Katonah, NY: Pound Ridge to South Salem Loop

Katonah, NY: Pound Ridge to South Salem Loop

Historic landmarks, sprawling country estates, and cyclist-friendly roads highlight this 37-mile foray into the wooded countryside west of Katonah.

Author:	Bicycling Magazine
Date:	19 Jan 2010 9:39:57 PM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	New York (NY)
Distance:	37.1 mi (Change units)
Elevation:	Total Gain: 1820 ft Total Loss: 1820 ft Net Change: 0 ft
Difficulty:	4 / 10
Tags:	Westchester, NY, Katonah, NY, South Salem, NY, New York
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

Slicing through Westchester County's thick woodlands and idyllic horse country, this 37-miler begins in the Bedford hamlet of Katonah. From the parking lot off Woods Bridge Road, pass through Katonah before crossing an inlet of the Croton River and heading south on Jay Street. Named after former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Jay, Jay Street is representative of many of the roads along the ride: a narrow, two-lane thoroughfare flanked by dense woodlands and charming country estates.

Traverse the eastern tip of the vast Cross River Reservoir before heading south along the perimeter of the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on Honey Hollow Road. Pedal through more wooded countryside en route to South Salem, a quaint hamlet in Lewisboro that's home to the Salem Country Deli, a perfect lunch stop nearly halfway through the ride.

Continuing northwest, you'll pass through Waccabuc, another Lewisboro hamlet and site of the Mead Memorial Chapel, a regal stone church that dates back to the early 20th century. Push north before swinging along the southern edge of the Titicus Reservoir. After another 6.5 miles of country riding, you'll re-enter civilization while heading south on Goldens Bridge Road, running parallel to the heavily-trafficked I-684. Explore the many eating and drinking options in charming downtown Katonah after finishing your ride.

-Mapped by David McKay Wilson

TO TRAILHEAD: This ride starts in the parking lot off Wood Bridge Road in Katonah. From I-684 N, take exit 6 and turn left on NY 35 W. After 0.2 mile, turn left at Woods Bridge Rd. Parking lot is on right in 0.2 mile.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Katonah, NY: KPTT Ride

Dist: 37.10 mi	Points: 746	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.00 mi	Start		Then go 0.22 mi
0.22 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Parkway	Then go 0.07 mi
0.29 mi		Continue onto Jay St	Then go 0.58 mi
0.87 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Jay St/NY-22 S	Then go 1.57 mi
2.44 mi	Bear Left	Slight left at Jay St/NY-22 N	Then go 0.02 mi
2.46 mi	Bear Left	Slight left at Jay St	Then go 0.43 mi
2.89 mi		Continue onto 309/Girdle Ridge Rd	Then go 0.63 mi
3.52 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at 309/Pea Pond Rd	Then go 1.50 mi
5.02 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on 309/Pea Pond Rd	Then go 0.02 mi
5.04 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-121 N/Old Post Rd	Then go 1.13 mi
6.17 mi	Turn Right	Turn right to stay on NY-121 N/Old Post Rd	Then go 0.49 mi
6.65 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Honey Hollow Rd	Then go 1.66 mi
8.31 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Honey Hollow Rd	Then go 1.33 mi
9.64 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-137 S/Stone Hill Rd	Then go 0.82 mi
10.46 mi		Continue onto Old Stone Hill Rd	Then go 0.13 mi
10.59 mi	Bear Left	Slight left to stay on Old Stone Hill Rd	Then go 0.02 mi
10.61 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Old Stone Hill Rd	Then go 1.57 mi
12.18 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-124 N/Salem Rd	Then go 3.14 mi
15.32 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-35 W/Old Post Rd	Then go 0.10 mi
15.42 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Bouton Rd	Then go 1.16 mi
16.58 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Main St	Then go 0.75 mi
17.33 mi		Continue onto Spring St	Then go 0.18 mi
17.51 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Lake Shore Dr	Then go 0.08 mi
17.58 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Truesdale Lake Dr	Then go 0.78 mi
18.36 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Boway Rd	Then go 0.61 mi
18.97 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Old Oscaleta Rd	Then go 0.47 mi
19.44 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Oscaleta Rd	Then go 0.52 mi
19.96 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Benedict Rd	Then go 0.76 mi
20.72 mi	Bear Right	Slight right at Post Office Rd	Then go 0.58 mi
21.30 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Post Office Rd	Then go 0.51 mi
21.81 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Mead St	Then go 1.51 mi
23.32 mi		Continue onto Post Rd	Then go 0.56 mi
23.88 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Hawley Rd	Then go 0.14 mi
24.02 mi		Continue onto June Rd	Then go 0.65 mi
24.67 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-116 W/Titicus Rd	Then go 0.46 mi
25.13 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Turkey Hill Rd	Then go 0.12 mi
25.24 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Mills Rd	Then go 1.82 mi
27.06 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Bogtown Rd	Then go 0.76 mi
27.83 mi	Turn Left	Turn left to stay on Bogtown Rd	Then go 0.13 mi
27.96 mi	Bear Left	Slight left to stay on Bogtown Rd	Then go 0.27 mi
28.23 mi		Continue onto Grant Rd	Then go 0.13 mi
28.36 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Grant Rd/NY-121 S Continue to follow NY-121	Then go 1.61 mi
29.97 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Todd Rd	Then go 0.39 mi
30.36 mi	Bear Left	Slight left to stay on Todd Rd	Then go 1.57 mi
31.93 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at Increase Miller Rd	Then go 0.41 mi
32.34 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at NY-138 W/Waccabuc Rd	Then go 1.43 mi
33.77 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at North St	Then go 0.16 mi
33.93 mi	Turn Left	Turn left at Goldens Bridge Rd	Then go 2.30 mi
36.23 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at 307/Jay St	Then go 1.36 mi
37.58 mi	Bear Right	Slight right to stay on Jay St	Then go 0.01 mi
37.59 mi		Continue onto Parkway	Then go 0.06 mi
37.65 mi	Turn Right	Turn right at NY-117 E/Woods Bridge Rd	Then go 0.21 mi
37.86 mi	Stop

Points of Interest

Start/End: Woods Bridge Road Parking Lot

Location: 41.261852°, -73.685651°
Park your car in the lot off Woods Bridge Road. Parking is free on weekends, but on weekdays, you'll need pay for one of the metered spots ($5). © David McKay Wilson

Katonah Metro North Rail Station

Location: 41.259533°, -73.683822°
If you're coming to Katonah via the NY Metro-North Railroad, you'll get off at the Katonah Station on Lakeside Road. You'll need a permit to bring your bike on the train, and no bikes are allowed during rush hour. Head south toward Jay Street to begin the ride. © David McKay Wilson

Water Crossing

Location: 41.259578°, -73.681408°
Cross a finger of the Croton River while heading east on Jay Street. © David McKay Wilson

Initial Ascent

Location: 41.260477°, -73.679890°
You'll begin climbing just after crossing the Croton River on Jay Street, gaining nearly 300 over the ride's next two miles. Though some sections are steep, the climb as a whole averages a mild 2.7-percent grade.

Katonah Museum of Art

Location: 41.262251°, -73.673367°
A non-collecting gallery, the Katonah Museum of Art specializes in visual arts and frequently changes exhibits. Visit www.katonahmuseum.org for information on its current displays. © David McKay Wilson

Jay Street

Location: 41.261662°, -73.672750°
Jay Street cuts through a gorgeously wooded corridor. You'll have to negotiate for road space with cars on this narrow-shouldered thoroughfare.

Estates, Stables, and Horses

Location: 41.254984°, -73.666914°
Some of the expansive properties lining Jay Street have horses and stables. © David McKay Wilson

John Jay Homestead

Location: 41.247989°, -73.658741°
Former home to John Jay, the first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, the John Jay Homestead is now a New York State Historic Site. Jay inherited the home from his mother, Mary Van Cortland Jay, and died here in 1829. © David McKay Wilson

Jay Street

Location: 41.245708°, -73.649662°
© David McKay Wilson

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Location: 41.244450°, -73.647773°
Since 1945, visitors have enjoyed outdoor music, ranging from classical to opera to jazz, in the Caramoor Center's idyllic garden setting. © David McKay Wilson

Cross River Reservoir

Location: 41.246983°, -73.617389°
Created in the early 1900s by the damming of the Cross River (a tributary of the Croton River), the Cross River Reservoir stretches nearly 3.2 miles from its northwestern to southeastern termini. © David McKay Wilson

Climb

Location: 41.249177°, -73.617411°
Attack a quick but steep 0.3-mile climb averaging a mean 8.4-percent grade while pedaling along the eastern edge of the Cross River Reservoir.

Honey Hollow Road

Location: 41.242046°, -73.606832°
Cut along the western borders of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation (Westchester County's largest park at 4,315 acres) while heading south on Honey Hollow Road. © David McKay Wilson

Stone Hill Road Cottage

Location: 41.219711°, -73.592649°
© David McKay Wilson

Climb

Location: 41.221616°, -73.585922°
At the nearly 90-degree right turn in Old Stone Hill Road, you'll begin an 0.8-mile climb averaging a manageable 3.9-percent grade.

Old Stone Hill Road

Location: 41.222786°, -73.580439°
Low-lying stone walls line Old Stone Hill Road, a shoulder-less thoroughfare slicing through lush woodland. © David McKay Wilson

Gorgeous Homes

Location: 41.237383°, -73.563380°
Sprawling estates, stately mansions and charming colonial houses pepper the woods shrouding many of the ride's roads. © David McKay Wilson

Bouton Road Climb

Location: 41.278161°, -73.575804°
From mile 15.6 on Bouton Road, you'll climb for 0.7 miles at an average 4.6-percent grade. © David McKay Wilson

Horse Country

Location: 41.283160°, -73.564754°
© David McKay Wilson

South Salem Town Hall

Location: 41.272775°, -73.554368°
South Salem is a tiny hamlet in the town of Lewisboro. Keith Richards used to live here; Stanley Tucci presently does. © David McKay Wilson

Food Stop: Salem Country Deli

Location: 41.272840°, -73.552737°
Refuel on food and drink here. The bathroom is marked as "Employees Only," but it won't hurt to ask. © David McKay Wilson

Old Oscaleta Road

Location: 41.290577°, -73.553338°
© David McKay Wilson

Climb

Location: 41.290803°, -73.580579°
Heading north on Post Office Road, begin a 0.4-mile climb averaging a 6.1-percent grade.

The Post Office

Mead Memorial Chapel

Location: 41.293672°, -73.597251°
The Mead Memorial Chapel was built in 1905 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. © David McKay Wilson

Titicus Reservior

Location: 41.328768°, -73.599097°
The Titicus Reservoir, which feeds into the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx via the New Croton Aqueduct, has been supplying New York City since 1893. © David McKay Wilson

More Horses

Gazing Toward Titicus

Climb

Location: 41.320308°, -73.624299°
Stretching 0.5 mile, this climb along Bogtown Road averages a formidable 7.3-percent grade.

Downhill

Location: 41.288932°, -73.614846°
After completing two quick climbs just past mile 30 (each shorter than 0.4 mile), you'll have 7 miles of predominantly downhill riding before returning to Katonah.