A long-sought effort to connect two sections of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (WVRT) to stretch from Walden to Rosendale appears to have stalled at the prison property in the Town of Shawangunk. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (WVRT) is a multi-use trail, welcoming hikers, joggers, bicyclists, horseback riders, dog-walkers and in the winter, snowshoers and cross-country skiers. It currently extends about 22 miles from the Shawangunk/Gardiner town line north to Rosendale. The trail is built on a railroad right of way that was abandoned by Conrail in the late 1970s, which formerly transported fresh produce from local farms to wholesale markets in NYC. In 1983 a plan was launched to transform the abandoned rail line into a linear park and after overcoming many obstacles, officially opened ten years later as the 17th such trail created in New York. It has since been recognized as part of the Hudson River Greenway Trail System and designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Each municipality owns their respective sections of the WVRT and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association (WVRTA) manages, promotes and improves the trail. On the other side of Shawangunk is the Walden-Wallkill Rail Trail, which runs about 3.22 miles from the Village of Walden to the hamlet of Wallkill in the Town of Shawangunk. It was completed in 2008 in a collaborative effort between the Village of Walden and towns of Shawangunk and Montgomery. Between these two popular Rail Trails sits the Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison. Approximately a half mile section of the railbed needed for the trail lies within the prison property. Shawangunk Town Supervisor John Valk, Jr. said the Rail Trail connection through the prison’s property is something that has been pursued for nearly 25 years. “It’s been kind of back-burnered,” Valk said last week. “The state is supposed to fence in the prison. We were kind of waiting for that to happen.” At one time there was an active farm on the property with prisoners working in the fields, a situation which basically stopped any discussions of a trail before they started. The farm has since been discontinued and the prisoners are no longer working in the fields, offering a glimmer of hope for the proposal. The current Walden-to-Wallkill trail extends along the old railroad bed from the Village of Walden, near Wooster’s Grove, to Bona Ventura Avenue in Wallkill, near the Shawangunk Police Station. Valk said there have been discussions to further extend the trail along Railroad Avenue to Birch Road. Since the opening of the Walden-to Wallkill portion of the trail, Valk said it has been enormously popular. He has seen all ages utilizing it, and the cars of the hikers and bikers parked all the way to town hall. “It makes for a healthier America,” he said. According to the New York Parks & Conservation Association (NYPCA), more than 65 community trails exist in the state of New York—totaling more than 700 miles statewide—and have been so successful that dozens of communities are planning at least another 1,200 miles of trail. Rail Trails have been shown to bring new economic vitality, attract tourists, encourage trail-related business development, enhance quality of life, provide a better commute, health and environmental benefits and stir civic pride and community revitalization. According to the NYPCA, “Rail Trails can breathe new life into small towns left to wither after the trains stopped running,” as towns with safe, pleasant trails are becoming highly desirable vacation destinations, and those tourists generally purchase food, lodging, fuel, souvenirs and special clothes, shoes and equipment. They estimate that more than 100 million Americans walk for pleasure, 100 million bicycle, 17 million ride horses, 12 million in-line skate and 6 million cross-country ski. The link that extends north from Gardiner is considered one of America’s ten most iconic rail trails, spanning the Wallkill River and several gorges, and passing through orchards and farms. It also links villages and towns including the Historic Huguenot District in New Paltz, the towns of Gardiner and Rosendale and ending near the historic Stockade District in the City of Kingston. Trail users will discover a wide variety of birds, wildlife, unique 19th century industrial historic sites as well as stunning views of the Shawangunk Ridge, Wallkill River and the Rondout Creek. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail is designated a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The crown jewel is the Rosendale Trestle, a 940 foot span over the Rondout Creek that soars 150 feet above the water surface. When first constructed in 1872 it was dubbed the iron wonder and was the highest span bridge in the United States. Often referred to as the Walkway over the Rondout, the trestle offers spectacular views of Joppenburgh Mountain, Main Street Rosendale and the Rondout Creek. For more information on existing hiking trails, contact the NY-NJ Trail Conference, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (PRHP) or the DEC.

By Rachel Coleman