Biking the Boquet Valley
Last Offered 2022. Not currently being offered.
Join AARCH on a scenic bike route through the rolling Boquet Valley, a region that is known for its fertile farmland and charming hamlets. Meeting at the Whallonsburg Grange, we’ll first see the Grange’s work to restore its Grange Hall as a community center and to adaptively reuse the former Whitcomb’s Garage for arts, retail, and community use. The recent Whitcomb’s project won a Preservation League of New York State award in 2021. Then we’ll travel north on Walker Road to see an AARCH award-winning restoration project completed by passionate Essex preservationist Willie Wilcox. We’ll then make our way along Cook Road to see a “green burial” site and Black Kettle Farm, which is now home to the Lakeside School, a private Waldorf school. Here, we’ll also enjoy a farm-fresh lunch provide by Hub on the Hill. We’ll then head onto Leaning Road to see several wonderfully restored farmhouses and barns. Pedaling up Route 22, we’ll stop at the 1826 octagonal Boquet Schoolhouse for a tour, before turning onto Middle Road and enjoying a tour of the 1828 Federal style Eggleston farmhouse. The final leg of our tour will afford us open views of the valley and the High Peaks beyond, as we travel back to the Grange for a post-ride snack.
This tour is led by AARCH’s former executive director Steven Engelhart, as well as local guides, historians, and property owners. The tour begins at 10 AM and ends around 4 PM.
The fee is $50 for AARCH members and $60 for non-members. Lunch is included.
This bike tour covers about 11.5 miles and is intended for intermediate cyclists or electric bike owners. Participants are required to provide their own bicycle, water, and helmet. Road surfaces travelled are pavement and some sidewalks.