Harlem Valley Rail Trail: ‘Chatham or Bust’

A new section of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail will run over this 1800s stone arch bridge in Ghent. Photo submitted

harlem valley rail trail

Harlem Valley Rail Trail: ‘Chatham or Bust’

MILLERTON — With 26 miles of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail already paved, a recent announcement from Phil Meeks, chair of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association (HVRTA) said that it is ready to begin a new section of the trail in Columbia County, which will connect the Village of Philmont to Chatham Village and the town of Ghent.

The opening of the trail in 1996 was followed with segments added in 1997, 2000, 2005, 2014 and 2020, when the extension was added to link downtown Millerton to the north, past Webutuck Creek watershed and on up to Copake Falls.

The trail is a popular tourist destination for hiking or biking, with access in several locations in Wassaic, Amenia and Millerton. The trail is free and parking is available, some of it also free of charge.

“This new 8-mile section will dramatically increase the trail’s footprint and bring it to central and northern Columbia County for the first time,” said Meeks. 

Sections of rail bed are in varied stages of planning and/or development and the span of 18 miles to take the trail to Chatham were previously acquired. 

The trail now links the Metro-North Railroad station in Wassaic to Copake. The new segment will be leaving Dutchess County and going into Columbia County, with the trail ending in Chatham.

The new paved trail section will take hikers and bikers past rich farmlands, heavily wooded areas, and will end near what is planned to be the new Shaker Museum in Chatham. They will also have the opportunity to pass over a stone arch railroad bridge built in the 1800s. 

Lisa DeLeeuw, executive director of HVRTA, said, from her Millerton office: “We are excited to start planning this northern section of the trail. Each section brings us closer to our goal of a 46-mile trail linking towns, villages and counties together. As our founder Elinor Mettler said, ‘Chatham or Bust.’”

The extension is being designed by MKM Landscape Architecture of New Rochelle under contract to HVRTA. The $500,000 needed for the construction plan was raised through state and local grants, working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. 

Funding for the construction of the project is still to be raised, and will require further funding from the government and local sources. The final cost has not yet been determined. Donations are welcome, and the construction and scheduling will depend on the acquisition of funding.

harlem valley rail trail

Latest News

Employment Opportunities

Employment Opportunities

LJMN Media, publisher of The Lakeville Journal (first published in 1897) and The Millerton News (first published in 1932) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization.

We seek to help readers make more informed decisions through comprehensive news coverage of communities in Northwest Connecticut and Eastern Dutchess County in New York.

Keep ReadingShow less
about us

Pine Plains Bombers defeated at Section IX Regional

Pine Plains Bombers defeated at Section IX Regional

Giana Dormi, no. 3 of Pine Plains, and Michelle Blackburn, no. 12 of Pine Plains, put the pressure on Juliana Manginelli, no. 11 of Tuckahoe, as she tries to find a pass during the second round of the regional tournament at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. on Tuesday, March 11.

Photo by Nathan Miller

NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The Pine Plains Bombers were knocked out in second round of the Section IX regional tournament after a hard fought game against the Tuckahoe Tigers on Tuesday, March 11.

The Bombers won the tip and got off to an early lead, but the Tuckahoe Tigers outpaced them quickly and finished the game 59-25.

Keep ReadingShow less
basketball

County comptroller releases special report on federal funding

County comptroller releases special report on federal funding

Dan Aymar-Blair

Photo provided

POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess comptroller Dan Aymar-Blair released a special report early last week on federal monies and how they move through the county level, including the disbursement process in the county; how federal funding benefits Dutchess residents and whether any fiscal distribution issues have surfaced locally as a result of actions taken on behalf of the Trump administration.

According to Aymar-Blair’s report, federal programming represents roughly 10% of Dutchess expenditures, not including any COVID-19 assistance. As an illustration of federal- to county-level distribution and spending, in 2023, under the Biden administration, the county received approximately $65 million from the U.S. government with $25 million going toward direct aid in support of such programs as home energy assistance and food stamps. Federal monies were also disbursed — and continue to be directed — toward county-level agencies, programming and supports such as adoption, foster care and child care needs, emergency/disaster assistance, infrastructure development and maintenance, and workforce initiatives.

Keep ReadingShow less
government

‘Selected Shorts’ comes to Stissing Center

‘Selected Shorts’ comes to Stissing Center

The Stissing Center was bustling just before the show on Sunday, March 9.

Photo by Alec Linden

PINE PLAINS — The Stissing Center was packed on Sunday for an afternoon performance of podcast and NPR series “Selected Shorts.” The sold-out show, which was recorded for national broadcast at a later date, brought a lineup of four accomplished actors and storytellers to the Pine Plains stage to recite a selection of short stories from award-winning authors.

“Selected Shorts,” a product of Manhattan-based performing arts powerhouse Symphony Space, features prominent actors who recite works of short fiction. The full program usually revolves around a theme; Sunday afternoon’s focus was “transformations.”
Comedian, writer and actress Ophira Eisenberg — or “renaissance woman of storytelling,” as Stissing Center Executive Director Patrick Trettenero introduced her — assumed hosting duties, warming up the crowd with jokes about Brooklyn egg prices and doctors with self-esteem issues — “I want a megalomaniac with a god complex and no hobbies.”

Keep ReadingShow less
events