New York City to the Gunks without a car possible?

ryan wiltonwrote:

It is definitely possible without a car, but it takes some planning. You can take a train or bus to New Paltz, then use local taxis or rideshares. Some climbers also coordinate carpools. I have seen similar trip planning with Wood Black Car Service for regional travel. Allow extra time and stay flexible.

You can take a train to New Paltz? Grok, is this real?

Not aware of any train service from NYC to New Paltz, just the bus. Probably trains to  Poughkeepsie ( haven't bothered to check) but I can't believe that would be more efficient than the bus service to N. P..

Alan Rubinwrote:

Not aware of any train service from NYC to New Paltz, just the bus. Probably trains to  Poughkeepsie ( haven't bothered to check) but I can't believe that would be more efficient than the bus service to N. P..

Back on the first page was this from 2020:

Mike Climberson:

Once I got a ride from the Gunks, to the metro north in pughkeepsie, to Harlem, and it took me about 3 hours to get there. Never again. Not worth the hassle IMO. 

The Trailways bus to New Paltz is definitely the way to go. From the bus stop it's a 10 minute drive to the crag. The train to Poughkeepsie might be a more scenic ride but that deposits you 45 minutes from the crag with unreliable taxi service. 

cubist Awrote:

The Trailways bus to New Paltz is definitely the way to go. From the bus stop it's a 10 minute drive to the crag. The train to Poughkeepsie might be a more scenic ride but that deposits you 45 minutes from the crag with unreliable taxi service. 

Nice try bro it's 14 minutes... :)

Michael Spiesbachwrote:

Nice try bro it's 14 minutes... :)

It's a short drive from New Paltz where the bus lets you off. MetroNorth ends in Poughkeepsie, a much longer drive...

take TAKEwrote:

You can take a train to New Paltz? Grok, is this real?

Yeah I was making a joke. Pretty sure Ryan Wilton is AI

Michael Spiesbachwrote:

Nice try bro it's 14 minutes... :)

14 minutes to West Trapps lot, maybe 12 minutes to main visitor center from where you hike the stairmaster which puts you in a better position to access most climbs... so I was off by 2 minutes

Michael Spiesbachwrote:

Nice try bro it's 14 minutes... :)

Um, maybe read before responding?

cubist Awrote:

14 minutes to West Trapps lot, maybe 12 minutes to main visitor center from where you hike the stairmaster which puts you in a better position to access most climbs... so I was off by 2 minutes

so you admit it... you were wrong.. boom roasted lol.. Just busting your balls dude.. sure feels longer than 12 minutes when I'm itching to get to the cliff though

so you admit it... you were wrong.. boom roasted lol.. Just busting your balls dude.. sure feels longer than 12 minutes when I'm itching to get to the cliff though

The main reason I'm wrong is that unless you hitch a ride it will take you half an hour to find a taxi to take you there, the New Paltz cab services are not known for their reliability. 

Sincere question about Poughkeepsie taxis - why not Uber or Lyft? How's those services up that way?

You could always ask one of these local legends to come pick you up, give you a ride, buy em dinner and a beer, you know?

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Sincere question about Poughkeepsie taxis - why not Uber or Lyft? How's those services up that way?

You could always ask one of these local legends to come pick you up, give you a ride, buy em dinner and a beer, you know?

While it isn't that far on a map, it really is a bit of a pain to get from Poughkeepsie to the Gunks--traffic. Since New Paltz is significantly more convenient, you have to pass through it to get from P-keepsie to the cliffs, and the bus service to N.P. is similarly frequent and efficient to the train service to P-keepsie, it seems that this option isn't a particularly worthwhile one.

Bicycle. Bikepacking is fun, I'm told.

Anything's possible. . .

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Sincere question about Poughkeepsie taxis - why not Uber or Lyft? How's those services up that way?

You could always ask one of these local legends to come pick you up, give you a ride, buy em dinner and a beer, you know?

I did it. It wasn't that hard. I much prefer the train to a bus. I thought it was cool riding up the Hudson out of Grand  Central Station. I had a friend pick me up, but why not an uber? That was my question.

There is no train from NYC to New Paltz. The closest thing is the MetroNorth train to Poughkeepsie, and that is a nice ride, but then you have to get to New Paltz from Poughkeepsie. Both time and inconvenience-wise, it's simply not worth it. The Trailways bus goes directly to New Paltz and is superior by every metric: faster, cheaper, and more convenient.

From the bus station to the Gunks, you have a few options:

1. You can take a taxi to the crag. The taxi stand and the bus station are the same building. However, getting a taxi to pick you up to get back will be a problem.
2. As one other person suggested, you can bike up. That's not a great option, IMO: the road between the station and the crag is narrow, people drive too fast, and it gets fairly steep as you near the Gunks. Several people have died biking this road. An addition of a stop sign has made it a tiny bit safer in recent years, but I suspect you'll find this less enjoyable a ride than you might expect (there are a ton of other great places to bike in this area if that's what you're looking for).
3. Hitchhiking might seem old fashioned, but this is a very favorable area for doing it.

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

I did it. It wasn't that hard. I much prefer the train to a bus. I thought it was cool riding up the Hudson out of Grand  Central Station. I had a friend pick me up, but why not an uber? That was my question.

It is a nice train ride, but Ubers simply aren't going to make this trip. It's too far and they aren't likely to get a return fare.

David Kwrote:

1. You can take a taxi to the crag. The taxi stand and the bus station are the same building. However, getting a taxi to pick you up to get back will be a problem.

I've done this a few times and I've never had an issue with getting a taxi on the way back. Just make sure to call them when you're on the cliff/Croad since you don't have reception at the parking lots. The big issue is that I think the last bus from new paltz to nyc gets in fairly early, so if you want to climb later you need to go to Poughkeepsie and take the train, which is pretty expensive in a taxi but possible. 

David Kwrote:

It is a nice train ride, but Ubers simply aren't going to make this trip. It's too far and they aren't likely to get a return fare.

From Poughkeepsie train station to the Gunks area - no uber at all? I just checked Lyft, I can get a pickup in 8 minutes, and the ride is like 80 bucks.