Ashokan Rail Trail- Woodstock Dike Trailhead — Attraction in Town of Hurley

Seems like a cool ride and one I'd like to do someday. However, I still don't understand why the county forbade the Catskill Mountain Railroad from ever reaching here. There is no advantage to the trail or rail having rails cut off at Milepost 10. The rail has no destination and the trail dead ends with no foreseeable way of connecting with Basin Road. A much better plan would have been allowing the railroad to reach and establish a station at West Hurley, a 1/4 of a mile inside the reservoir boundary. It gives the rail a secured foothold as well as a destination, and gives trail riders the ability to leave the car behind and ride the train ski-lift style to the trail. I've been following the rail vs trail controversy from California, and have always been an advocate of rails as well as trails, but this whole plan just doesn't seem to make any economic or even logical sense. If Ulster County really expects the large numbers of people they hope to see using this trail on a regular basis, then the railroad is critical to efficiently shuttle people to and from the trail and keeping additional cars from clogging up Highway 28. I know the railroad wanted to one day access Glenford Dike to provide a scenic destination for its trains, and while that would have been amazing I can sort of see why the county wanted otherwise. But to not allow them to reach West Hurley and establish a station, and more importantly a place to turn their trains around so they wouldn't need to back up seven miles to return to Kingston, was downright shortsighted on the county's part. I cannot see any logical reason to the county's decision to remove tracks between Milepost 10 and 10.4. A rail-trail station at West Hurley benefits the trail immensely as much as it does the railroad. I really hope that the county sees the error of its ways and restores rail access to West Hurley and the Ashokan Reservoir in 2019.

Sorry to rant, but I just feel very...

This Rail Trail was created out of an old set of tracks that my family and I used to walk all the time when I grew up here. Now I live 2 hours away but my brother's house is a stone's throw and we walk here frequently when I visit.

There are three spots at which you can get on the trail. One near Woodstock, one at the half-way mark, and one up in Boiceville at the far end of the trail. Plenty of parking at each location.

If you like to be close to the water, I would suggest the upper section or the lower section. The middle section is a little close to the road for my tastes, sometimes causing some road noise.

Cyclists like the trail, but remember it is gravel, so not the smoothest ride. I'm a walker, so it's great for me. And if you have little kids, try the Woodstock end in the summer (like now) as they have goats on the side of the dyke to clear the brush.

If you want to stray from the path, you absolutely need a fishing license and you must be carrying your fishing gear or the patrols will (quite rightly) harass you. I believe you also need a Reservoir permit which you can get...

I’ve walked from three other Ashokan Rail Trail parking lots so I wanted to walk from this one. This is the eastern end of the trail. From the parking lot you can walk a short distance to the east and quickly come to the end of the trail where a bridge crosses a road which is in disrepair. You can see a small train engine on the tracks on the other side of the bridge.

We walked the other direction for two miles. There are a few good views of the Ashokan. Whichever parking lot you decide to start at the trail is in great shape.

There are two good sized parking lots. The first one is for permit holders (fishermen) and handicap parking. The second lot is for everyone else. I’m sure it fills up on busy weekends in the summer. Most people are only here for an hour or so and spots should open up often. There are three porta potties (one handicap) at the far end of the parking lots.

Which parking lot is the best? I don’t think one is better than another. Go to the parking lot which is closer...