Dates visited: 1/15/2023 & 3/5/2023
The section of the rail trail we walked is brand new. It opened in 2021. We walked from the State Line in Danbury, CT to the East Branch Reservoir. Unlike most rail trails, this one runs alongside the old railroad tracks that were never removed. We covered a little over two miles of the trail, but of course we walked double that as we had to walk back. This section is nice I guess. It probably looks much nicer during the late spring, and summer when leaves are on the trees.
We returned about two months later and continued the trail where we left off. I found a parking lot less than a mile from where we turned around last time. We first headed east and covered the rest of the section that runs along side the reservoir. We then headed west toward the village of Brewster. Once we were past the reservoir, the trail got pretty dumpy as it approaches the bridges. The trail passes under NY Route 22, I-684 and I-84 and over US-6. This section was littered with garbage and graffiti. Shortly after the bridges, the trail came to a surprising stop. The old rail bridge over the East Bank of the Croton River was never converted to the bike path. Instead there is a cement staircase that leads down to the road, where you have to go down a hill on East Main Street, turn right on Main Steeet, go over the Borden bridge and right on Peaceable Hill Road, where you go back up the hill to another staircase that leads to the continuation of the trail. There's something odd about a sign that says "Bike Route" and then points to a staircase! At this point, we turned around and headed back (down one staircase, and then back up the other one). We covered almost four and a half miles total on this section.