Harlem Valley Rail Trail
The Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a paved rail trail on an abandoned portion of the New York and Harlem Railroad, north of the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line terminus in Wassaic. It is owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. It is maintained through an agreement between OPRHP, Dutchess County and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association.
The former New York and Harlem main line was acquired by the New York Central Railroad in 1864, and became part of Penn Central Railroad in 1968. After facing severe bankruptcy in 1970, the line was abandoned for passenger service between Dover Plains and Chatham in 1972, though freight service continued throughout the line until 1976, when it was abandoned between Millerton and Ghent. The rest of the line was abandoned in 1980, but Metro-North restored service between Dover Plains and Wassaic in 2000. The abandoned rail line was converted into a public park in 1989. The rail trail opened in 1996, and was expanded in 1997, 2000 and 2005. It is planned to be expanded northward to Chatham, which would make the total length of the rail trail approximately.
