The Dutchess Rail Trail is a 13.4 mile paved trail that runs from East Fishkill to the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The paved trail is perfect for a bike ride and is highly trafficked by bike riders, joggers and walkers. There are eight different parking lots that provide entry to the Dutchess Rail Trail.
We recently took a family bike ride on the Dutchess Rail Trail. I am always looking for teen-friendly family activities and thought a bike ride would be fun. The only problem is that none of us own a bike. That tells you how often we go bike riding! After some quick research, I discovered that Leisure Ride Bike Rentals in Poughkeepsie rents bikes and is located right off the Dutchess Rail Trail.
We arrived at Leisure Ride Bike Rentals at close to 3:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon. There are a variety of different bikes that are available for rent including cruisers, mountain bikes, comfort and tandem bikes. We had no idea what type of bikes we should choose and owner, James Taylor, was super helpful! He recommended bikes for each of us based on our height and experience. He had us sit on the bikes and made sure we were comfortable with our choices. He then gave us quick tutorials on how to change the gears, brake, etc.
Once we were situated we headed out to the trail. Dutchess Rail Trail access is within several feet of the parking lot. It took me a few minutes to get confident riding the bike. The last time I was on a bike was probably when I was my son’s age! As they say, though, you don’t forget how to ride a bike. Soon we were all on our way. I didn’t realize that helmets are required on the Dutchess Rail Trail, until we were on the trail and saw the sign. I promise we will wear them next time!
We opted to take the trail south towards Hopewell Junction. The trail is paved, which makes for smooth bike riding. There are benches and picnic tables throughout the trail, perfect for snack and water breaks.
The trail is very scenic. We ended up riding 1 1/2 hours for a 7 mile round-trip bike ride. While this isn’t a super long bike ride, it was the perfect length for some of us who haven’t ridden a bike in years!
The trail has markers so you know how far you’ve traveled.
We all had such a great time riding together.
The Details:
Leisure Ride Bike Rentals
266 Titusville Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Hours: Open daily 10 AM – 6 PM
Cost: $9/hour or $35/day
bike insurance is $2/rider extra
Cash or credit
*Helmets are available for free with rental
*Bikes are sanitized between users
*If you are hungry after your bike ride, Leisure Ride Bike Rentals has a small cafe that sells smoothies, paninis, wraps, burgers and more.
*For a sweet treat, approximately 10 minutes away is Eastdale Village, where Amanda’s Macaron Shoppe and Spoons Ice Cream are both located.
