For Craig Chapman, the appeal of New Paltz has always been simple: it’s all right there.
Born and raised in town, Chapman spent his childhood exploring the Wallkill River and the landscape surrounding the Shawangunk Ridge. Today, through New Paltz Biking and its sister business, New Paltz Kayaking, he helps visitors experience those same places from a different perspective.
“My whole thing is getting people outside,” Chapman says. “Whether it’s on the Wallkill River in a kayak or on the trails by bike, we’re really just facilitating outdoor experiences and helping people discover what makes this area so special.”
That mission has become easier as New Paltz’s trail network has expanded and connected. The River-to-Ridge Trail links downtown directly to the Mohonk Preserve, while the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail stretches north to Rosendale and beyond, creating a web of car-free routes through some of the Hudson Valley’s most scenic landscapes.
“The connectivity we have now is pretty spectacular,” Chapman says. “You can leave from here and access hundreds of miles of trails. Between the River-to-Ridge Trail, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, the Mohonk Preserve, and the Empire State Trail connections, there are so many ways for people to get out and explore.”
For many first-time visitors, the trail system comes as a surprise. Just a few miles from downtown, riders can cross the Rosendale Trestle, take in mountain views from the Plattekill Gorge Bridge, or cruise past the historic stone houses of Huguenot Street. They’re the kinds of places that are easy to miss from behind a windshield.
Most of Chapman’s customers arrive from the New York City area looking for an outdoor activity during a weekend getaway. Many have already hiked Minnewaska or Mohonk and are searching for a different way to experience the region.
Beyond rentals, New Paltz Biking offers guided e-bike tours that connect some of the area’s most significant landmarks—from Historic Huguenot Street to the Rosendale Trestle—while weaving together stories of colonial settlement, transportation, industry, and conservation. Covering roughly 15 to 20 miles over two to three hours, the rides turn a scenic outing into an introduction to the history and character of the Hudson Valley.
The tours are powered by a growing fleet of electric bikes available through Chapman’s Avocado Bikes location on North Chestnut Street. The upright cruiser-style e-bikes make longer rides accessible to visitors who may not be regular cyclists.
“Not everybody wants to do 20 miles on a traditional bike,” Chapman says. “With the electric bikes, it’s simple for everybody to get out there.”
The same philosophy guides his kayaking operation on the Wallkill River. Paddlers can drift past wetlands rich with birdlife, visit the Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary, or simply enjoy a quiet stretch of water beneath the cliffs of the ridge.
Whether visitors choose a bike or a kayak, Chapman hopes they leave with more than just exercise.
“It feels good to help people get out there and enjoy all that New Paltz has to offer,” Chapman says
For Chapman, that’s what the business has always been about: helping people step outside, slow down, and discover the landscapes that have inspired generations of New Paltz residents.
New Paltz Biking
41 Springtown Road, New Paltz
(845) 594-6353; Npbiking.com
This article appears in July 2026.
