Catskill Mountain Railroad | Kingston, NY

“The whistle of the locomotive is the voice of the country.” – Henry David Thoreau

A Journey Through Time in the Catskills

There’s a certain rhythm to the rails in Kingston, a heartbeat that has pulsed through the Catskill valleys for more than a century. The Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) is more than a train ride; it’s a living chapter of mountain history—one that carries both the echo of steam whistles and the laughter of families bundled in holiday scarves.

From River Port to Mountain Peaks

The story begins in the 1860s, when the Ulster & Delaware Railroad stitched together Kingston’s Hudson River port with the forested heart of the Catskills. For decades, it was the “Only All-Rail Route to the Catskill Mountains,” ferrying vacationers to grand resorts and carrying out the lifeblood of the hills—dairy, bluestone, timber, and tales of summer wanderers. By the 1930s, the New York Central had absorbed the line, and like many railroads, its golden age dimmed as cars and highways took center stage.

Reinvention on the Rails

Where some lines ended, this one found renewal. In 1982, local volunteers resurrected the right-of-way as the Catskill Mountain Railroad, committed to keeping the rails polished and the stories alive. With careful hands and stubborn pride, they rebuilt track, restored old coaches, and welcomed passengers once more—not as commuters, but as travelers in search of heritage and beauty.

Rails, Trails, and Resilience

The CMRR’s journey has not been without hurdles. In recent years, debates over whether the corridor should remain a railway or become a recreational trail reshaped the line. Much of the western track gave way to hiking and biking paths, but a vital stretch in Kingston remains—and thrives. Today, trains roll out of Kingston Plaza, winding through Hurley Flats with views that seem stitched from another era.

The Experience Today

Climb aboard and you’ll find themed excursions that capture the spirit of the season: the Easter Bunny Express, the Pumpkin Patch Limited, and the glittering Polar Express, which transforms coaches into rolling Christmas wonderlands. It’s a shorter ride than the Ulster & Delaware once offered, but the magic is intact—smiles pressed to windows, wheels clicking in rhythm, and a Catskill landscape unfolding with every mile.

Why It Matters

The Catskill Mountain Railroad endures as both attraction and act of preservation. It is a reminder that the past does not have to live behind glass in a museum. Here, it hums on the tracks, in the scent of weathered timbers, in the pride of volunteers, and in the whistle that still pierces the valley air. To ride it is to touch the Catskills as generations before us did—rolling forward while holding tightly to what should never be forgotten.

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Kingston, New York

A River Town with Mountain Roots

Kingston sits where the Hudson River widens and the Catskills rise—a meeting place of water and stone, history and reinvention. Once the first capital of New York State, the city has worn many names: colonial outpost, brick-and-bluestone port, railroad hub, and, more recently, an arts-and-food haven where past and present live side by side.

Colonial Footprints

Founded in 1652 as a Dutch settlement called Esopus, Kingston’s early years were marked by skirmishes, treaties, and the hard-won rhythms of a frontier community. In 1777, it was chosen as New York’s first capital, only to be burned by the British that same year. The town rebuilt in stone and spirit—its streets still lined with 18th-century architecture that whispers of resilience.

The Age of Industry and Riverboats

By the 19th century, Kingston thrummed with industry. Its bluestone quarries paved New York City sidewalks, while brickworks, tanneries, and river commerce made it a vital Hudson port. The arrival of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad linked Kingston to the Catskills, carrying summer visitors westward and bringing mountain timber, dairy, and bluestone back to the riverfront. The Rondout district, once alive with canal barges and steamboats, remains one of Kingston’s most evocative neighborhoods.

Reinvention by the River

Like many Hudson Valley towns, Kingston weathered the decline of industry in the mid-20th century. But reinvention followed. Today, its historic districts—Uptown, Midtown, and the Rondout Waterfront—form a quilt of galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, indie shops, and performance spaces. Murals bloom on brick walls, lofts echo with music, and cobblestones lead to cafés where espresso mingles with the scent of river air.

Why Kingston Matters Today

Kingston is both museum and marketplace, a place where history is not frozen but lived in daily life. You can walk past colonial stone houses in Uptown, catch live jazz by the water, or hop aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad for a taste of railroading’s golden age. The city’s past is written in its streets, but its present is vibrantly alive—an enduring river town that continues to shape and be shaped by those who call it home.