Standalone 

North Fork LI / CT Shoreline circuit -

I’m taking my boys on a trip around the eastern sound during a break on the weather next week.

We are taking four leisurely days to go from New Haven to Bridgeport CT, take the Ferry to Port Jefferson, and on to Orient Point NY and the Ferry to New London and home to New Haven.

First day I’m thinking of making for Riverhead, there is some camping there, and these boys (and my old legs) are fine with 45 mile days. Then a second day of 20 mole ride to Greenport and maybe exploring around there. Day three hopefully over the ferry to New London and making for Hammonasset to camp.

I thought I’d post a thread and ask for advice and ideas for most see sights, food, and camping spots. I’m not sure if we will be able to camp at Hammonasset on Thursday night with Covid regulations. They seem to only be permitting RV’s

Papa Tom

It's difficult to recommend a bike route these days because I never know if the towns and cities I enjoyed visiting so much will be up and running with the virus.

I have ridden the entire north shore of Long Island and the entire south shore of Connecticut into Narragansett, RI. If you plan to ferry to Pt. Jefferson, I have a scenic route you can take along the north shore of LI out to Orient Point. Otherwise, it will be quite boring.

If you're headed to New London from there, I would suggest at least hitting Mystic, CT before heading back to New Haven. I can get you there through a series of neighborhood streets and state parks, if you'd be interested.

Standalone 

Thanks! Our last tour, two summers ago, was the eldest and me on one of our Tandems out to Mystic. This is more about just being out on the road together. Especially since as you say things are shut down with Covid.

We love mystic and are a sailing family (1969 Cal 25)

we just came back from an overnight in the Catskills having chosen a 3800’ peak without a view — it was more about the trees and the camping hand the singing and joking.

id be interested to see your North Shore Route — we were basically going to take the NYS bike route 25 just to keep things flat and safe for the boys, who are experienced urban riders but not with loaded bikes. Easy and successful is the goal.

Standalone 

I’m looking at taking North Country road out of Port Jeff. There are some routes that run closer to the sound that look more pleasant. Currently zooming in with Google Maps to take a closer look — but that route would take us away from the direction of Riverhead and possible camping there.

I’m used to touring alone and not really worrying about making sure there are comfortable lodgings and reasonable distances

Steve B.

I had to research, there's a Suffolk County park called Indian Island Park, it's just on the east outskirts of Riverhead. They have tent camping. I'd be calling Suffolk County parks ASAP to determine if it's indeed open. The assorted county web links don't state it's closed.

https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Port...-25-083453-263

Papa Tom

I use North Country out of Pt. Jefferson, also. If you haven't ever ridden away from that ferry before, just know that the climb toward North Country on 25A is a fierce one, especially when you have been cooling your heels on the ferry for 90 minutes.

I tried to include some off-the-beaten-path roads in my route, so you may want to modify this a little.

When you exit the ferry, ride toward 25A East (the sign will read "To 112 South") and proceed carefully through town and up the hill. At the top of the hill, turn left onto North Country Road (note that the street sign on the west side of 25A reads "Sheep Pasture Road") .

Take N. Country ~3.5 miles and bear left onto Lower Rocky Point Road. You will be riding through a quiet neighborhood with some nice houses and you may not see a car or a person for quite some time. After ~2m, bear right onto Rocky Point Landing. Continue ~2 miles and turn left onto N. Country. At ~ 1 m (Choice Neurology & Chiropractic), N. Country becomes One-Way for about a block. Unless you want to be a scofflaw, bear right onto 25A for a few hundred feet (?) then make a quick left to get back on N. Country.

Proceed ~2 miles to a duck pond on the right, a smokehouse restaurant on the left, and the boundary marker for the Town of Riverhead. You are now heading into Wading River. Bear right at the duck pond to stay on N. Country. At ~1.5 m (near end), turn right at Debbie Lane and turn left onto 25A, just long enough to make your very first left onto Sound Avenue. (Note: This is not the “Sound Road” that you passed back at the fork in Wading River, so don’t go looking for short-cuts!)

Sound Avenue (aka Middle Road & Rt.48) will take you past 25 miles of wineries, farm stands, and open fields and will eventually bring you to the Orient Point Ferry. If you want to take a detour into Greenport (an east-end village that many would refer to as "charming"), use Moore's Lane off Sound Avenue to bring you right into town. There are also a few campgrounds along Sound Avenue near Greenport.

The last time I took this ride, I made a note that I found Sound Avenue quite boring and a difficult place to replenish water and other supplies. I noted that cutting over toward 25 at Love Lane in Mattituck might be more fun, but I haven't tried that by bicycle yet. Generally, when my wife and I drive out that way, we use Sound Avenue just to make better time to the ferry and a combination of 25 and 25A to have options for restaurants, etc along the way.

So you say you have done Mystic. Have you ever done the route that goes through Bluff Point and Haley Farm Park? I used to ride Rt. 1 all the way from the ferry, but this ride is SO much nicer. You'd need to have tires with some grip, though, as there is some dirt and gravel riding included in the package. If you tried this once, though, you'd never use any other route.

Beyond Mystic, there is Stonington Village, Westerly, RI, Misquamicut Beach, RI, and (my favorite) Narragansett, RI. Personally, if I were you, I would stay on your side of the water and ride from New Haven to any of these Connecticut/Rhode Island destinations. If you choose to cross the sound on the ferry, please let me know how it goes, as I am hoping to make, at least, a day trip out of Mystic one of these weekends.

Stay safe!

Pratt

From Riverhead, you might also consider Shelter Island. Sounds (pun intended) like a great trip. Ferry crossings should be fun.

Papa Tom

Shelter Island > North Haven> Sag Harbor is a great little ride that includes two short ferries. Bring a mask and wear it.

Standalone 

because you need a so called green key card to register online, at an extra fifty bucks, it would be $83 to pitch a tent for the night. We will stay instead at Wildwood SP First night, which will even out the ride lengths to nice easy forty mile days. We will skip Riverhead but visit Greenport and take the evening Ferry to New London so we can treat ourselves to one hotel mid ride.

thanks for all the directions and advice,

Papa Tom

The Holiday Inn of New London let my wife and I take our bikes to our room when we stayed there. New London is not the best neighborhood to walk around at night, though, as you probably know.

Standalone 

Thanks the route advice — we largely followed it and had a great ride through Suffolk Co.! In New London now, and making the turn for home in the morning.

Standalone 

Trek 520 23”
Trek 620 25.5”
Raleigh Alyeska 25”

Treks came to me as frame/fork I’m really proud of the flat bar I built for the kids. Came out light with the ultegra triple and I got a mix of MTB and road mech to work!

Steve B.

So cool !, thx for the update and pic’s.

Safe trip home.

Standalone 

Home again

Slasharoo

Wow, nice little trip. Thanks for sharing

Papa Tom

Some nice little towns along the CT shore, huh? One of my favorite rides ever was from Bridgeport to Narragansett all along the coast.

I'm insanely jealous, as I had talked myself into riding to Mystic today, just for the day, as I am not ready to do hotels yet. As I thought and overthought about it, I eventually decided that a 95 degree day ride with no pool at the end just wasn't worth it.
Glad you had fun and created a memory with your sons.

Trakhak

Sounds like a terrific trip. You and your sons are lucky to have each other.

That said: writing as a New Haven townie expatriate living in Baltimore, if I were you, after I returned home I'd freshen up and then hit Yorkside Pizza (on York St., of course) for grinders. At the very least, I'd have a half eggplant parm and a half cheese, lettuce, and tomato. (Their secret: they grill the open grinder roll lined with slices of provolone until the slices start to brown.)

A Yale Medical School guy I knew in the mid-'70s had his pick of top hospitals around the country to do his residency. He stayed in New Haven---for the hot tuna grinders at Yorkside Pizza, he said. (I haven't had one of their hot tuna grinders to this day. I like to stick with what I know.)