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Get Invovled and Learn More

Want to learn more about the activities, events, programs, and projects of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust?

Join our email list !  You will receive:

     * Our monthly E-newsletters
     * Notifications of special events
     * Advocacy Alerts important to our area

Wallkill Valley Land Trust

The Wallkill Valley Land Trust now has a Facebook page! Become a fan today by clicking on the box above!

 

 Rosendale extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail

Want to receive the most up-to-date information on our exciting project this year?

In order to repair the 11.5 miles of the newly acquired Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, and restore the railroad trestle in Rosendale, we need your help!

Please email us, or write us to let us know you care about this project, and want to be a part of the email list specifically focused on the Rosendale extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE MONEY OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE TRESTLE IN ROSENDALE:

Click Here & Donate to the Trestle Now

 

 
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail- Rosendale- NEW

New Addition to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail

 

Trestle in Rosendale, Rail Trail
Rail Road Trestle in Rosendale in need of restoration

RECENT NEWS!

In an exciting new partnership, Wallkill Valley Land Trust and Open Space Conservatory has acquired 11.5 miles (65 acres) of the former Wallkill Valley Railroad in Ulster County.  This acquisition has almost doubled the length of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail which occupies the former railroad bed. The highlight of this purchase is the iconic 940-foot-long Rosendale Railroad Trestle, perched 150 feet over the Rondout Creek in Rosendale, originally constructed in 1895.  The trestle, which is now closed to the public, is the most spectacular portions of the scenic rail trail.  

This expansion now means that additional hamlets along the Wallkill River Valley will be connected to one another and trail users can take the scenic route to get to them as they pass by woodlands, open fields, and farmlands lands. Residents and tourist alike can bike, walk, run, bird watch, horseback ride and cross country ski while they discover a wide variety of birds, other wildlife and the panoramically beautiful views of the Shawangunk Ridge and the Wallkill River.

The project will involve repairing the 114 year old bridge's steel infrastructure, installing wooden decks and railings, and regrading and widening the rest of the newly acquired Rail Trail. Once completed, the new rail trail will allow upstate New Yorkers and the general public to view the Shawangunk Ridge, the Binnewater Lakes region with its historic cement mines, and the hamlet of Rosendale from a lofty perch -- 150 feet in the air.

This linear park will benefit Mid-Hudson Valley residents in many ways.  It will fill in the most important "missing link" in one of the best networks of rail trails in the Hudson River Valley, and will encourage new economic development in the town of Rosendale. 

In short, the restored Rosendale extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail will be a recreational and cultural resource that will provide users with an unparalleled recreational experience.

 

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Who We Are

The Wallkill Valley Land Trust, a not-for-profit organization, was founded to preserve land for the future of southern Ulster County. Part of this work is our commitment to connecting community to the land. In collaboration with willing landowners, WVLT preserves water quality, working farms and farmland, significant habitat, and scenic views.

The Wallkill Valley Land Trust seeks to preserve the unique rural character of Southern Ulster County. Since 1987, WVLT has conserved 23 parcels totaling nearly 1500 acres including the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, three working farms, seven additional properties in agriculture, and a variety of important habitats including wetlands and forests.

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Mission Statement

Wallkill Valley Land Trust's mission is to preserve open space in Southern Ulster County for the benefit of present and future generations, to conserve our community’s environmental heritage, to promote voluntary preservation of land, to protect scenic, natural, recreational, and agricultural lands, to strengthen public sensitivity to environmental issues and the value of open space, and to encourage environmentally sensitive growth.