About

The Ashokan Rail Trail

Opened in the fall of 2019, the Ashokan Rail Trail is a shared-use recreational trail running 11.5 miles along the northern edge of the Ashokan Reservoir between Basin Road in West Hurley and Route 28A in Boiceville. The trail was developed by the County of Ulster through an historic partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), which owns and operates the Ashokan Reservoir and adjacent lands. Open from sunrise to sunset year-round, the trail has provided public access to the County’s scenic abandoned Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor without a DEP Access Permit for the first time since the Reservoir was constructed in 1911.

The trail surface is highly compacted crushed stone ranging from 10 to 12 feet in width, and this flat trail is ADA compliant and accessible for persons with disabilities. The trail is open for non-motorized uses, including hiking, bicycling, running, nature observation, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing and offers three large public trailheads from which the trail can be accessed.

The trail can be accessed from three public trailheads:

Woodstock Dike Trailhead is located at 1285 NY-28 in West Hurley. The Trailhead entrance is 5.3 miles west of the NYS Thruway Exit 19 Traffic Circle and approximately 1,500 feet west of the Stewart’s Shop (by Zena Road).

Ashokan Station Trailhead is located at 3045 NY-28 in Shokan. The Trailhead entrance is 11.3 miles west of the NYS Thruway Exit 19 Traffic Circle across from Mountain Road.

Boiceville Bridge Trailhead is located at 5080 Route 28A in Boiceville. The Trailhead entrance is off Route 28A approximately 16.5 miles west of the NYS Thruway Exit 19 Traffic Circle. Cold Brook Road is direct across Route 28A from this entrance.

Trail History

The Ashokan Rail Trail was planned and constructed by Ulster County through a historic partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which owns and operates the Ashokan Reservoir. The project was funded by Ulster County with significant grant assistance from DEP, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Environmental Protection Fund), New York State Parks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Catskill Watershed Corporation. The trail was designed by engineering consultant, Barton & Loguidice, DPC, and was constructed from January 2018 through December 2019 (with a partial trail opening in October 2019). Learn more about the Ashokan Rail Trail Project

The Ashokan Rail Trail has provided public access to the County’s scenic former Ulster & Delaware Railroad right-of-way along Ashokan Reservoir without a DEP Access Permit for the first time since the Reservoir was constructed in the early 1900s. The trail is operated by Ulster County with support from DEP, which maintains the public trailheads, and in cooperation with volunteer Trail Stewards organized by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and the Woodstock Land Conservancy.

Interpretive Panels

Download PDF of Panels(PDF, 11MB)