Took the train up to Poughkeepsie and did the Duchess County Rail trail today - and I have to say, it's in by far the best condition of any path I've ridden on. Extremely smooth, only one section where you can just detect a hint of the beginning of frost heaves, but only there and still only scarcely noticeable - overall the nicest riding I've experienced.
Nice signage, too, though the cumulative mile markers seem only to be visible when you're riding from the Hopwell Junction end towards Poughkeepsie. Bathroom at Hopewell was clean (though a sink would be nice) and vending machine worked, which added a welcome powerade to a fluids mix tuned for a more overcast day than it turned out.
Hopewell Junction, end of the Duchess County trail, 13 miles from Poughkeepsie
Then it was back to Poughkeepsie and cautiously across the Walkway Over the Hudson. Having been predicted to be a cloudy day and still not peak season that wasn't yet too crowded with folks on foot for riding slowly and courteously to work.
Start of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail on the west side of the river (trail itself is paved, gravel is just around this decoration)
By then I was feeling less on top of my game, and the train schedule I'd initially consulted showed a near 2-hour gap (
turns out there were infill trains to Penn Station instead of Grand Central with only Amtrak scheduled in between) so I turned around a couple of miles out and headed back. There's a nice park rest area at the west side of the bridge - sinks, bottle filling station, etc.
Definitely recommended - the Duchess County path in particular for great conditions and low-stress riding. With the great surface it seems popular with casual recumbent riders (never seen so many in one ride) and even saw a family in a quadracycle pedal surrey. A round trip to the ends on both sides of the river would be about 35 miles, or a nice 50k if you cut it a few short as I did today.
Three pieces of advice:
1) The shoreline elevator up to the walkway is seasonal and currently closed for maintenance, check before heading up that way, otherwise it's a bit over a mile on quiet village streets gently uphill to the more eastern entrance. There are signs showing the way.
2) If traveling from NYC consult a schedule that shows both Grand Central and Penn Station trains; returning to the less convenient of the two still beats waiting an extra hour. Nope, those are Amtrak so they presumably charge more and don't take bikes. Hudson line really wants you to bring bungee cords to secure bikes.
3) Pizza place at the corner of the west parking lot in Poughkeepsie has huge slices for $4, just right for the train ride home
Theoretically Metro North is on the hook to extend the Hopewell end southeast (hah!) to Brewster as the Maybrook trail, at which point it will be within a mile or so of connecting with the Putnam trail coming up from the Bronx.