Climb to the top

Quiet country gravel, dirt, and paved roads with bucolic scenery that includes it all - forests, fields, streams, and rivers. It's all yours to explore on this 16-mile ride that offers rolling hills, great climbs, and descents.

How to get there

This ride begins across the road from the Elizabethtown-Lewis Emergency Squad facility which is located 2.5 miles north of Elizabethtown on New York State Route 9. Parking is best 200 feet off the state highway on Steel Woods Road, where the electric utility right of way crosses Steel Woods Road. (Coordinates: 44.246619, -73.566599)

By the numbers

• Level of difficulty: Intermediate
• Route length: 16 miles (25.75 kilometers)
• Elevation gain/loss: 1,240 feet (378 meters)
• Firmly packed dirt, gravel, smooth pavement

On and off-road 

Gravel to pavement to dirt to pavement to gravel to ... well, you get the picture. Every turn onto a new road brings a new surprise on this ride. Enjoy the peaceful warm-up ride along Steel Woods Road, a smooth gravel road that follows the Boquet River - the steepest river in New York State. Once you leave the gravel portion of Steel Woods Road, you have about a mile and a half of pavement before you turn left onto Hurley Road next to Juniper Hill Farm.

A rugged good ride

Hurley Road is a rugged seasonal dirt road that harkens back to a different time. But while rugged in character, you’ll feel right at home enveloped by the hemlocks and hardwoods that shroud you within the coolness of the forest. The road is so enchanting that until you begin your descent, you will barely notice you'd actually been climbing! A short distance down paved Hyde Road and you are again on a great gravel road descending quickly and significantly to the bridge over Spruce Mill Brook, a tributary to the Boquet River. This is a great spot to take a quick break and enjoy the sights and sounds of the small stream. At this point, you are at the lowest elevation of the ride and you begin your stepped climb over smooth pavement and gravel back to your car. At approximately mile 15 (on Ray Woods Road) you will find the south entrance to a county park called Thrall Dam Park. After your ride, you can explore the hiking trails on this public land. This property can also be accessed from its north entrance on the Lewis-Wadhams Road (aka County Route 10). Both entrances are signed, although the sign along Ray Woods Road can only be seen when traveling from west to east.

Ride With GPS Link

Due to limited cellular coverage, please be sure to download this route and save for offline use before leaving home.