Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

The ride starts and ends at The Farmer’s Wife Café in Ancramdale, a great place for lunch or refreshments after the ride. (The café is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). Parking is usually available between the café and the Ancramdale post office. But be courteous — don’t monopolize parking needed by the café’s guests and staff!

Here are the coordinates for the ride:

Turn left out of the parking lot of the Farmer’s Wife onto County Road 8.

At .5 miles, turn left on Crest Lane

At 1.9 miles, turn left on East Ancram Road

At 6.8 miles, turn left on County Road 3

At 7.0 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road

At 7.7 miles, turn right on Empire Road

At 10.7 miles, go straight through the village of Copake onto Main Street.

At 11.1 miles, bear left onto Farm Road

At 11.3 miles, turn left on Mountain View Road

At 12.1 miles turn right on County Road 7A

At 12.3 miles, turn left on Snyder Pond Road

At 13.0 miles turn left to stay on Snyder Pond Road

At 14.2 miles, turn right on County Road 7

At 14.8 miles turn left on County Road 27 (This is where there is short hill.)

At 15.5 miles, make a hairpin turn to the left on County Road 27A. (This can be easy to miss so be on the lookout for it).

At 17.5 miles, go straight across County Road 7 onto Four Corners Road.

At 18.7 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road

At 19.0 miles, turn left on Snyder Road

At 20.3 miles, bear left onto Roche Drive

At 20.8 miles, turn right on County Road 3

Follow County Road 3 back to Ancramdale and the Farmer’s Wife.


Jeremy Koch is a Norfolk cyclist.

Latest News

Join us for


 

  

Keep ReadingShow less
Summer Nights of Canaan

Wednesday, July 16

Cobbler n’ Cream
5 to 7 p.m.
Freund’s Farm Market & Bakery | 324 Norfolk Rd.

Canaan Carnival
6 to 10 p.m.
Bunny McGuire Park

Keep ReadingShow less
When the guide gets it wrong

Rosa setigera is a native climbing rose whose simple flowers allow bees to easily collect pollen.

Dee Salomon

After moving to West Cornwall in 2012, we were given a thoughtful housewarming gift: the 1997 edition of “Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs.” We were told the encyclopedic volume was the definitive gardener’s reference guide — a fact I already knew, having purchased one several months earlier at the recommendation of a gardener I admire.

At the time, we were in the thick of winter invasive removal, and I enjoyed reading and dreaming about the trees and shrubs I could plant to fill in the bare spots where the bittersweet, barberry, multiflora rose and other invasive plants had been.Years later, I purchased the 2011 edition, updated and inclusive of plants for warm climates.

Keep ReadingShow less
A few highlights from Upstate Art Weekend 2025

Foxtrot Farm & Flowers’ historic barn space during UAW’s 2024 exhibition entitled “Unruly Edges.”

Brian Gersten

Art lovers, mark your calendars. The sixth edition of Upstate Art Weekend (UAW) returns July 17 to 21, with an exciting lineup of exhibitions and events celebrating the cultural vibrancy of the region. Spanning eight counties and over 130 venues, UAW invites residents and visitors alike to explore the Hudson Valley’s thriving creative communities.

Here’s a preview of four must-see exhibitions in the area:

Keep ReadingShow less