Alpine Loop

A short, but scenic ride just across the GWB from Manhattan. The main draw of this loop is River Road (as cyclists call it; it's Henry Hudson Dr. on maps) which rolls through Palisades park along the Hudson to Alpine, NJ. From the NJ side of the bridge, head south on Hudson Terrace. Bear right when Hudson Terrace becomes one way heading north. After a quick left you'll head downhill towards the start of River Road. The food truck that marked the left turn into the park is gone; look the park welcome sign on your left. Richard Rosenthal calls River Road the second most beautiful route in the U.S. (after Big Sur); I can think of a bunch more California rides I'd put ahead of River Road, but it is the nicest route this close to The City. About 6 miles after you turn into the park, River Road begins a 400 foot climb up to the Alpine Police Headquarters. The climb starts at a traffic circle: you can add an extra 100 feet or so to the climb by heading down to the river first (take other turn off of the circle). At the top of the hill the police station offers a couple of bike racks (one donated by the NYCC), restrooms, and water. To finish the loop, head right out of the police station and bear left to reach 9W. To avoid the worst bits of 9W, I recommend a right on Sage Road: a short detour through the Jersey 'burbs brings you back to Palisade Ave, Hudson Terrace, and the bridge.

Distance: 34.657 miles
Elevation Change (up/down in feet): 1684.23 / 1669.81

About this page: red segments of the track in the above map indicate a grade greater than 5 percent. Clicking on the track (at any point) will display detailed information for that location (elevation and distance from the start of the ride) and highlight the corresponding location in the elevation profile.