This loop goes up the west side of the Hudson thru West Nyack and Congers to Rockland Lake State Park, then comes down the lovely bike path to Nyack Beach, through Nyack and across the Cuomo Bridge. Once you're on the Tarrytown side, you can continue on the east side of the Hudson back to Manhattan or turn north for less than a mile to the Tarrytown train station. Here are a few notes about the route:
- I've put in as many pit stops & food locations as I know about, so you can decide how far you want to go between stops. However, I do recommend using the restrooms at the Tarrytown Welcome Center at the end of the bridge, because there really aren't any pit stops between there and 242nd St in the Bronx. I recommend a picnic in Rockland Lake State Park, but if that doesn't suit you there are plenty of eateries in Nyack.
- Going north, if you don't want to take the Rail-Trail, at mile 19.6 make a left instead of a right, continue straight onto Greenbush, then bear right onto Western Hwy and continue all the way into West Nyack. (However, the Rail-Trail is in excellent condition and generally not crowded.)
- The bike path along the river from Rockland Lake down to Nyack Beach is unpaved but in excellent condition and can easily and comfortably be done on a road bike. It's quite lovely and I recommend it over going down 9W and Old Mountain Rd to Nyack.
- If you've had enough when you get to Tarrytown and you don't want to do another 20 miles of sometimes high traffic roads and some urban riding, you can make a left onto Broadway and go north into Tarrytown. Make a left on Main St and go downhill to the end, turn left into the train station.
As an alternative, once you're on the Tarrytown side of the Bridge, you can take the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail back to Yonkers and avoid the traffic and potholes on Broadway: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33249752. This is an upaved trail but can be done with tires that are 25-28mm or wider. It's quite scenic in places and traffic-free.
cw 7/2020