Ulster County executive Mike Hein was the highest-ranking public official to turn out for the occasion, and he used his time at the microphone largely to tout the county as the place “where we make the impossible possible.” He rhapsodized about the potential tourism dollars flowing into Ulster from the New York metropolitan area as a result of the expansion of the rail trail system. “We’re going to connect from Walkway Over the Hudson to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail all the way to Sullivan County,” said Hein. “We’re going to have the largest interconnected rail trail system in New York State in the Hudson Valley, centered right here in Ulster County — and at its heart will be Rosendale!”
Prior to wielding the giant scissors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rosendale town supervisor Jeanne Walsh also touted the WVRT’s potential to “make Rosendale a destination for recreation” as a result of Ulster County’s “recognized connectivity plan.” She added a new twist to that vision by announcing her “plan to convert the poolhouse to a way station for the rail trail” as part of the upcoming restoration of the out-of-commission Rosendale town pool. Out-of-towners would be able to rent a locker there, she said, then use the trail, have a meal in town and finally take a shower before they get on the Metro North train or Adirondack Trailways bus and head home. “Anybody who’s looking to have fun, come to Rosendale!” said Walsh.
Several speakers also called attention to the WVLT’s current fundraising campaign to build a trail from the Rosendale Trestle along the banks of the Rondout Creek heading into Main Street to encourage trail-users to patronize downtown restaurants and other local businesses. “It was a very deliberate decision to design the retail elements of our resort about one mile away from here,” noted Allred. “We want to support Main Street.” Loud cheers rang out when Allred went on to announce unequivocally that “There will be swimming access at both Fourth Lake and Williams Lake.”
After the ribbon was cut, some in the crowd, mainly cyclists, took off to explore the new trail segment. Others partook of snacks and lemonade and examined some samples of interpretive panels soon to be posted at trailside, prepared with help from Gayle Grunwald of the Century House Historical Society. A blown-up site plan showed where the new café, ski, snowshoe and bicycle rental facility would be built a bit further north, among other details of the planned development.
Allred explained that public programming would also be run out of the new Outdoor Recreation Center, possibly including guided spelunking in the abandoned cement mines nearby the trail. “We’ll have experts taking people onto the land to do that,” he said, noting that split-rail fencing had been installed alongside the trail segment specifically to dissuade visitors from exploring on their own in the enticing but hazardous caves, some of which provide winter habitat for endangered bat species. “We have a real challenge with that: to have access and protect the bat hibernacula at the same time,” said Allred. “We’re asking people to please stay on the trail. There’s a lot of danger on both sides.”
Part of the newly opened 1.5-mile trail segment along the historic railbed will be relocated further away from the shore of Williams Lake, Allred explained, as an existing hotel structure is demolished to be replaced by townhomes. Meanwhile, the trail will be open from dawn to dusk to hikers, cyclists, cross-country skiers and equestrians. No motorized vehicles will be permitted, and there will be no automobile parking on the site until after the construction phase is complete. Visitors are asked to leave their cars at the Town of Rosendale’s Binnewater Kiln municipal parking area on Binnewater Road.
Or you could just come by bicycle all the way from wherever you live, as did Arthur Zaczkiewicz of Kingston on the morning of the trail-opening event. A vocal advocate for pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly planning who works for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Zaczkiewicz had ridden his bike all the way down from the WVRT’s northernmost access point at Rockwell Lane in the Town of Ulster, near the Kingston city line. “I think from Kingston to Rosendale is the most scenic portion of the entire trail,” he said. “On my way here I saw a great blue heron, some deer, a great horned owl, a box turtle… It’s an amazing paradise.”
That paradise is now open to all able-bodied adventurers who wish to make the rail trail trek: 24 miles from Kingston to Wallkill, or any point in between.
