About Us:

The rail trail follows a section of the old Rutland Railroad which ran from Bennington, Vermont, to Chatham, New York. Due to tight turns between hills, this section was called "The Corkscrew." Although abandoned in 1952, many sections of the rail beds are in good condition. The Corkscrew Rail Trail Association was formed in 2014 by trail advocates from Stephentown and New Lebanon. Crossing the county line, this group works to open rail segments where landowners support year-round recreational use, except in deer hunting season. Starting small and building links, the group opened the first segment on June 6, 2015. It runs approximately 2.5 miles south from Knapp Road, Stephentown, past the Columbia County line into New Lebanon. We plan to work with other property owners to open additional sections in both New Lebanon and Stephentown.