If you are looking to get away to the Hudson Valley on your bike, but you don’t have a car, you are in luck! One of the best things about bicycling in the Hudson Valley is its robust, bike-friendly transit system. All road bikes have the versatility to handle various terrains, which is perfect for the diverse landscapes of the Hudson Valley. Thanks to Metro-North, you can often access a great bike path or bike route from a train station. Here are our five favorite Hudson Valley bike rides (and the corresponding Metro-North locations) to get you out on two wheels this summer.
1. Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
Explore the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which was the first pipeline that brought fresh water to New York City. Since it’s no longer used, the aqueduct is now a dirt-surfaced walking and cycling path that has breathtaking views of the Hudson River along most of its length. Since the trail parallels the Metro-North Hudson Line, you can access it from different stations, allowing you to do a one-way ride that starts and ends at different stations. Pro tip: this ride is best for those with mountain bikes.
Watch our video “Bike the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail”:
Get off here: This trail can be accessed via Metro-North Stations at Glenwood, Greystone, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley-on-Hudson, Irvington, Tarrytown, Philipse Manor, Scarborough, Ossining and Croton-Harmon.
2. Bronx River Pathway
The oldest parkway in America is Westchester County’s Bronx River Parkway. Luckily, the parkway wasn’t constructed just for cars: it also has a great biking and walking options. The multi-use trail parallels the Metro-North Harlem Line and can be accessed from a number of stations, allowing you to do a one-way ride that starts and ends at different stations including: Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Crestwood, Scarsdale, Hartsdale, White Plains, North White Plains and Valhalla (via Kensico Dam Plaza). The Bronx River Parkway vehicle road is also closed to traffic on “Bicycle Sundays” during the summer allowing for a different “car-free” experience. You can use these same Metro-North stations (except for Bronxville, North White Plains and Valhalla) to access Bicycle Sunday.
Get off here: Start your ride at Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Crestwood, Scarsdale, Hartsdale, White Plains, North White Plains and Valhalla (via Kensico Dam Plaza).
3. The “Old Put”
If you’re looking for an easy ride from the city heading North, look no further than the Old Put. This abandoned railroad turned rail-trail heads North from Van Cortlandt Park into Westchester. It’s flat and mostly paved making it a relaxing and scenic experience as you ride along a quiet path past swampland, lakes and forest. Our perfect day trip includes riding the Old Put up to Captain Lawrence Brewery and then hopping on the train back to the city.
Get off here: Start your ride in the Bronx and then use the N. White Plains Metro-North Station for an easy ride back to the city.
4. Walkway-Over-the-Hudson, Hudson Valley Rail Trail, and Dutchess Rail Trail
If you’re looking to get far out of the city, another great bicycling destination is the Poughkeepsie train station where you can access the beautiful Walkway-Over-the-Hudson and the two trails that connect to it on either side. Ride east on the Dutchess Rail Trail, or ride west on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail…or do them both. Though not complete, the Hudson Valley Rail Trail is extremely close to being connected to New Paltz’s 22 mile Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, adventurous cyclists could connect the trails with a few miles of on-street riding.
Get off here: Poughkeepsie Station
5. Harlem Valley Rail Trail
The furthest bike-on-train getaway from NYC is the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in northern Dutchess County. This beautiful bike path is very easy to get to…since it begins in the parking lot of the Wassaic train station. Ride through beautiful farmscapes and pass through quaint villages. Plus, if you go on a Saturday you can experience the Millerton farmers market right along the trail! It’s a perfect lunch stop.
Get off Here: Wassaic Train Station
Need more ideas? A great resource for discovering these rides is www.bikehudsonvalley.com which bills itself as a “one-stop resource about where to bicycle in the Hudson Valley, and how to get there!”
Lukas Herbert has been taking his bicycle on Metro-North Railroad ever since he was old enough to leave the house on his own. He has taken his love for train-friendly cycling and used to create Gotham Bicycle Tours, the only fully transit-accessible bicycle touring company in the U.S. Lukas has also created two informational websites to help people plan their own cycling adventures: www.bikehudsonvalley.com and www.bikelongisland.com
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram