Riding the D & H Rail Trail - A Gem on the Specialized Hard Rock

 

2024 is the year of the bike overnight. My definition is loosely defined as going away for the weekend and riding two days. I previously was a stickler about lugging all camping gear by bicycle, has morphed into getting away for the weekend, while transport, whether driving, taking Amtrak, even staying indoors, hardly matters.

Heading north to Middle Granville, out and back on a two mile section. Note the Fairy mini-park on the left.

The D&H Rail Trail is divided into two segments: Castleton to Poultney (VT) at 9.5 miles, and Middle Granville (NY) to West Rupert (VT) at 14.5 miles. The Vermont rail trail information is not up to date both in signage and on the website, as the southern section has been extended 4 miles further north from West Pawlet, starting in Middle Granville.

Our first day's journey began in Granville, parking adjacent to the train station (now a B&B!) with ample parking.

A fairy parklet, complete with interesting signs.

Granville, NY lays claim as the Colored Slate Capital of the World. We turned around in Middle Granville and pedaled south back by our vehicle, then through a neighborhood...

Can you picture a former rail line passing through here?

...following signs through the industrial part of town. Oddly, lawns without a worn trail ran between buildings, but clearly this was the location of the former rail line transporting slate to larger communities. We spied stacks of reddish slate on pallets, so it's still a viable industry. 

Soon after, the trail was evident. Smooth, verdant-lined double-track was the predominant surface as we slowly climbed. Every time I ride my Hard Rock, I'm pleased with how it handles, especially with plush tires. And, for what it's worth, later I noticed I had 30lbs. pressure! Lower than I normally use, but I think that added to my overall experience. Ride slowly, and enjoy the scenery.

The D&H Rail Trail is multi-use, so in the winter snowmobiles cruise its track.

Crossing into West Pawlet, the landscape changed to farmland bordering the track.

We closely followed a river to it's terminus in marshland, before the gradual descent to the NY state line and end of the trail.

Southern end in West Rupert.

At this point we were hungry and found sustenance at Shermans, the local general store.

We enjoyed the gradual descent back to the car.

We camped at Lake St. Catherine State Park and headed out on Sunday to ride the northern section: Poultney to Castleton and back, in addition to pedaling around central Poultney on the Slate Valley grassy track. The D&H route was gravel lined, the section I did solo a couple years back on the way back from visiting the Poughkeepsie, NY area, but happy to share it this time with my partner.

A wonderful weekend away, with bicycles, that keeps us exploring! Learning history is the cream. I discovered the D&H Railroad was a broader system, more like a system of spokes, that transported goods from rural communities. A section of the D&H in Pennsylvania has also been converted to rail trail.

We're also interested in returning to the Poultney region to explore the Slate Valley mountain bike trails. I marvel at new trails that are within a two hour drive from home.