Central Valley is a small community in Orange County, New York, wedged between the Hudson Highlands and the New York State Thruway, and its claim to fame is that it sits beside Woodbury Common, one of the largest outlet shopping centres in the United States. On a weekend the shops draw tour buses from all over the region, and traffic backs up on the approach roads. Woodbury, the larger town about six kilometres away, has about eleven thousand people and plenty of fuel, supermarkets and diners.
Away from the mall, the land rises into the wooded hills of Harriman State Park, a huge protected area that covers more than forty thousand acres of rocky ridges, lakes and old forests. The park was created in the early twentieth century with land donated by the Harriman family, and it is a haven for hikers, with miles of trails crossing the Appalachian Trail. Its main road, the Seven Lakes Drive, winds through the hills with gentle, well-surfaced curves and lakes visible through the trees. It is a delightful ride, though cyclists and families fill it on warm weekends.
The nearby Hudson River, about ten miles east, runs through the Highlands in a deep, narrow valley, and Bear Mountain, with its summit tower, lies close at hand. Route 32 runs north from the area through the hamlet of Highland Mills toward Cornwall and Newburgh, a pleasant road with farms and ponds. Storm King Mountain rises above the river further north, and Route 218, a twisting road on its flank, has some of the most dramatic views on the Hudson.
For riders, the gateway is simple: the exit off the Thruway puts you minutes from the park. Early mornings are quiet, with mist in the valleys, while Saturdays and Sundays bring crowds. Fuel and food are straightforward, and the outlet complex offers coffee and plenty of fast food for those in a hurry. Autumn is the star season, when Harriman glows with colour, and winter closes some park roads. In spring, the redbuds bloom along the hillsides, and the streams run high and loud.