From Edison · Seven Lakes, Perkins & Storm King

This full-day version starts in Edison (Menlo Park). The first 55 miles go out on back roads, mostly US-202, CR-577 and NJ-35, to Sloatsburg, where the good part begins. The core stretch, Seven Lakes, Perkins & Storm King, runs 36 miles to Cornwall-on-Hudson.

The ride home is the quick way: 77 miles on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, the Garden State Parkway and US-9W back to Edison. All in, it's about 169 miles and 5.5 hours in the saddle, before any stops for gas, food or photos. Plan on a long day and an early start.

Full-day version that starts in Edison: it adds the ride there and back to Seven Lakes, Perkins & Storm King. Here is what you'll find on the core stretch:

The ideal first ride for a pack that's just coming together: Seven Lakes Drive runs through Harriman between lakes and woods on friendly curves and good pavement, and Perkins Memorial Drive climbs to the tower on top of Bear Mountain for the group photo with the Hudson below. From Bear Mountain you pick up 9W and turn onto Storm King Highway (NY-218), the road hanging off the cliff that drops you into Cornwall-on-Hudson. Weekends bring a lot of cyclists, sometimes riding side by side, and there's no gas or food inside the park, so fill up before Sloatsburg. Perkins opens seasonally and Storm King closes when there's rockfall risk, so check before you head out.