In Copake Falls you will find the Harlem Valley Rail Trail............a paved bicycle/pedestrian path built on the old railroad bed that connected New York City, the Harlem Valley and Chatham, NY.  The trains stopped running on the Harlem Valley Line north of Dover Plains in 1976.  Three years later the tracks from Wassaic to Chatham were removed.  In 1989 New York State purchased about 20 miles of the right-of-way from Wassaic to Copake Falls, NY to build, in cooperation with Dutchess County , a linear park, ideal for walkers, runners, bicyclists, equestrians, cross-country skiers, wheelchair users, hikers and others who want to enjoy the beauty of the Harlem Valley landscape.

The natural rhythms of the seasons coupled with the wonders of nature have made the Harlem Valley Rail Trail a trail for all seasons.  It offers a tremendous opportunity for trail users to observe a variety of animal species and plant life in their undisturbed habitats.

Animals living here include many species of birds, beavers, raccoons, deer, coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls, and turtles, to name a few.  You can see signs of these animals all along the trail in the form of such things as beaver dams, turtle eggs, and fox dens.

The plant life along the trail is breathtaking.  In the summer the purple loosestrife, one the many beautiful wild flowers, can be seen waving in the breeze all along the trail.  Come and take in the beauty of the waving wetland grasses; the variety of wildflowers; the sounds of nature; and the fall colors.

For more information contact the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association, Inc.,
PO Box 356, Millerton, NY 12546  or call (518)789-9591