In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are offering a new bike tour for 2020 that we have designed to minimize contact between riders and our staff. This tour will also be operating in the Southern Tier Region of New York State, which currently permits bicycle tours under the guidelines for New York’s phased reopening.

The Catskill Scenic Trail is a unique and beautiful car-free path open to cyclists, pedestrians and horses. The unpaved trail is relatively flat and follows the headwaters of the Delaware River though rural farming communities that lie at the bottom of a valley framed by the Catskill Mountains. It is unbelievably scenic and uncrowded, making it the perfect getaway for bike riding during this time. For more information on this trail, please see our blog post which has a complete description of the trail. Scroll down to see pictures.

Although the Catskill Scenic Trail is 26 miles long, this ride will primarily go for 20 miles, west to east, from Bloomville to Grand Gorge. Advanced riders may do the additional 6 miles beyond Grand Gorge, but they are not recommended for beginner riders due to rough trail conditions. You should only ride this trail using a hybrid bike or mountain bike. Road bikes are not suitable for this trail. While this ride is set up for you to bring your own bike, if you need a rental bike, please email us for price and availability.

Because of the pandemic conditions and the rules we must follow to operate safely, this tour will be operated as a self-guided ride with a shuttle service that will allow you to park in one location and then ride whatever distance you like, separate from other people. When you are done, we will be available to shuttle you and your bikes back to your car.  We will also be offering a rest stop approximately halfway along the route with pre-packaged food and drinks. We will also be on hand throughout the day with our SAG vehicle to help anyone with a flat tire, breakdowns, etc.

Due to the safety rules we must follow, we will be limiting participation in this ride to keep the group manageable. We will also work with each participant to set up individualized start times and parking locations for the ride to keep the riders spread out. We will reach out to you within 24 hours of your registration to coordinate this. While we will be providing pre-packaged snacks and drinks at the rest stop, we will not be providing lunch due to our operating restrictions. However, we can give you plenty of information about places you can get lunch on your own.

As per the Governor’s Executive Order, you will be required to wear a face covering anytime you come within 6 feet of other people. This means that a face covering is mandatory for when you ride in the shuttle vehicle.  You will also need to wear the face covering at the rest stop, however, there should be room for you to distance more than 6 feet from others so that you can lower your mask to eat and drink. Failure to comply with this regulation will result in your ejection from the tour with no refund given. 

Since the Catskill Scenic Trail is located outside of the New York City Metro Area, we also recommend you consider making a weekend out of your trip. There are a number of overnight accommodations and nice restaurants for dinner in the immediate area, such as the Bull & Garland, the Colonial Motel, and the Roxbury.