Hopewell Junction to New Paltz on Empire Trail: Parking Question:
 

Does anyone know, for sure, if I can park my car (safely and legally) overnight at the Hopewell trailhead of the Empire State Trail? I am waiting to hear back from the Hopewell RR Museum regarding this, but I need to make a decision soon.

Right now, I have reservations booked for two possible bike trips for Oct 17-18 and overnight parking will be the deal-breaker on the Hopewell to New Paltz option. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

Tom, I don't know. However on the times I day parked there it "felt OK". It seems like a nice small town with good people around. A well done, clean, maintained trail head near the museum and going businesses. You should also contact the local police station or state police barracks. Whomever does the local policing. They'll tell you what the history is there. Call the Hopewell Inn and Daddy O's.

The town and the state have a vested interest in that being a safe place, attracting tourist money.

Ironically, as I opened this thread to reply, the East Fishkill Police called me back and told me it's OK to park overnight, requesting only that I stop by the station and leave my contact and registration info before heading out.

I would consider it pretty safe, and thanks for confirming it's legal too.

Is the ride worth doing from there to New Paltz? It's only about 20 miles from what I see, but I like to stop and "explore" along the way. I'd be driving from Long Island, so the number of daylight hours with a reasonable temperature will be limited, too. I have already done the Walkway Over The Hudson and I've been to Poughkeepsie and New Paltz many times, so if those are the only places worth stopping/seeing, I might reconsider.

I would suggest going past New Paltz to Kingston on the trail and check out the "strand" in Kingston(waterfront) and the uptown by Wall Street , then I would cross the Kingston bridge via the Empire State Trail through The Hutton Brickyards and ride through Bard College all the way to Tivoli, through Tivoli Bays. I think those places are very beautiful for exploration.

That does look like a much nicer ride than Hopewell to New Paltz. From the looks of Google Maps, it's a bit hillier than I was planning on, though. Am I wrong?

It is a pretty flat ride, because mostly it follows the rail trail, you may have some small hills around Tivoli, but they are minor. You also climb Kingston Bridge, but River road is beautiful in Duchess county. For me Hopewell to Poughkeepsie is a very boring ride in comparison.

That's what I'm thinking...

Here is another shorter option around New Platz, the ride is flat and very scenic with the views of the mountain ridge
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37728010
you can make it longer by going through the Watchtower farms on Red Mills road.

Thank you again; however, my mission was to ride another piece of the Empire Trail, as I've already done most of the portions south of Hopewell. Sort of a bucket list thing!

I recently parked in Stormville at the lot behind Greenhaven prison. A liitle further than Hopewell but not much. The only lot I noticed was by a restaurant and wasn't sure if it was public or not. We didn't go past the western end of the Walkway Over The Hudson

I was on Libertyville, etc., again last month during a tour from northern Vermont to Philly. Love that stretch.