Cycling the Hudson Valley of New York - Troy to Hudson (Day 1)

Parks and Trails of New York (PTNY) sponsors the Cycle the Hudson Valley bicycling tour every year. The route follows the Empire State Trail, which consists mostly of former railroad lines that have been converted into multi-use trails. In towns, the trail sometimes follows local roads. My friend from Valatie suggested we do the ride, and I jumped to the chance. 

I biked for practice in the Olympia area, shipped my bicycle via BikeFlights to a bicycle store in Valatie, and flew to Albany.

We followed the Empire State Trail from the beginning of our tour (August 5, 2025) in Troy to the end along the west side of Manhattan and across the bridge to Brooklyn. The pictures here and the following articles will run from north to south following the ride. Here is Day 1, Troy to Hudson.

(Note, before the ride, my bicycle companions and I explored the charming town of Valatie and environs (click the link). And after the ride, we explored a historic neighborhood in downtown Albany)  

Troy, New York

Ready to roll at Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY

6 High Street, Troy

We camped overnight at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and left early. About 250 riders biked down High Street and crossed the Hudson River. There was no time to look around (a common theme when you are covering 50+ miles each day), but I saw some venerable houses on High Street.

Clinton Park

Wow, bright paint. My Valatie friend said this restaurant had moved to a new location. 

Nassau and Nassau Lake

After crossing the Hudson River back to the east side, we rode on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, a former electric trolley line. This was a hilly section. 

Watch bunnies and a Little Library, Nassau

Carpentry shop

The welcome rest stop!

Kinderhook

We pushed through the historic town of Kinderhook without stopping. The park had games on the ball fields with children enjoying the outdoors.

Village Playground, Kinderhook

Hudson

Hudson is a historic city in Columbia County. It has become quite sophisticated with hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops. My friend told me that following Covid and the transition to remote work, many professionals from New York City have bought homes in historic towns up the Hudson Valley. They can work remotely but easily take the train to the City as needed. Cities like Hudson have seen investment and gentrification.

Not yet restored, 281 Hudson Ave.

Missing a porch? Front Street

Townhouses on Warren Street

Warren Street

Hudson Youth Center

We stayed at a community college near Hudson and took a bus into town to find restaurants. It was a beautiful evening.

Zowie, serious fisherman's soup!!! (I like Hudson....)

This ends a tiring day no. 1 on the trail. But as long as I could eat like this, I was ready for the miles. To be continued....

I took most of these pictures on Kodak Portra 160 film with my Canon Canonet GIII QL17 compact camera. It has an excellent 40mm ƒ/1.7 lens. To power the Canonet's CDS meter, I used a Wein Cell, which produces the same 1.35 volts as the original mercury batteries. I carried the camera in a small bag mounted in front of my handlebars.