Welcome to the Maybrook Trailway website. The Maybrook Trailway will be a shared-use bicycling and pedestrian path running along a 25-mile portion of the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) Beacon Line Corridor from Brewster, NY to Hopewell Junction, NY. This portion of the Maybrook Trailway, formerly referred to as the Beacon Line, does not currently have active train traffic, the project proposes building a “rail with trail” on the Brewster to Hopewell Junction segment. The trail is set to be completed in 2020.
The Maybrook Trailway is an important part of the Empire State Trail, providing a key link between the Putnam Trailway and the Dutchess Rail Trail and Walkway Over the Hudson State Park. The Empire State Trail, when completed in 2020, will create a 750-mile trail bike and walking pathway stretching from New York City to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo.
In October, 2017, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and the Hudson River Valley Greenway issued the Draft Concept Plan for the Maybrook Trailway Section project. The original “Beacon Line” title reflected the name MNR has used for several decades to identify the rail line running from the City of Beacon to Hopewell Junction to Brewster to the Connecticut state line. Over the past three months, a number of public comments were submitted suggesting that “Maybrook Trailway” is a preferable name for the trail. As reflected on the cover of this Final Concept Plan, MNR and the Hudson Greenway have proposed a new name for the project: the Maybrook Trailway section of the Empire State Trail, for the following reasons:
In summary, MNR and the Hudson Greenway have concluded that for consistency and continuity, this 25-mile section of the Empire State Trail is best named the Maybrook Trailway Section. This name will be used in future documents describing the project.
The trail crosses through two counties (Putnam and Dutchess), five towns, and one village. Along the route, the trail goes through rural landscapes and wooded areas featuring seasonal waterfalls as well as crosses the Appalachian Trail along the way.
At the southern end, the new Maybrook Trailway will connect to the Putnam Trailway and an existing portion of the Maybrook Trailway, and to the north, the Dutchess Rail Trail. There is MNR station access nearby at Poughkeepsie and in Brewster, providing multi-modal access to transit along the trail.
View the entire route below or click on the following sections to see more detailed maps:
The Maybrook Trailway can bring a number of benefits to surrounding communities (click a benefit below to learn more.):
As the project moves forward and related documents are completed, they will be uploaded here for community member review and feedback. Please check back regularly for updates.
Public informational meetings were held in Dutchess County on November 13, 2017 and Putnam County on November 14, 2017. The meetings included a presentation of the Draft Concept Plan followed by workshops to engage attendees and receive their questions and concerns. Future public meetings will be held as the design progresses and are expected to be scheduled for early 2019. Meetings will be advertised in newspapers and on our website. Please check the website periodically for updates. Thank you.
The project welcomes public comment on the Maybrook Trailway. Please provide your email address and comments through the form below. Your comments, observations, and concerns will be incorporated through the public engagement process.