Work to link trail set to start in September
A plan to link two previously unconnected sections of the Catskill Park’s Bluestone Wild Forest is completed.
WOODSTOCK, N.Y. >> The Open Space Institute says a final plan has been completed for trail construction at a 208-acre property it purchased earlier this year that links two previously unconnected sections of the Catskill Park’s Bluestone Wild Forest from Jockey Hill to the east and Onteora Lake to the west.
The trail construction is set to begin in September and be completed in October. In addition to the trail project, work will be completed on loop trails, a parking area, a trailhead and an informational kiosk.
The project is expected to expand tourism in Ulster County; connect City of Kingston neighborhoods to the Catskill Park and its High Peaks; and increase outdoor recreational opportunities for local residents and visitors, according to a press release.
Tahawus Trails has been hired to build the new trail.
Located 10 minutes from the New York State Thruway in the towns of Kingston and Woodstock, the two-mile “Main Turnpike Trail” will connect to existing trails within the 3,000acre Bluestone Wild Forest and establish a new entry point to the forest via Morey Hill Road.
“OSI is excited to continue our work supporting the local recreation economy, expanding visitor access, enhancing community trail connections to local neighborhoods and commercial districts, and dispersing visitors in the Catskill Park,” said Kim Elliman, president and chief executive officer of the Open Space Institute. “This gently sloping, family-oriented trail, running alongside bluestone outcroppings, will be another fun and relaxing way for residents and visitors to enjoy the scenic Bluestone Wild Forest.”
The trail work is proceeding even as local officials continue to review plans to construct a steel and precast concrete manufacturing operation directly adjacent to land owned by the institute.
“OSI has weighed in on the proposed project, raising both environmental and procedural concerns about the plant, and continues to advocate for the completion of additional environmental review to ensure the protection of the surrounding land and water,” the release says.
In May, more than 75 people, including business owners, attended the public information session where the trail improvement plan was presented at the the Senate Garage in the city of Kingston.
“As business owners on Route 28 for 12 years, and neighbors with the Onteora Lake trailhead, we have always appreciated our connection with the people who come to enjoy the beauty our area has to offer,” said Mary Anne and Richard Erickson, owners of Blue Mountain Bistro-to-Go, in the press release. “We are also big supporters of the future expansion of the Bluestone Wild Forest trail network which will offer people a chance to explore even more.”
Bill Denter, owner of Overlook Bikes, a local business in Woodstock, said in the release, “With the addition of OSI’s new parcel and the creation of a trail that will connect the two parts of the forest, this place will, for the first time, have the size, accessibility,
and connectivity to attract users. I feel that my business will benefit from having this trail in close proximity and now I can confidently recommend a safe, well-marked mountain bike venue for my bicycle rental customers to enjoy here in the Catskills.”
Kevin Young, president of Fats in the Cats, a local bicycle advocacy group, said in the release that the institute’s land purchase and trail improvements “create a long-anticipated connection between the Jockey Hill and Onteora Lake sections of Bluestone Wild Forest.
“Speaking to my experience as a mountain biker, trail systems enhance a community and having a trail system to share with people from far and near is a great long-term investment,” Young said.