Dryden Rail Trail

Town of Dryden Seeks Bids for Dryden Rail Trail Bridge Construction

vector diagram of a red trestle-style bridge.

Dryden, NY (April 21, 2025)

The Town of Dryden has reached a key milestone in the construction of the Dryden Rail Trail bridge over Route 13. In mid-April, the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) gave the town final approval to seek bids for the project. The bid deadline is May 8, which could allow construction this year.

When completed the trail will span 14.4 miles and connect the eastern boundary of Dryden through the Jim Schug trail section and the Villages of Dryden and Freeville, to Etna, Varna, and the western boundary at Game Farm Road, finally linking into the East Ithaca Recreation Way to Cornell and Ithaca. The new bridge will be located near the intersection with Route 366.

The recreational and commuting trail reclaims the decommissioned Lehigh Valley Railroad corridor for use by walkers, bicyclists, equestrians, nature lovers, and commuters. Beyond the already town-owned Schug section, the town has secured commitments for easements on 42 of 48 pieces of land required to complete the trail, with the remainder in negotiation.

“The Route 13 bridge is the linchpin of the Dryden Rail Trail,” said Dan Lamb, Dryden Deputy Supervisor. “Beyond recreation and transportation alternatives – the basis for several grants – we expect the trail to encourage smart growth, improve access to affordable housing and attract new businesses and tourism.”

More than $3 million in state and federal grants and local contributions have been secured for the project. Cost estimates have risen from $2.2 million to $3.9 million in the six years since the first award, a NYSDOT $1.5 million Transportation Alternatives Program grant, was approved in April 2019.

The project was awarded an earmark grant from U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a NYS Assembly Multi-Modal Transportation grant, and a NYS State Parks Environmental Protection Fund grant. It received contributions from Tompkins County, the Triad Foundation, the Berkshire Hathaway Foundation, and Cornell University. The Knickerbocker Bed Frame Company contributed contiguous land on the east side of the bridge, allowing a more efficient trail placement. More donations to meet the funding gap are being sought. The town will bond for the balance, once costs are known after the bid opening.

Todd Bittner, natural areas director for the Cornell Botanic Gardens – and a member of the Dryden Rail Task Force – served as a lead grant writer for the project. He noted that the rail trail plan aligns with key goals and strategies within Tompkins County and Dryden’s Comprehensive Plans, the County’s 2020 Energy Strategy and Strategic Tourism Plans, and Cornell’s Climate Action Plan.

The trail promises to connect three Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas – Purvis Road Wetlands, Monkey Run and Upper Cascadilla – supporting benefits to physical and mental health that became more widely appreciated during the pandemic.

The bridge project will also include finishing the 1.5-mile section with a stone dust surface like that used on the Black Diamond Trail, making the section from Monkey Run to Pinckney Road fully ADA compliant.

According to Alice Walsh Green, Chair of the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force, the decision to build the bridge came after much consideration, including consultations with experts from the NYS Department of Transportation, the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, and a county-funded engineering study of alternatives.

“After considering all available options, we determined that the bridge would allow the safest, most cost-effective and commuter-friendly way to cross the busy highway. It will allow trail users continuous access along the trail from Pinckney Road to Game Farm Road,” Green said. “We are also working on the final section of trail, starting with repair of a washed-out railroad bridge east of Pinckney Road, and continuing through Etna to Johnson Road in Freeville, where it will join with the section completed in 2019.”

Contact: Alice Walsh Green, Chair, Dryden Rail Trail Task Force
Dan Lamb, Deputy Supervisor, Town of Dryden

First Snow

by Susan Ashdown, Dryden Rail Trail Task Force member

The great thing about the Dryden Rail Trail in the snow is the silence. I stop, and I listen. A dog barks in the distance and then is silent. I hear a plane droning overhead gradually fading away into silence. And then there is only a faint patter of the falling snow. This solitary sound is calming in a way that nothing else has been in the past weeks.

I start to walk again and the sound of my feet compressing the snow is unique—there is no word for it. It does not crunch, or creak. It is the sound of snowballs, of snow forts, of snowmen—the sound of enchanted childhood winters.

As I walk I see only dark and white; no color on the trail. The trees and bushes bow over the trail weighted down with ridges of snow on every branch. I see the brown of a few oak leaves still clinging to a tree. Then small spots of color—a yellow Natural Area sign, an orange pole marking the Dryden Fiber cable line. Then a small miracle—a bronze fountain of leaves glows deep in the trees. It is a birch tree in the winter dress that it will wear until spring leaves come. Above me, a tree drops a snowball on my head and the spell is broken.

As I turn to walk home the silence is broken as well. I hear the traffic noise of cars and the back-up beeper of a construction vehicle. Another plane drones overhead, and I hear a chainsaw in the distance. But twice the silence returns, small perfect islands of silence that I gather inside me to sustain me through the noisy day ahead.

Go to the trail and search out the silence some morning when it snows. You will treasure these moments in the chatter of the spring, the buzz of the summer, and the crackle of the fall.

Snowy covered path and trees. There are grooves in the snow suggesting someone on cross-country skis has been by.

IN MEMORIUM: ROBERT M. BECK (1941-2024)

By Diane Tessaglia-Hymes and Alice Walsh Green

Bob Beck stands on a rocky hilside smiling, with a walking stick, sun hat, backpack and gives a thumbs-up. Photo by Gwen Beck. — Photo of Bob Beck by Gwen Beck

The Town of Dryden —and the state of New York—lost an outstanding leader and dedicated volunteer on June 14, 2024, when Robert M. Beck (“Bob” to those who knew him) passed away after a brief and unexpected illness. He was 82. Bob’s skills and talents were varied and numerous. As educator, conservationist and environmentalist, leader, and skilled artisan, Bob touched the lives of many.

A native of Dryden, Bob was raised on a dairy farm. As a teenager, through long hours and hard work, he helped his father tend the farm, which left him with “memorable and invaluable practical experience.” After high school, he attended Cornell University where he got his bachelor’s degree in natural science, followed by his master’s degree in neurobiology and behavior with a focus on evolutionary and field biology.

As an educator, Bob taught people of all ages about science and the natural world. He taught biology, animal behavior, natural history, and general science at Cornell University and Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, and at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. He also taught science to middle-school students at the Montessori School of Ithaca (now the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca) and trained docents at the Bronx Zoo. Later in life, he put his organization and fabrication skills into creating The Closet Pro, a local small business that he owned and operated for many years.

“He was so humble and unassuming that it was tempting for some to underestimate him,” said Gwen Beck, Bob’s wife. “He was an amazing teacher. He taught math, science, and computer studies to students in grades 4 through 8 while at Montessori—three subjects across a significant range of development—and he just shined! While at Montessori he developed a computer activity that a SUNY Cortland advisor found so innovative that she urged him to write up for publication. Bob took on challenges that I think most people would have run away from. He loved a challenge.”

A conservationist at heart and keenly aware of the need to advocate for the natural world, Bob dedicated himself to many local and state conservation groups throughout the years: He was a founding board member and the first executive director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust when it was established in 1989. He was instrumental in establishing Ithaca’s treasured Lick Brook Gorge as the Swedler Preserve at Lick Brook, which could not have happened without Bob’s many talents; he was assistant curator at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Library of Natural Sounds (now the Macaulay Library); he served on the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council where he helped develop the County’s award-winning Inventory of Unique Natural Areas; and he was a trustee of the Nature Conservancy Central and Western Chapter serving on various committees.

In 2007, Bob joined the Town of Dryden Conservation Board, which he chaired for two terms. “Bob’s knowledge and familiarity with the local ecosystems was a huge asset to the Conservation Board,” said Nancy Munkenbeck, a Conservation Board member. “He was immensely helpful in providing guidance for various project assessments and planning.”

Anne Clark, another Conservation board member added, “his even-toned and firm-but-gentle approach to getting agreement even where there was initially opposition contributed to his success as a leader. As passionate as he was about conservation and projects like the rail trail, he was effective because of his non-confrontational style.”

To many people in the area, Bob is best known for spearheading and successfully and skillfully leading the development of the Dryden Rail Trail.

“Bob always had a love for nature and the outdoors,” said Jason Leifer, Dryden Town Supervisor. “Soon after I became Town Supervisor, Bob approached me with the idea to build a rail trail. It was a great idea, and I was thrilled that the Town Board agreed to establish the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force in 2016, and later to appoint Bob as its Chair. I knew that if anybody could get this monumental task done, it was Bob. He had the knowledge and community connections needed to create this important public resource that will be enjoyed for generations to come. I only wish that Bob was still here to see it completed, but every time someone walks, bikes, or runs on the trail they can remember Bob and his contributions to the community.”

Under Bob’s leadership, the Rail Trail Task Force raised more than $3 million in grants and contributions and converted more than 85% of the 14.5-mile former railroad corridor into a multi-use recreational trail, transportation alternative, and community resource.

Another of his notable accomplishments was leading a 15-year effort to save a threatened Dryden natural area, Malloryville Bog, from proposed gravel mining, and then establishing the 308-acre parcel as The Nature Conservancy’s O.D. von Engeln Preserve at Malloryville. He chronicled the story in his book “The Journey at Malloryville Bog: Commitment, Teamwork and Tenacity in Defense of Land and Nature” which was published in 2013 and reissued in hardcover in 2024. For his efforts to protect the diverse Malloryville wetlands, Bob was honored with The Nature Conservancy’s “Friend of the Land” award and a 50^thAnniversary “Hero” award.

This past October, the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions gave Bob its 2023 Marjory Sachs lifetime achievement award for environmental leadership. In nominating Bob for the award, Rail Trail Vice Chair Alice Walsh Green wrote, “Bob is a master at bringing together diverse teams of community members to work on environmental causes. He remains undaunted in the face of obstacles, opposition, and logistical challenges. His persistence and attention to detail are legendary. His warmth, patience, and dedication to environmental causes have inspired countless people to join in the work.”

“The town continues to grieve the loss of our friend, leader, and trusted advisor Bob Beck,” said Dan Lamb, Deputy Supervisor for the Town of Dryden, and Dryden Rail Trail Task Force Liaison. “Bob lent his invaluable time, talent, and tenacity to the town’s Conservation Board and the Rail Trail Task Force, where he served as chair. The town is grateful to Bob for being a role-model for community service, volunteerism, and leadership. The Dryden Rail Trail initiative would not be where it is today without Bob, but because of his leadership and the example he set, we know how to keep moving it forward.

A Celebration of Life in Bob’s memory is planned for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, at the Dryden Lake pavilion, next to his beloved trail. Please share your memories of Bob on his obituary on the Perkins Funeral Home Website.

Bob Beck sits in a kayak on a river in the Adirondacks wearing binoculars, sun hat, and a life vest. — Bob Beck kayaking in the Adirondacks in 2024. Photo by Gwen Beck.

This article first appeared in the Town of Dryden digital newsletter. To receive future editions of the newsletter, sign up on the Town of Dryden website.

Obituary: Bob Beck

It is with great sadness that we report that Bob Beck, chairman of the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force, died on Friday afternoon, June 14, 2024, after an unexpected illness.

In 2015, Bob, who was a member of the Town of Dryden Conservation Board, was approached by the Town of Dryden to create a Task Force that would establish a rail trail along the abandoned Lehigh Valley railroad lines, extending from the Village of Dryden through to the western edge of the town to connect with the East Ithaca Recreation Way. He assembled a steering committee composed of town leaders, Dryden residents, and representatives from bicycling, hiking, and nature organization. This group later became the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force and began the process of procuring easements from property owners and applying for grants to build the trail. Bob’s enduring devotion to the Trail—as well as the effort and work he put into talking with landowners, making friends, and leading the Task Force—is the primary reason for the great success that the Task Force has had in completing the length of trail that is now open to the public.

We will miss Bob terribly, and will be providing more information as soon as we are able.

In memory of Bob, please go out and enjoy the trail.

Winter to Spring

by Susan Ashdown, Dryden Rail Trail Task Force member

In my mind I know that we have many more weeks of winter; that despite the recent warm days, average March daytime temperatures are in the 40s and nighttime temperatures are in the 20s—and March blizzards and Nor’easters are likely to move in quickly as they did in 1971, 1993, and 2017.

But, I hear the water freed from ice rushing in the creeks and culverts and the different songs of the birds. I feel the sun on my face and the softness of the breeze, and I see the buds starting to swell in the trees and a solitary skunk cabbage spathe and I dream about an early spring.

The longer days are so welcome as well. No more rushing to finish needed tasks before it gets too dark to take a walk on the Trail. I also look forward so much to no mud on the trail between the F.H. Fox Bridge and Route 13 when the stone dust is finally put down…maybe not this spring but hopefully soon after!

Winter on the trail is always beautiful. The snow on the trees, the long straight flat stretches that call for cross country skis, the sunsets on the days when the clouds clear just at the right time. But when spring does come this year I will be ready!

Susan is a member of the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force and is lucky to be a trail neighbor. She walks and bikes the Varna section of the Trail frequently, and has put away her cross country skis for good, but likes to snowshoe on the trail when the snow is deep enough.. All photos by Susan Ashdown.

Connected Trails!

On Saturday, May 20, at 12:00 noon, the towns of Dryden and Ithaca celebrated the opening of the Game Farm Road crossing between the Dryden Rail Trail and the East Ithaca Recreation Way, officially connecting these two popular trails. Please enjoy this video of the event that was produced by Ithaca videographer, Shira Evergreen.

Connecting Trails—The Dryden Rail Trail and the opening of the Game Farm Road Crossing. Video by Shira Evergreen

     Although the Game Farm section of the Dryden Rail Trail has been open since the Fall of 2021, the crossing at Game Farm Road required additional planning and improvements to make it safe for the public. These efforts included conducting a traffic study, developing a crossing plan, negotiating a speed limit reduction with New York Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), regrading and repaving a section of the road, and installing new signage, a crosswalk, and flashing warning signals.
     The project required committed and strong partnerships among multiple jurisdictions. Game Farm Road is maintained by Tompkins County, and NYSDOT oversees speed limits. The center of the road marks the border between the towns of Ithaca and Dryden, both of which collaborated on developing studies and the crossing plan, as well as installing the approved infrastructure. In October 2022, Tompkins County Highway Department removed the largest obstacle to the crossing by flattening a rise in the road that created line-of-sight safety issues for motorists and trail users alike.
     In the months since the crossing at Game Farm Road was officially opened, the Dryden Department of Public Works has covered the trail from Game Farm Road all the way to the F.H. Fox Bridge with a fine stone dust surface. In time, the entire trail will be surfaced in this manner.
     Work on the Dryden Rail Trail began in 2016, when the Town of Dryden ambitiously embarked on efforts to connect the villages and hamlets in the Town of Dryden to Ithaca and Cornell University. The goal was to establish the trail along the nearly 15-mile route formerly used by the Elmira, Cortland & Northern Railroad and the Southern Central Railroad. By connecting to the East Ithaca Recreation Way, the Dryden Rail Trail is now linked to a larger network of trails in Ithaca and Tompkins County—allowing direct commuter access to the Cornell University campus.
     The next phase of the Dryden Rail Trail will be to construct a bridge across Route 13 and connect the trail to Pinckney Road. This phase—financed through federal, state, county, and municipal funds, as well as foundation grants and local donations—is expected to begin in late 2024.
The final phase of construction will be to build the trail between Route 13 and Freeville. When completed, the Dryden Rail Trail will traverse the Town of Dryden from west to east and will serve as both a linear park and a commuter route. The completed Trail will offer users expanded opportunities for recreation as well as a means for alternative transportation to work, school, community centers, or stores.

Changing Seasons

By Susan Ashdown, Rail Trail Task Force member

Late summer has arrived on the Dryden Rail Trail. Suddenly the goldenrod is blooming and flowers from earlier in the summer now stretch their seedheads out over the trail. Soon we will need to put on a jacket to walk or bike on the trail and we will begin to see leaves turning. The changing mood of the Trail through the seasons is part of its magic!

Late Summer Goldenrod

If seeing the Goldenrod makes your nose itch, it is probably not from the goldenrod pollen. This late-blooming flower has sticky pollen, and its bright yellow color attracts bees, butterflies, and other insects to carry it away.

Ragweed

Here is the real culprit—ragweed! It has tiny green flowers and its pollen is abundant, light, and not at all sticky. It relies on the wind, not insects, to take it to other ragweed plants… and to your nose!
Other late summer flowers are appearing as well; jewel weed and thistles, among others.

Asters

Although this picture was taken in September, 2022, asters are starting to appear now. This is probably a New England Aster, but there are hundreds of species of asters and they can be very difficult to identify.

Colorful Fall Leaves

Hopefully the weather will not be as rainy as we move toward fall so that we have another year of colorful changing leaves on the trees along the trail.

Winter

We can look forward to the crisp, cold, clear days of winter, hopefully with just the right amount of snow. The Dryden Rail Trail is a wonderful place to do cross-country skiing, or even snowshoeing!

Spring

Then, before we know it, the small miracles of the spring will appear—first trout lillies (top) and bloodroot (middle), followed by trillium (bottom) and may apples.

I hope you enjoyed this brief journey through the seasons on the Dryden Rail Trail!

Susan is a member of the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force and is lucky to be a trail neighbor. She walks and bikes the Varna section of the Trail frequently, and can often be seen commuting on her e-bike to East Hill Plaza for shopping at the P&C and the Wednesday Ithaca Farmer’s market, or to Cornell to visit exhibits and the library. All photos by Susan Ashdown.

The Importance of Being Observant When You Are in the Right Place At the Right Time (or, Why You Should Live Near the Dryden Rail Trail)

Snowy Owl in field copyright Holly Grant.

Snowy Owls, the largest owl in North America, are predominantly white owls that spend most of their lives in the open tundra and into the Arctic Circle. They occur all over the northern part of the earth, but during the winter, they migrate south irruptively to find food (mostly voles and lemmings). This is why—if you are out walking in a harvested cornfield or open meadow in late fall or winter, and you see what you think is a white plastic bag in the distance—you should take a second look. Snowy Owls spend a lot of their time sitting, so if you are in the right place at the right time, and you are observant, you just might find one. According to A llAboutBi rds.org “Snowy Owls do a lot of sitting. They sit still in the same spot for hours, occasionally swiveling their head or leaning forward and blinking their big, yellow eyes to get a closer look at something. When they hunt, they use extraordinary vision and hearing to draw a bead on their prey—maybe a vole scurrying beneath the snow—and then fly, or even run, over to pounce on it.”

On November 20, 2021, local birders Matt Fendya (Buildings and Grounds Supervisor at Lime Hollow Nature Center) and his friend Kyle Nauseef found a Snowy Owl near the George Road entrance to the Dryden Rail Trail. They called their friend, Holly Grant (who lives just down the road), to come see it. She, her husband, and sister were some of the first on the scene and took one of the photos below. Word quickly spread through eBird.org, an archive of bird sightings, and dozens of local birders (including Jay McGowan, who got the glamour shot of the bird) had a chance to see this infrequent visitor from a safe and respectable distance.

We are happy that such a remarkable bird was found next to the trail, and we encourage you to learn more about the Snowy Owl by visiting the links on this page. Snowy Owls are listed on the 2016 State of North America’s Birds Watch List and the 2020 IUCN* Red List, which means that this species is at risk of extinction without conservation action. Fortunately, as with all raptors, it is illegal to shoot or trap a Snowy Owl—this Federal law protects them in the winter when they are sitting in open fields looking like white plastic bags. Several organizations are working on projects to learn more about Snowy Owls and how to ensure they are with us for years to come. An important one is Project SNOWstorm, which has been tracking individual owls since 2013 to learn more about their biology and life history.

So, walk the Trail, keep your eyes open, and let us know about your interesting nature sightings.

NOTE: Snowy Owls are often “one-day wonder” birds, rarely sticking around more than a day. The one on George Road has already disappeared from the area.

Post by Diane and Chris T-H

A Snowy Owl seen near the George Road entrance to the Dryden Rail Trail. Photo copyright Jay McGowan, used with permission.
A Snowy Owl seen near the George Road entrance to the Dryden Rail Trail. Photo copyright Matt Fendya, used with permission.
A Snowy Owl seen near the George Road entrance to the Dryden Rail Trail. Photo copyright Holly Grant, used with permission.

Support for Dryden Rail Trail

Dryden Rail Trail Task Force members Bob Beck and Todd Bittner met with Tompkins County Parks and Trails Network partners on October 29, 2021. Bob and Todd received enthusiastic support for the progress that the Town of Dryden has made to date on the Dryden Rail Trail, including the recent opening of the trail section in the Reynolds Game Farm, and the planned Route 13 pedestrian bridge. Tompkins County Parks and Trails Network partners meet twice a year to discuss progress developing, extending and connecting priority trails across the county.

Group of people cluster around "Build the Bridge" sign on Dryden Rail Trail. — Dryden Rail Trail Task Force leader Bob Beck and Task Force member Todd Bittner Member meet with the Tompkins County Parks and Trails Network

Visit the Dryden Story Walk!

The Dryden Story Walk, in partnership with the Family Reading Partnership, is a series of panels along the Jim Schug section of the Dryden Rail Trail. Children can read a page from the book, then run along the trail to the next panel to read the next page. It can be viewed by accessing the Jim Schug section of the Dryden Rail Trail, next to the Dryden Agway on Main Street.

The Story Walk first appeared last year, and has just been updated for the Fall! The featured book this season is Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler. Each summer, Miss Maple gathers lost seeds that haven’t yet found a place to sprout. She takes care of them, keeping them safe and warm until it’s time for them to find roots of their own, and grow into the magnificent plants they’re destined to become. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book, perfect for an autumn walk with the family!