Orange County Heritage Trail Extended Two Miles

GOSHEN – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus participated in a ceremonial ribbon cutting with other local dignitaries on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of construction on the Heritage Trail, extending it approximately 2.2 miles from the Village of Goshen to the Town of Goshen.

Neuhaus was joined at the event by Deputy County Executive Harry Porr, Chairman of the Legislature Steve Brescia, Legislators James O’Donnell, John Vero, Joel Sierra, Michael Paduch, Barry Cheney and Rob Sassi, Parks Commissioner Jim Brooks, Town of Goshen Supervisor Doug Bloomfield and Barbara Martinez, Executive Director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce.

“The Heritage Trail is an important recreation destination, and this provides residents with even more access to it,” Neuhaus said. “Tourists and residents alike visit the trail to enjoy the beauty of our County. The trail is also instrumental not only as an educational tool, but also as a contributor to the County’s economic development. I enjoyed working with the Legislature, our Department of Public Works, and our Parks and Planning Departments, as well as the involved municipalities to finish this important project.”

The Trail was paved from West Main Extension Avenue in the Village of Goshen to Hartley Road in the Town of Goshen. Funding for the $500,000 project as well as the labor to construct the new 2.2 miles was supplied by the County. Construction will begin later this summer to extend the trail an additional 4.2 miles from Hartley Road to East Main Street in the City of Middletown, which will create a paved surfaced trail from River Road in Harriman to East Main Street in Middletown, totaling approximately 17 miles.

That phase of the trail project will be completed approximately in the fall of 2020.
The Heritage Trail currently extends from Goshen to Harriman with roughly 150,000 people using it each year for running, biking, hiking and environmental and natural studies. It has access points in Monroe, Chester and Goshen, and features historic landmarks, scenic views, a bird/wildlife sanctuary and access to dining and shopping in the municipalities through which it runs. The trail is the second-most used County park behind Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Hamptonburgh.

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