BrooklynRoadie

Hey everyone...looking for some route suggestions to cycle upto the woodbury commons from NYC

Thanx!

LongIslandTom

I've gotten as far as Stony Point by doing the George Washington Bridge / 9W thing..

Beyond that, I can only guess, but County Road 98 to County Road 106 (which takes one through Harriman State Park) to Route 17 north (to Woodbury commons) looks like a possibility, but 106 has no shoulders so it looks dicey.

Bezalel

What about getting to Franklin Tpk in New Jersey and avoiding Harriman State Park?

Not the Slowest

Here is a cue sheet from the 200K brevet which takes you through Harriman to Old 17 and towards Woodbury.
A few notes:
a) DO NOT Climb UP Perkins unless you Really want to.
b) Once in Park, make sure you fluid up. There is limited food options (none) once you enter park except by hotel (ask).
c) You can take train from Harriman home, check rules and schedule.

Good luck

https://www.njrando.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=610

echappist

Whatever you do, DON'T GET ON ROUTE 17

here's a map that goes to harriman via sloatsburg. you can deviate further west (use something like NY 210) and get up to woodbury.

While US 6 has wide shoulders, there's some serious climbing to do, so i'd suggest not traversing Harriman if possible

njkayaker

Route 106 is a fine road. There isn't a lot of traffic on it. It's a common bicycle route.

Going west, Gate Hill Road (106) into the park is a stiff climb (fairly long and steep).

After Lake Welsh, it drops into Kanawauke circle (crosses Seven Lakes drive). There is a great downhill, about 2 miles west of the circle (after a short, steep climb).

You can go north on 17 for a short way to Orange Turnpike (County Road 19) in Southfields (left turn off of 17N).

Overly dramatic!

There are parts of Rt 17 (between Sloatsburg and Tuxedo Park) where it is narrow and there are no shoulders, where riding would not be so great.

The rest of it is fairly wide and not that heavily trafficked with wide shoulders (though, the shoulders do have some debris). While the speed of traffic is fast, drivers generally have ample time to see you and ample room to avoid you (it's a 4 lane road with not much traffic).

The only way one is going to avoid the climbing is to go through Bergan County and travel up the valley that Route 17 and the NYS Thruway sit in.

US 6 is an OK road. It has barriers on the down hill out of the part into Central Valley that restrict driver vision. Unlike Route 106, this road sees more and faster traffic (it's a fairly major commuter route in the area).

There is water and a drink vending machine (it should have Powerade) at Tiorati circle. There is a vile-smelling bathroom at the Kanawauke parking lot that should have water (there's a drink vending machine on the far side of the bathroom building there too).

This route goes up Skyline Drive. If you go west through Pompton Lake and Wanaque, you avoid that hill (Skyline Drive is steep with a fair amount of traffic).

roadiejorge 

+ a lot

17 should by no means be used while riding a bicycle.

Jay H

Did they fix that bridge on Rt 106, just north of the circle by Sebago Lake??? it was out most of last year and haven't been by there recently.

Jay

njkayaker

Nonsense. There is one section (between Sloatsburg and Tuxedo Park that is really narrow with no shoulders that is bad).

Somebody used to driving in NYC will have no problems with the other parts of 17.

North out of Sloatsburg.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...2,29.75,,0,4.2

North of where 106 comes in.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...1,52.28,,0,0.5

Just before County Road 19 in Southfields.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,22.54,,0,5.07

njkayaker

It's fixed now.

Even when it was out, one was able to walk across it. That is, it was out for cars.

echappist

why have that risk at all when a safer alternative exists? and the narrow shoulders north of Tuxedo Park ain't exactly that much better (with debris & rumble strip)

njkayaker

The worst section is that between Sloatsburg and Tuxedo Park (I'd recommend an alternative way). As an alternative to this section, one can take Long Meadow Pond road (County Road 84) to Route 17A (which has huge shoulders).

I'm not saying it's a preferred route.

The run north from Route 106 to Country Road 19 in Southfields is short (about a mile) and it's safe. There isn't much reason to take a lot of effort to avoid this short section.

This is overly dramatic.

As is this.

echappist

You obviously forgot what you wrote in previous posts.

How good is your irony detector (vide infra)?

Not the Slowest

Google maps will take you through Franklin Lakes and cut the ride to about 45 miles.

IMHO, we took Rt 17 and had no issues from Harriman into Monroe. Maybe I'm missing something but our route kept us off ANY busy roadway except when no other option was possible.

njkayaker

No, I didn't forget.

We have no idea what the OP's goals or constraints are. If he has lots of time, he certainly is free to explore more pleasant routes.

Using Route 17, for a short segment, is completely reasonable since it might significantly reduce the distance (I've done it numerous times). In the sections that he might need to use Route 17, it certainly isn't something he needs to "avoid at all costs" (that's just bad advice).

Outside of the Sloatsburg to Tuxedo section, where the lanes are narrow and there are no shoulders (in parts), the lanes are wider and the shoulders are wide enough. (It seems shoulders are wider southbound.)

All you have to do is look:

North of where 106 comes in.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...1,52.28,,0,0.5

Just before County Road 19 in Southfields.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,22.54,,0,5.07

njkayaker

Where did you hit Route 17? From 106 or Arden Valley Road? Route 17 isn't a big deal to ride on in that section.

If you come out of Route 106, you can take County Road 19 (Orange Turnpike) off of Route 17.

Not the Slowest

From Arden Valley

njkayaker

I guess you didn't realize it was "impossible"!

BrooklynRoadie

Thanks for all the responses, it the best route so far is the GWB to 9W all the way to bear mountain.... my issue at that point is that it seems the only way to get to harriman is via the palisades.... is it even possible to ride the shoulder of the palisades? Or is that route just suicide

LongIslandTom

The Palisades Parkway? HECK NO. It's a limited-access highway-- No bikes allowed. https://www.njpalisades.org/cycling.htm At least until that short stretch near Bear Mountain where some people have reported riding on it.

Not the Slowest

Hey I commute through NYC 24 miles each way.If I can live through that "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE"

Not the Slowest

I did post a link earlier that will get you to the foot of Perkins (inside Bear Mt ) which is a nice route of quieter roads.
If you do take 9W, You should turn off at Havestraw and follow the Bike signs through town. At that point the shoulders of 9W are being worked on and it becomes very commercial.
YOU CAN RIDE THROUGH ON 9W, but be warned . It is a better option for a Saturday/Sunday morning

Jay H

You can avoid Rt 17 between Sloatsburg and Tuxedo Park by riding THROUGH tuxedo park via the south gate... Then a short 50ft woods walk gets to to I think Warwick Brook Road by We-Wah Lake and then that part of Rt 17 north has a perfectly fine shoulder except for the occasional garbage, glass or tire retread.. :-)

I've biked that route a bunch of times to get to the Old Orange Turnpike when touring north. Check out Google Maps for the route and access, Tuxedo Park is somewhat confusing when you get north of Tuxedo Lake. but so long as you head north and not east, you will find Warwick Brook Road. You will be able to see the road from the road that goes around We-Wah and there is actually a little herdpath to connect them that isn't on private property. (try not to use the driveway to the house that is there)

jay

njkayaker

I was wondering whether that was an alternative. (Of course, Long Meadow Pond, to the west, is another way around.)

BrooklynRoadie

Ive been spending some time with Google Maps this is what makes the most sense to me...Looking to keep the route as direct as possible since i know ill get lost otherwise

Are any of the highlighted roads not rideable?