![\"IMG_2736\"](\"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/hvamenityeconomy\/files\/2015\/10\/IMG_2736.jpg\")
<\/a>Sign at the entrance of the rail trail.<\/p><\/div>\n
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail is over 22 miles long, stretching from Wallkill to Kingston. This makes it an excellent option for exercise enthusiasts looking for a flat and well-maintained trail to run on without having to worry about sharing the road with motorists.<\/p>\n
I walked a portion of the trail that passed through New Paltz, NY. Due to a combination of scheduling conflicts and my love of early morning walks, I chose to walk the trail at sunrise. On the drive over the Mid-Hudson Bridge, the morning fog coming off of the Hudson created an eerie scene, making it seem like the bridge went to nowhere.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Morning fog on the Mid-Hudson Bridge<\/p><\/div>\n
Fortunately, the bridge brought me across the river, so I was able to reach the rail trail.\u00a0The trees surrounding\u00a0the trail didn\u2019t provide many views of a picturesque sunrise over the Hudson Valley, but there was no shortage of fascinating sights of mist-covered ponds and trees displaying their fall foliage.<\/p>\n
<\/a>A misty pond next to the rail trail.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Fall foliage along the trail.<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the benefits of walking the rail trail early in the morning is that there is a greater chance of seeing wildlife. Early on in the walk, I saw some signs of beaver activity, as there were several trees along the trail that had been chewed through. There was also a small stream that ran parallel to the trail, so I was immediately hopeful that I would see a beaver dam. Sure enough, the stream widened into a pond, which turned out to have been created by a beaver dam. Although I looked long and hard, i didn’t see any beavers. Fortunately, I did see a family of deer enjoying the pleasant morning.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Beaver dam alongside the rail trail.<\/p><\/div>\n