. Go 7 miles south from Holiday
Mountain Center (Ski Area) near Rock Hill then east through Neversink
Gorge to SNY-3, 13 miles north from Westbrookville to Phillipsport via
Basha Kill Rail Trail and D & H Canal Linear Park.
General layout of trail system
The shape of the trail system is like a printed capital letter "E" rotated
onto its left side with its three prongs reaching north: the left one
to Monticello via the rail trail, the middle one to Holiday Mtn Ski Area
and Rock Hill, and the right one from Westbrookville through Wurtsboro
to Phillipsport. Going from left to right along the long side of the sideways
"E" would represent the trails crossing through the Neversink Gorge and
its 200-300 foot wide river (suspension footbridge needed) from the Stephen
Crane Pond / Hartwood area east to Westbrookville.
Back to table of contents
D & H Canal Linear Park: first trailbuilding project by the
Trail Builders. Ninety-nine percent of the credit for rebuilding this
trail goes to the employees of the Sullivan County DPW, organized by Rich
Caralluzzo of the Parks and Rec Dept.
Simplest description: Make ramps for bridges and improve trail
footing.
Finish the 6.85 mile D & H Canal Tow Path by filling
and grading approaches to the fifty-two (52!) footbridges built by DPW
using existing piles of item four sand/gravel mix, brushhogging weeds and
removing sedge grass hummocks, and marking the new trails so they can be
used by hikers, runners, mountain bicyclists, cross-country skiers, naturalists,
birders, boaters and fishermen. If possible, downed
trees will be pulled out of the canal so that 2.0 miles of it can be boated
continuously. Drive 1.2 miles north of Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro
via Rt 209, make right onto McDonald Rd, park at bridge detour and hike
north along D & H Canal Tow Path 2.4 miles to Rt 209.
There are picnic areas, parking, and sanitary facilities
at both Bova Rd (approx 4.5 miles north of Wurtsboro via Rt 209) and on
the right (Hornbeck's Basin) at a point that is 0.9 miles north of Wurtsboro
via Rt 209. The D & H Canal Tow Path connects Wurtsboro to Phillipsport.
Map mileage going N from Sullivan St in Wurtsboro:
0.00 mi - start on Sullivan St in Wurtsboro, walk north on village
streets
0.45 - Start of tow path
0.70 (0.25) - Trail left to parking, picnic, and port-a-potty
1.65 (0.95)- Tow path crosses McDonald Rd
2.90 (1.25) - Stone foundation on far side of canal: site of
former "Swamp Bridge"
4.05 (1.15) - Cross Rt 209. Road walk for 0.35 mi : go N, make
next left
4.40 (0.35) - Make right onto canal tow path. Parking, picnic,
and port-a-potties along the way.
5.40 - Reach Rt 209. Go L (road walk)
5.45 - L onto Minister Flats Rd / Phillipsport Rd (road walk)
6.25 - R onto Herlings Rd (road walk)
6.30 - L onto tow path
6.85 - Northern end of Sullivan County ownership of tow path
is reached.
Back to table of contents
Basha Kill Rail Trail / Long Path: Wurtsboro south to Westbrookville
Continuing south of Wurtsboro brings one onto the New York State
administered Basha Kill Rail Trail, a portion of the Long Path. From
the southernmost point on the Sullivan County section of the rail trail
near Westbrookville, one comes close to reaching the state lands of the
Neversink Gorge to the west.
Back to table of contents
Westbrookville west to Neversink Gorge lands
To reach the Neversink Gorge public
lands, one would walk from the Rail Trail (0.0 miles) south via South
Rd / (a.k.a. Indian Orchard Rd as it briefly crosses into Orange County),
right (northwest) to Westbrookville, go right (north) on Rt 209 for 0.15
miles, cross over, then go left (northwest) onto Pine Kill Rd, then left
to the fork of David Rhodes Rd and Skinner Rd (2.1 miles). At the fork,
go left onto Skinner Rd, then proceed 0.7 miles by road until the parcel
of New York State owned land west of this fork is reached. If private landowner
permits it, an intervening 1.6 mile wide parcel(s) of land between the
state land (SNY-3 on DEC map) and the Bear Swamp section of the Gorge parcel
to the west could be crossed. A trail could run 0.7 mi on SNY-3, then
2.3 mi on the private land if the landowner agreed.
As of summer 2002, there is a general store in Westbrookville
on Rt 209 where hikers, mountain bicyclists, and trail runners could obtain
food. There are camping locations in the gorge.
Back to table of contents
Neversink Gorge network of trails:
Simplest explanation of project:
Clear blocked areas, build footbridges, and mark new trails so
they can be used by hikers, runners, mountain bicyclists, cross-country
skiers, naturalists, and fishermen.
Drive 3.5 miles south of Rt 17 at Rock Hill to end of Katrina
Falls Rd, park and go south to site of former suspension footbridge near
Eden Brook, cross the Neversink River, then go west to Bush Kill Rd. Trail
comes out at a point 1.5 miles south of St Josephs Rd.
Rail trail parallels Bush Kill Rd as it runs north from Stephen
Crane Pond in Hartwood to Monticello. Bush Kill Rd changes its name to
Cold Spring Rd along the way to Monticello.
More detail:
Brush back ten miles of existing trail (done, 1998), forge
1.5 -2.0 mi of new trail (via the former "Lost Trail" mistakenly drawn
by cartographer on USGS maps of the area), then lobby
for the state to fund the construction of an approximately 200 foot
suspension foot bridge across the Neversink River linking state lands
on east and west sides.
Back to table of contents
3.5 mile spur north from Neversink Gorge to Holiday Mountain Ski Area
To the north and east of the gorge, connect Holiday Mtn Ski
Area to state land in gorge for cross-country skiing and mountain bicycling
possibilities. Landowner agreement needed to connect. There were discussions
in 1998.
Back to table of contents
Neversink Gorge west to rail trail
To the west of the gorge, 2.5 mile trail from proposed Neversink
River suspension footbridge connects to rail trail parallel to Cold
Spring Rd.
Back to table of contents
Rail trail north to Monticello
Numerous landowners have title to the rail trail parallelling
Bush Kill Rd / Cold Spring Rd.
Back to table of contents
Further connections to other trails:
After heading north through the village of Wurtsboro, the
Basha Kill rail trail connects to the Long Path by heading east on Old
Rt 17, then leaving the roadway to head north from the hairpin turn and
site of the former railroad trestle. The Long Path goes up onto state-owned
land on the Shawangunk Ridge all the way to Minnewaska State Park, then
progresses up through the Catskills and north of Albany. The Long Path
will eventually run to the Adirondacks. To the south, the Long Path reaches
High Point State Park in New Jersey, then heads east along the Appalachian
Trail to the George Washington Bridge. The Appalachian Trail runs for 2,050
miles from Maine to Georgia.
By walking on Red Hill Road parallel to the railroad grade, it
is possible to go from Phillipsport to Mountaindale, then take the town
of Fallsburg-owned rail trail from Mountaindale west to Woodridge. The
trail picks up on the South Fallsburg side of the Neversink River and
continues west through Hurleyville to Rt 17 at Ferndale near Twin Bridge
Junction Rd, south of Liberty. The rail trail is open to the public from
Mountaindale to Woodridge and from South Fallsburg to Hurleyville, the location
for the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Catskill Arts Society.
To my knowledge, with the exception of a Village of Woodridge-owned section
of rail trail from Woodridge west to the Neversink River, the remainder
of the rail trail between Phillipsport and Ferndale is under private
ownership.
The trails of the Finger Lakes Trails Conference may also
be reached via the Long Path's connection to the Catskill Forest Preserve.
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