Seven Lakes, Perkins & Storm King

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.