Rail Explorers: Catskills Division — Attraction in Town of Shandaken

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...

Came here after seeing tiktok videos. I enjoyed this experience a lot. The staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. Got there very early. Huge FYI, if your scheduled for a 1PM ride, you are really going out at 1:30. I assume this is true for the other times as well.

We got there at 12:30 anticipating we needed to get there sooner to check in. Ended up waiting til 1:30 to leave. Which is fine, they had nice seating areas for snacking and we brought food. They also have cornball set up which was nice to pass the time. We checked in with Pat and he was the nicest guy. Checked us in no problem and gave us the rundown on everything. There's a nice little shop in the check in shack with their merch, which is nice quality.

Once checked in we waited until our time and they gave a quick safety instructional video while the last party returned and they turned the "bikes". They were also VERY keen on safety and cleanliness. The checked the breaks and lugs multiple times on each bike. They wiped each bike down and off we went.

Regardless of how many people you came with (unless booked out entire time) you will share the track with other people. its about 15-20 carts and 2-4 seats each. Each cart is either a 4 seater or 2 seater. 1 person will be the designated to break and this seat is also the one who has the pedal the most. This is because the "electric assist" comes from this seat. lol You leave at the same time and only get about 20-50 feet apart. But that depends if everyone stays that distance. Some people were tailgating while others were so slow they went MIA. You can only go as quick or slow as the people ahead and behind you. Again the pace depends on everyone around you.

The whole track was very scenic and calm. The first 1/4 of the track is basically down the way you went in, right by the main road, which is MEH. But then the rest of the way is through the forest right by the river. Very beautiful but a tad bit dull as there isn't much variation to terrain or speeds. It was truly a beautiful view for most of the ride. The whole trip took about 2.5 with 30 min being the "rest" time you get when they reach the end of the track and flip the carts to go back. So the trip to and from are both the same track, you just get flipped.

I think if you're interested in like a super family friendly, chill, relaxing day then this is the spot to be. If you need a bit more excitement and adrenaline then this may not be for you. I still had a great time. I would def recommend doing it at least once. They also have other tracks. Overall they have a fantastic operation, great staff, great location. Def recommend at least once. Would probably come back and bring my parents. This is easy enough...

This outdoor activity has been on my list for a few years. I was finally able to achieve it. We had originally scheduled for Labor Day however due to inclement weather all rides were cancelled ONE hour prior to our 4pm reservation. The area near The Rail Explorers has Zero cell phone coverage so we were unable to call to reschedule while we ate nearby. We drove over and rescheduled for later that week. Their cancellation policies need modifications this way folks aren’t traveling hours on end just to reschedule because of inclement weather.

Our experience. Upon arrival you pull into a parking lot that’s adjacent to three faculties; a museum, the Rail Explorers check in and gift shop and their operations office. The museum has restrooms along with a portable restroom that is located next to the Rail Explorers check-in office. The outdoor activity does not serve food or beverages so I strongly recommend buying snacks, food and cold beverages for your adventure. The staff is pretty cool and super helpful while ensuring everyone has a good time.

The tandem: You’re assigned a tandem (two seater) or (Quad four seater) we reserved a two seater. The experience would have been great if we didn’t have to rely on other parties inability to pedal as they travel ahead of you. There are two stops; One at the major intersection and a stop about an hour in where you are allowed to rest, drink water and eat a snack. There are no restrooms during the rail experience.

Our entire experience was about one hour and 38 minutes. Rail Explorers should allow parties to just move at a fast pace without slowing down the entire group.

Our overall experience was fun but Rail Explorers need to figure out who wants to pedal and capture the scenic views v. Those who want to pedal real slow and stop...