The Old Croton Aqueduct: A hidden gem for bikers
March 21, 2008
by Mark S. Tulis
Recently I wrote about the joys of the North County, South County and Putnam Trailways, which extend from the Westchester border with Van Cortlandt Park all the way up to Carmel along the Old Putnam Railroad Right-of-Way. [Reflections on the Millwood Bike Path] However, there is another wonderful recreational path that very few people know about, The Old Croton Aqueduct Trailway.
The Old Croton Aqueduct is maintained by the New York State Parks Department. It starts at Croton Gorge in Cortlandt and extends 27.3 miles to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Over its length the trail is primarily dirt, which allows walkers, runners, and bicyclists (dirt bikes only; road bikes can’t handle the surface) the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of the Croton Gorge and Croton Dam along the Croton River down and parallel to the Hudson River through Westchester County past landmarks including the Double Weir Bridge in Ossining, Lyndhurst, the Octagon house and the Palisades.
A very small portion of the trail that is adjacent to the Croton River actually passes through the far west end of New Castle.
The history of the Old Croton Aqueduct
The Old Croton Aqueduct was constructed from 1837 until 1842 to supply drinking water to New York City from the Croton Watershed. It was built in response to the spread of disease arising from the lack of safe and reliable drinking water within the city limits. It was the city’s first successful public water system. However, the city’s burgeoning population made the aqueduct inadequate to fulfill the city’s needs and the new Croton Aqueduct was constructed at the end of the 19th century together with the magnificent new Croton Dam.
Although most of the Old Croton Aqueduct is not used for the water supply any longer, the right-of-way on top of the aqueduct was preserved, luckily for those of us now living in Westchester County. For most of its 27 miles it is a wide, flat dirt path.
Starting out at the northern end of the Old Croton Aqueduct
You can reach the northern terminus of the Old Croton Aqueduct at the Croton Dam. You must either park on the Route 129 side of the dam or on the Croton Dam Road side, due to the fact that the bridge going over the dam is permanently closed to vehicles, although open to pedestrians and bikers. From there, you proceed about 100 yards down a gravel path at the eastern side of the dam to the trail’s entrance. For the next three miles, the trail parallels the Croton River all the way to the General Electric training center on Route 9 in Ossining.
From there the trail parallels Route 9, crosses Route 9, and then goes through small streets and past the Ossining Weir Chamber. This structure was used to relieve water pressure in the aqueduct and is one of the various towers and chambers along the route. You must then proceed down Spring Street and then cross Route 9 at Nelson Park to go behind the red brick apartments through a gap in the fence. This section is particularly pretty. The trail then goes parallel to Scarborough Road and then back to Route 9.
Ossining to Tarrytown then on to Yonkers
The Route 9 section is somewhat dangerous and there is a detour that goes over River Road to avoid the traffic, which allows you to get back on the path facing the Clearview School. It then proceeds across a beautiful area through the Rockefeller Preserve (bicycles must stick to the Aqueduct Trail), passing Sleepy Hollow Church and Cemetery, and then through downtown Tarrytown. At this point the Old Croton Aqueduct continues through various backyards (although they are backyards, it is public property) down to Route 119 where you pick up the trail just before Lyndhurst.
The next section from Lyndhurst down to Yonkers is fairly easy to follow and provides beautiful views of the Palisades for a total of nine more miles and includes views of architecturally fascinating buildings including the Octagon House and Mercy College.
Taking the trail through Yonkers
At Lamertine Avenue in Yonkers the Old Croton Aqueduct goes back on the roads to the corner of Ashburton and North Broadway, where the path takes you due east. This portion of the path was recently spruced up but does still have some broken glass; nevertheless it has a great view of downtown Yonkers. You then proceed to Yonkers Avenue where you pick up the South County Trailway which takes you down through Tibbets Brook Park through Yonkers to Van Cortlandt Park. Although hikers can continue on the trail through Tibbets Brook Park and Van Cortlandt Park, it is more difficult to follow and most people take the South County Trailway.
All in all the Old Croton Aqueduct is 27.3 miles long and lets you explore rural, suburban and urban Westchester County from a dirt trail.
Various groups organize bicycle trips along the Aqueduct including Times Up (http://www.times-up.org), the bicycling advocacy group. The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct (http://www.aqueduct.org) is an advocacy group that can provide maps and other information about the bike trail. Information also can be obtained from both the New York State Department of Parks as well as the Westchester County Department of Parks.
I ride the trail at least once a week because it gives you a view of Westchester County that you otherwise could never see and is 95% free of automobile traffic.
Mark Tulis has been a New Castle councilman and supervisor as well as a county legislator. He is chair of Finance of Westchester Medical Center and a practicing attorney in White Plains. He and his wife, Dr. Elaine Tulis, have lived in Chappaqua for 30 years.
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