Albany Hudson Electric Trail – Ride, Walk, Run on It!

By Gregg Berninger

Where hydro-powered electric trains once carried millworkers, day trippers, amusement park goers, and Interurban travelers from near and far, now lies the Albany Hudson Electric Trail. The AHET runs 36 miles and is one of the final pieces of the aptly named Empire Trail connecting New York City, Buffalo, and Montreal. Whether you’re traversing the state, out for a workout, taking a break from modern life, or just an afternoon canine perambulator, the AHET provides a safe and comfortable path through historic villages, peaceful heron habitat, and some of the loveliest pastoral scenery in America.

You can hop on the trail at any number of locations. Spread evenly along the trail are nine designated trailheads with parking ranging from 11 to 50 spaces, but don’t limit yourself to those. AHET’s top and bottom, the cities of Rensselaer and Hudson, have ample parking, and any of the villages along the way have plenty of places to park where you can grab a coffee or find a restroom before exploring the trail.

The trail surface varies from pavement in Rensselaer County to primarily very hard packed stone dust in Columbia County. As long as the weather has been dry, the stone dust sections can be safely ridden with any type of bicycle, and they offer a more natural feel that suits Columbia County’s rural character. The entire trail is well-used. More often than not, you won’t be totally alone, and the 10-to-12-foot width provides plenty of room for everyone. Motorized vehicles are not allowed, and it is fully Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

Before the “T” in AHET stood for trail, it stood for trolley or train. From 1900 to 1929, with its inexpensive local service, the Albany-Hudson Electric trolley democratized travel in our region, freeing people from the ownership and care of a horse, or a long walk and wearing of shoe leather to get around. The smooth, quiet electric train with its click-click-click along the rails must have seemed heavenly compared to rutted dirt roads or noisy, smoke-spewing steam engines on other rail lines. When using the trail today, be sure to take a moment to remember the line from Robert Frost’s poem “Directive,” “Make yourself up a cheering song of how/ Someone’s road home from work this once was.”

Though I’m sure some travelers were frightened at first, the exhilaration of moving at previously unimaginable high speeds may have been an attraction in and of itself. According to one of the 16 wayside exhibits along this mixed-use trail, the “Albany-Hudson trolley cars made hourly trips, moving at speeds up to 60 mph, stopping at 14 stations on runs taking about one hour and forty minutes between Albany and Hudson. At its peak, 1.4 million passengers rode the line annually. It also served local industries, hauling freight including milk, farm products, cotton and wool for textile mills, and finished goods.”

And yes, besides the enjoyment of nature, there are history lessons along the way telling the stories of the Mohican Tribe, milling magnates, President Martin Van Buren, and the lives of everyday people. These carefully researched, well-written panels by noted Industrial Historian Matthew Kierstead should not be missed. They are well worth a moment of pause and reflection.

One of Kierstead’s panels tells the tale of the legendary Electric Park.

In 1901, the Albany & Hudson Railway & Power Company Railroad opened “Electric Park” where the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail now runs past the east shore of mile-long Kinderhook Lake. The forty-acre park, illuminated at night by hundreds of colored electric lights, was billed as the largest amusement park between New York City and Montreal. Admission for trolley riders was free with a forty-cent round-trip ticket. Visitors enjoyed rides on Ferris wheels, a roller coaster, carousel, waterslide, and farm animals. Entertainment included orchestras and tasteful vaudeville shows, and activities included bowling, dancing, and wintertime skating. 

At Electric Park’s zenith, upwards of 10,000 people a day enjoyed the park’s offerings. As cinema took off and the automobile took over America, Electric Park closed its gates in 1923. 

Following suit, on December 22, 1929, the last electric train ran on the rails between Hudson and Albany. Automobiles, buses, and the stock market crash of 1929 brought an end this easy-to-use renewable energy powered public transportation. 

But now, after 90 years of lying fallow, the corridor once again is in service to the people. Kinderhook trail enthusiast Jim Tansey recently noted “For over 20 years, a group of us fruitlessly struggled to develop the fantastic, abandoned rail bed we have in our backyard. It is so great that the state stepped in to develop a trail beyond our wildest imaginations.”

Local businesses along route are benefitting too. Bicycles have been spotted at Filli’s Fresh Deli, Bakery & Butcher shop in Valatie. Recently two cyclists with their bikes traveled Amtrak from Beacon to Rensselaer, and then pedaled south in search of Kinderhook’s Cosmic Donuts. One of the biggest beneficiaries is the full-service bike shop, Velo Domestique, whose new location is just feet from the trail.The timing of the AHET’s opening could not have been better.  Deborah Blackburn Shakoto noted “It is such a joy to see people of all ages out in nature and using the trail. It has truly been a lifesaver during the pandemic.” When we were all keeping indoors and keeping a distance from others, the trail was a safe place to get outside, see people, and even safely chat. Besides being COVID safe, there are no worries about car traffic, and as long you stay on the trail, a good dose of nature without concern for ticks can be safely had.

A typical outing on the AHET shows just how multi-use the trail is. There are cyclists riding 50-year-old classic cruisers, BMX bikes, e-bikes for the older folks, and even the latest carbon fiber road bikes. Runners glide along past casual walkers. Kinderhook Running Club member Thea Schoep delights in the AHET, “To have a place to run safely without having to drive an hour is a lovely thing.” Club president Ed Hamilton added that the trail, “…provides an awesome place to run or bike and greatly expands our options and route to explore the area. It’s also been great to ‘run’ into and connect with our neighbors while enjoying the AHET.”

Ronald Rich, the president of the Columbia Friends of the Electric Trail, was one of the most enthusiastic champions of AHET, “I’m proud to be part of our 120-member volunteer organization dedicated to maintaining and promoting the historic Electric Trail here in Columbia County.” Nearly all of the mowing and trimming along the trail is done by CFET volunteers.  

Rich is also a font of information about the trolley, “When the electric trolley began in 1900, the number of vehicles in local towns was reportedly in the single digits. There are now more than 60,000 vehicles registered in Columbia County…which gives meaning to Pythagoras’ wise counsel, ‘Leave the roads; take the trails.’” To join the group or to volunteer to help keep the trail looking good, visit cfetny.org. To learn more about the trail, visit ahettrail.org.

Gregg Berninger (greggb148@aol.com) is a Professor of English at Columbia-Greene Community College, Ghent Town Historian, and an avid cyclist and runner. He is the author of Ghent, NY, 1818-2018: The History of Our Own. He lives in Valatie with his wife Diane and cat, Simon.