A bit of railroad history that you can explore first hand is something every railroad fan and outdoor adventurer will love. Here's everything you need to know about a visit to the Rail Explorers site in the Catskills.

First a little bit of history. The line you'll be riding on was first built as the Rondout and Oswego Railroad. The line connecting Kingston to Phoenicia was completed in 1870. That railroad later became the New York, Kingston and Syracuse Railroad in 1872, and finally the Ulster and Delaware Railroad in 1875. Just to the west of the start point for your trip was the Stony Clove and Catskill Mountain Railroad branch. This continued north out of Phoenicia and for some genius reason they built it using a different gauge than the mainline, making transferring cars between them a hassle. At that time Catskill was actually spelled Kaaterskill. The railroad declined during the 1930s and all passenger service ended on March 31, 1954. Along the route you'll find mile markers, whistle markers, crossing markers, and small bridges that likely date from the early to mid 1900s (though blue stone mile markers may be much earlier).

Now for your trip. First thing is to arrive as they say, 30 minutes before your departure. There will be a safety briefing before you depart and there are bathrooms here (no bathrooms along the trip), and they do depart on time. Second, there is a small basket in each car that is big enough to hold a single backpack along with loose items. Everything you plan to take with you should fit in this. Third, if you want a small snack at the turn around, pack that, but you'll only have 15-20 minutes so don't pack a 4 course picnic. Third, the rail line is shaded by the mountains later in the day so as with any outdoor activity pack layers, you may be comfortable starting in a t-shirt but may want to add a layer or two on the way back. We did the trip on a warm fall day, but once the sun went down jackets came out.

Finally what to expect from the trip. It's a peddle car, so you will be biking 8 miles. Do not wear any loose clothing like scarfs or excessively loose pants. You will go in a group separated by a few hundred feet between cars, but things can get bunched up. It's not a race and you can't pass anyone so plan to go with the flow and enjoy the ride. This particular route is 4 miles out and back, 8 total. The first 2 are down hill, great, except that means the last 2 are up hill. This is where you will actually be peddling. It's nothing difficult, but just know to expect the ride back is a bit more effort (there is battery powered peddle assist, so that helps). Peddling itself is easy. All the chains have a rachet mechanism which allows all riders to peddle at different speed or take brakes to grab a drink or take a photo.

The track itself is old and rough, this is 100+ year old track, so the ride is not smooth. There are expansion joints that give you the old time click-a-dy-clack feel. There is a section that passes through a residential area where they ask that you ride slow and quiet. The tracks have a thin rubber liner on top to reduce noise. So much smoother in this section. The scenery is spectacular, so plan to take tons of photos along the trip. The Esopus Creek with the mountains in the background are gorgeous. Finally, probably the most fun is when they link carks to cross Route 28 with the railroad crossing gates activated. Note that the evening lantern ride does NOT cross the main road. That trip does a turn around at the Mount Tremper Station and is therefore only 4 miles total.