rail explorers cooperstown division tours

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

RAIL EXPLORERS: COOPERSTOWN DIVISION - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Rail Explorers USA - Cooperstown

Rail Explorers are excited to offer a spectacular 12 mile round trip (our longest ride yet!). "The Milford Track" journeys through the farm lands and forests alongside of the Susquehanna River. You'll glide past working farms, magnificent woodlands and rumble across historic trestle bridges. The Rail Explorers custom railbikes are equipped with electric pedal assist motors.

The explorers are easy to ride and children are welcome. Children must be accompanied by a rider at least 16 years of age to operate the brakes. Groups of children can ride on their own explorer, provided it is coupled to an adult's explorer.

For safety all riders must be secured in their own seat. The only exception is infants, who must be secured in a chest harness to an adult rider. Infants in a chest harness travel free. Younger children may not be able to reach the pedals but can be safely buckled in to enjoy the ride. We offer toddler harnesses for additional security for little explorers. It is not safe for children to be seated on your lap and this is strictly forbidden.

Bring a light refreshment to enjoy at the 20 minute break at the midway turnaround. Tour Time: 2.5 hours

Don't forget to take a few minutes to check out the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad's small museum to learn about the rails you're about to ride!

MOTORCOACH & Group friendly with advance reservations.

• Visit our Website
• Reserve Now

We strongly advise that you check business websites, social media or call ahead for the most up-to-date information on possible limited hours and whether reservations are necessary or not. 

General Information

136 East Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807

• Reservation URL
• 1 877 833 8588

Season / Hours of Operation

Closed until Spring 2024

• Family Friendly,
• Pet Friendly

Motorcoach Contact Information

• (607) 644 7110
• [email protected]

Explore Milford

Located nine miles south of Cooperstown and a 20-minute drive from Oneonta, NY, Milford has a surprising number of venues.

Rail Explorers Cooperstown to Open May 29

Apr 29, 2021

- Rail Explorers, featuring custom built pedal-powered rail bikes will begin operation of their fourth location, the new Cooperstown Division, on Saturday, May 29. The Rail Explorers Cooperstown Division features tours along the historic Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad which follows the beautiful Susquehanna River. Rail Explorers Cooperstown is hosted by the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad and is based in the restored Milford Depot in Milford, New York.

Just 4 hours from New York City and 1.5 hours from Albany, Rail Explorers Cooperstown tours are available from May 29 through October 31, 2021. The tour takes approximately 2.5 hours, including a stop along the rails at a private riverside turnaround area.

The Rail Explorer bikes have 4 steel wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, pedals for each seat, and are comfortable, fun and easy to ride. Although the Rail Explorers require pedaling, the magic of steel wheels on steel rails makes the experience very different from riding a regular bicycle. Each rail bike, available in tandem (2 riders) or quad (4 riders) includes an electric assist option.

All tours begin at the Milford Depot at 136 East Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807. Free parking is available for Rail Explorers at the train station. Group, private, team building, educational and special topic tours are available.

"We're incredibly excited that Rail Explorers chose Cooperstown to expand their hugely-successful nationwide operation. It is great to have yet another family and dog-friendly activity for our guests." says Cassandra Harrington, executive director of the Destination Marketing Corporation for Otsego County.

For tickets, gift cards and additional information, visit www.railexplorers.net or call 877-833-8588. Reservations are highly recommended.

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

Review Highlights

“ . We didn't see any wildlif e, mostly trees and a few farms ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

136 E Main St

Milford, NY 13807

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division .

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

Who would have thought that pedaling your own Handcar down some abandoned train tracks could be so fun, interesting, and engaging? We signed up for this activity and took our two kids. We were a few minutes late showing up but they accommodated us anyway. There's a nice area to wait before the trip with patio tables and umbrellas. There's a small gift shop in the old train station. There was a brief safety/instructional speech and then we were off. We were worried it would be too strenuous, but the circuit was fairly flat and the electrical assist really did help a lot! I turned it off at one point and you could definitely tell the exertion level went up significantly. There was no digital screen, no headset with prerecorded information, no tour guide or historical information- just a fun little ride through the backwoods on a bike/train/car hybrid that you pedal to keep moving. My lazy kids didn't pedal much on the way out, but my wife and I kept it going just fine. On the way back, the kids pedaled as well, and had fun. Either way, it really doesn't take much effort, which was surprising to me. So if you have some special needs or older/very young family members who can't/won't pedal, don't sweat it. One person gets the seat that has a handbrake- but you won't need that too much, unless you want to stop somewhere to take a picture. It's only used at the end of the ride, really. They space out the customers so you actually have a little time to stop (or at least slow down) and take a picture, or look at some interesting wildlife or the water, if you want. You can't go SUPER fast or you'll run into the people in front of you, and you can't just stop and sit forever, or else the people behind you will get stuck. But there's a happy medium where you can speed up a bit if you like, or slow down a bit if you want to check out a specific area. At the 'end' of the tracks, they have you get off the cart, and wait on a fairly nice little patio/station while they lift your car on a small battery powered hydraulic lift, and turn it around for the return trip. There were Adirondack chairs there to relax in (and I think they even had cold bottled water available). There were mosquitos at the turnaround point though. There were many Chinese tourists on the day we went, if that kind of thing matters to you- we didn't care. At the beginning/end there's a switchyard with lots of pieces of equipment, so if you are into trains, you will find this quite interesting. Stop in the gift shop if you're there early, or after you're done- it's really cute. The weather was beautiful and I have some great pictures/videos/memories from our family outing. Perhaps if the weather is not great, you may not have as good an experience, but we all loved it and still talk about it sometimes. The carts are made in Korea: http://www.esplan.co.kr/?t=1701640363

First time on any Rail Explorers experience. Totally professional & nice from reservations to explanations at time of event. Plenty of staff on hand and on ride who all knew their roles well. ( Really earned the full 4 Stars based on its staff who was the best...I do give 1\2 star ratings ya' know....good to be the king) Equipment was clean and in great shape. We took the Milford 12 mile course since it started at 9am and wanted to start our days here. It turned out to be a good choice in the summer since it is still somewhat cool that early. These carts can get up to close to 10 miles per hour so the cool breeze is awesome. Great workout even though it is electric- assist. Not strenuous at all. One person will have to be the anchor person ( must always pedal for it to go & the brake person) One thing though, there aren't too many sights on this track. We didn't see any wildlife, mostly trees and a few farms. Still something different. Must be beautiful in the Fall Look on Rail Explorers website for many locations throughout the world.

I can'tbelievei never heard of these until a year ago. I've been the time to two locations abs will be going again soon. Really recommend it but spots always book up fast.

So, last year we made the trek up to Cooperstown to try something very different with railbikes. I wrote the below review on the Yelp page for the host railroad mostly because I was too lazy and couldn't be bothered to make a new listing for Rail Explorers. www.yelp.com/biz/the-cooperstown-and-charlotte-valley-railroad-milford Enter 2022 and we made another trip to Cooperstown. Why? In their 2nd year here, Rail Explorers expanded their offerings to do night rides. Let me expound: Last year was Rail Explorers first year in Cooperstown and they started with a six mile ride north towards Cooperstown that ends sort of in the middle of nowhere along the Susquehanna River and at an out of service bridge. This year they offer a new ride that takes you four miles south towards Portlandville and also ends in the middle of nowhere along with Susquehanna. But where the ride excels is if you book the Fireside Tour they have a fire pits that they light along with some Adirondack Chairs which makes for great smore making. Also on the way back expect to see thousands of fireflies and we got double lucky with some nearby 4th of July fireworks getting shot off. Truly one of a kind visuals when it's that dark out in the middle of the country. The set up for this is easy. You go to their site (www.railexplorers.net/book/cooperstown/search), enter the number of people, find a date and pay. You'll get an email with some easy waivers to fill out and then you just show up. The lot for the Cooperstown and Charlotte (the host railroad) doesn't have a ton of spaces but we've never had an issue. Inside the station they have a small museum, tons of Rail Explorers merch and there is a rest room trailer out in the parking lot. IME and from looking at their website, even in the middle of summer right now aside from Saturdays you can book times same day or a day or two prior without issue. Why? When you get here you'll see. Milford is in the middle of nowhere. Note, unlike the rides they do in Vegas that are year round or the rides that a different company does in Cape May that go until December, it's daily during the summer and then Thursday-Monday in September & October. Let me say this, we've done railbiking now with three different companies and Rail Explorers is easily the best in terms of the locations they have, the staff they hire, the safety measures in place and the overall ROI experience. Having done both rides in Cooperstown do we have a reason to come back? Not really but in the near future we're hoping to get to their other locations in Newport, RI and upstate NY.

See all photos from Christopher C. for Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

One of the best adventures in Upstate NY. This is one of the most organized and professional activities I have done in NY. The staff are incredibly friendly, helpful and such good ambassadors of Rail Explorers. They hands down have the best crew of young workers. I would hire any of them any day.

Great experience highly recommend everyone to do this. Very beautiful area you go thru. Staff is very professional and hilarious.

This is the 3rd time my family have done this railroad explorer ride & each time we did it we had amazing time. We did it in different location each time & we loved it. We did the evening hours with 4 miles each way & had amazing experience. The staffs are very friendly & makes you feel very welcoming. This is a great family activity for all ages & a great way to have fun with family. I highly recommend this activity.

Perfect activity for a fall day in the pandemic. You are outside on your own bike with your pod. Seems environmentally friendly with bike power and electric assist. Great activity with your teens.

Fun experience. Very easy pedaling since is electric motor assist. We did a 5pm trip in late October and was a little less than two hours including a turnaround stop for marshmallow roast/bonfire.

We did the charlotte rail line for the fireside trip. It was a very fun experience! The eight mile round trip went significantly faster than expected and the motor on the bike did make it very easy. We also have to give a shout-out to Travis and Henesis (our guides) they were very engaging and a lot of fun!

People Also Viewed

Glimmerglass Queen

Catskill Scenic Trail

Oneonta Bus Lines

Doubleday Drivers

Cooperstown Family Campground

Deer Haven Campgrounds & Cabin

Glen Highland Farm

Experience It Tours

The Otesaga Resort Hotel

Mill Pond Inn

Best of Milford

Things to do in Milford

People found Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division by searching for…

Teen Activities Milford

Browse Nearby

Restaurants

Thrift Stores

Other Tours Nearby

Find more Tours near Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Receive emails and newsletters to keep in touch with I LOVE NY.

• Accessibility
• Adirondack Attractions
• Spotlight: Adirondacks
• Spotlight: Lake George
• Family Guide
• Lake Placid City Guide
• Central NY Attractions
• Spotlight: Cooperstown
• Binghamton City Guide
• Greater Niagara Attractions
• Spotlight: Buffalo & Niagara Falls
• Buffalo City Guide
• New York City Attractions
• Capital Saratoga Attractions
• Spotlight: Albany
• Albany City Guide
• Chautauqua-Allegheny Attractions
• Spotlight: Jamestown and Chautauqua-Allegheny
• Hudson Valley Attractions
• Spotlight: New Paltz
• Spotlight: Hudson Valley
• Thousand Islands Attractions
• Catskills Attractions
• Spotlight: The Catskills
• Finger Lakes Attractions
• Spotlight: Rochester
• Spotlight: Syracuse
• Spotlight: Finger Lakes
• Syracuse City Guide
• Rochester City Guide
• Long Island Attractions
• Spotlight: Long Island
• New York Blooms Report
• Spring Flower Shows & Festivals
• Maple Sugaring
• Land Adventures
• Whitewater Rafting & Tubing
• Canoeing and Kayaking
• Excursions by Boat
• Motorcoach Tours
• Motorcycling in New York
• Scenic Byways
• Scenic Train Rides
• Weekend Getaways
• Black History & Culture
• History Museums
• Underground Railroad
• Path Through History Weekend
• Architecture and Design
• Art Museums
• Covered Bridges
• Drive-In Movies
• People and Cultures
• Performing Arts
• Buffalo Wings
• Cideries and Distilleries
• New York Pizza
• Restaurants
• Amusement Parks
• Animals & Zoos
• Indoor Water Parks
• Outdoor Water Parks
• Kids' Museums
• Special Events
• Wedding Guide
• LGBTQ Resources
• Shop LGBTQ New York
• New York State Recipes
• Affordable Getaways
• Watchable Wildlife
• Natural Wonders
• Nature Centers
• State and National Parks
• Caverns and Mines
• Arenas & Stadiums
• Auto Racetracks
• Horse Racetracks
• Arts and Crafts
• Farmers Markets
• Flea Markets
• Malls and Outlets
• Senior Travel
• Romantic Getaways
• B&B / Inns / Farm Stays
• Dude Ranches
• Cabins / Cottages
• Hotels / Motels / Resorts
• Festivals & Annual Events
• Food & Drink
• Film Festivals
• Arts & Culture
• Expos / Shows & Sales
• Sports & Gaming
• Coronavirus Resources for Travelers
• Amtrak Discount
• Travel around New York State from NYC
• Trip Planner
• New York State Welcome Centers
• Travel Guides
• Offers & Deals
• I LOVE NY Mobile App

Rail Explorers Cooperstown to Open May 29

“We are excited about starting an operation in Cooperstown and becoming part of the community,” stated Rail Explorers CEO Mary Joy Lu. “The Cooperstown tour offers great views the Susquehanna River and the surrounding farmland, and the 12-mile round trip will be Rail Explorers longest tour offered to date. Many of our followers can't wait to try this tour.” said Lu.

Just 4 hours from New York City and 1.5 hours from Albany, Rail Explorers Cooperstown tours are available from May 29 through October 31, 2021. The tour takes approximately 2.5 hours, including a stop along the rails at a private riverside turnaround area.

The Rail Explorer bikes have 4 steel wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, pedals for each seat, and are comfortable, fun and easy to ride. Although the Rail Explorers require pedaling, the magic of steel wheels on steel rails makes the experience very different from riding a regular bicycle. Each rail bike, available in tandem (2 riders) or quad (4 riders) includes an electric assist option.

All tours begin at the Milford Depot at 136 East Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807. Free parking is available for Rail Explorers at the train station. Group, private, team building, educational and special topic tours are available.

"We're incredibly excited that Rail Explorers chose Cooperstown to expand their hugely-successful nationwide operation. It is great to have yet another family and dog-friendly activity for our guests." says Cassandra Harrington, executive director of the Destination Marketing Corporation for Otsego County.

For tickets, gift cards and additional information, visit  www.railexplorers.net  or call 877-833-8588. Reservations are highly recommended.

About Rail Explorers:

Rail Explorers is an eco-tourism company that is passionate about sharing the fun and adventure of riding the rails. We provide a unique way of experiencing the outdoors in a safe, relaxed and enjoyable way.

In 2021, Rail Explorers will operate in: Newport County, Rhode Island, Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenicia, New York (in the Catskills); Cooperstown, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rail Explorers Reservations & Information

Rail Explorers USA, 877-833-8588,  www.railexplorers.net

[Rack Card attached – for promotional use only]

About Destination Marketing Corporation

The Destination Marketing Corporation’s mission is to actively promote and market  Otsego  County for the purpose of encouraging overnight visitation thus contributing to the economic impact of tourism in our communities through the generation of occupancy tax revenues.  

MEDIA CONTACT:  Mark Stenning (401) 481-6598

Click here to access the I LOVE NY press kit.

• 2024 Solar Eclipse (41)
• Accolades (4)
• Amusement Parks (33)
• Anniversaries (30)
• Arts and Culture (839)
• Beaches (2)
• biking (18)
• Boating (44)
• Brand Stories (11)
• camping (14)
• Canals (45)
• Capital-Saratoga (262)
• Catskills (86)
• central (1)
• Central New York (127)
• Chautauqua-Allegheny (49)
• craft beverages (36)
• fall foliage (13)
• family (58)
• festivals and events (1640)
• Finger Lakes (440)
• fishing (26)
• food and wine (137)
• golfing (10)
• Greater Niagara (138)
• green tourism (5)
• hiking (18)
• history (716)
• Hudson Valley (401)
• Long Island (96)
• Museums (655)
• natural attractions (95)
• New Developments in New York State Tourism (258)
• New York City (341)
• New York State in the News (94)
• Path Through History (188)
• places to stay (57)
• regional publications (11)
• road trips (5)
• romance (2)
• shopping (55)
• skiing (28)
• snow sports (7)
• snowmobiling (6)
• sports (75)
• Spring (23)
• State Parks and Historic Sites (112)
• Summer (62)
• The Adirondacks (458)
• The Catskills (11)
• Thousand Islands-Seaway (36)
• tourist services (385)
• Wellness (1)
• Winter (62)
• winter sports (45)
• February (95)
• January (64)
• December (60)
• November (45)
• October (19)
• September (51)
• August (76)
• February (42)
• January (36)
• December (23)
• November (49)
• October (29)
• September (32)
• August (39)
• February (24)
• January (23)
• December (30)
• November (21)
• October (14)
• September (19)
• August (30)
• February (34)
• January (27)
• December (32)
• November (29)
• October (49)
• September (39)
• August (49)
• February (57)
• January (67)
• November (59)
• October (6)
• September (9)
• August (21)
• February (5)
• January (10)
• November (1)
• October (1)
• accommodation deals
• Adirondacks
• Alpine Adventures
• anniversary
• Backcountry
• Bed & Breakfasts
• budget travel
• children's skiing
• cooking classes
• cross-country skiing
• East Aurora
• Finger Lakes
• French and Indian War
• historical re-enactments
• Hudson Valley
• luxury travel
• Niagara Falls
• off-season vacation
• Otsego Country
• Putnam County
• restaurants
• southwestern New York State
• Strong Museum of Play
• tv commercials
• Upstate New York

Cookies are used for measurement, ads, and optimization. By continuing to use our site you agree to our  privacy policy .

• 607.547.5756
• Reserve Now

Cooperstown Rail Explorers

Enjoy the views on a cooperstown rail explorer.

Get ready to venture through the beauty of the Susquehanna River and other scenic areas with a trip from Cooperstown Rail Explorers !

Using rail vehicle technology from the 1850s, spend the day touring the beautiful farmlands and forested areas of Cooperstown. The explorers are modified, motorized bikes fit to travel atop railroad tracks. They are lightweight and can carry either two people in their tandem bike or four in their quad explorer. These explorers travel at a leisurely pace, allowing you ample time to take in the natural beauty of the area for the full two-hour duration.

Rail Explorers eight different tours through Cooperstown. The Milford Track is their longest ride along the Susquehanna River, a 12-mile roundtrip ride that lasts roughly 2.5 hours. The Charlotte Valley Express is shorter, but still provides beautiful views of historic trestle bridges and nature. There are breakfast tours available as well, journeying through the Charlotte Valley route with a scenic stop for a picnic with locally baked pastries and fresh coffee.

Cooperstown Rail Explorers offers an opportunity for nature lovers to take in all the magnificent beauty of rural New York. Book a tour  for your next getaway and rest up after with a stay at The Inn at Cooperstown !

Checking Availability...

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Rail Explorers: Cooperstown Division - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Visiting Tips (2024)

Catskills Division

• 10% OFF Dining and Drinks at Foxfire Mountain House!   when you present your red Rail Explorers wrist band. Bohemian and relaxed, Foxfire is like your globe-trotting uncle’s country estate. A place where modern travelers can lounge by the stone fireplace on sheepskin rugs or on vintage velvet and leather sofas. It’s about conversation, community, and the right ambiance to create perfect moments. Plan your visit at foxfiremountainhouse.com

Rhode Island Division

• Rail Explorers and a train ride!   Why not combine your Rail Explorers Tour with dinner on the '  Grand Bellevue ' - an elegant dinner train experience. Check out the many train tours and experiences available on the Newport and Narragansett Bay Railroad at     www.trainsri.com

• Dashing Dan's Clam Car are serving up classic New England clam shack dishes from a vintage 1950s train car! Located on the track right next to the Rail Explorers Station, they're in the perfect spot for a quick breakfast or lunch. Right now they are offering full take-out service for patrons. Check out the menu at dashingdansclamcar.com

• The Gulf Stream Bar and Grille focuses on creating a comfortable, friendly dining experience. The main dining room, indoor bar and dog-friendly outdoor deck and bar provide stunning sunset and water views. Their creative menu offers coastal cooking with a New England Twist – taking delicious recipes from regions along the Gulf Stream, and adding a dash of New England style.  The Gulf Stream Bar and Grille is conveniently located just around the corner from Rail Explorers' station. Menu and more details at www.gulfstreambar.com

• Rail and Fly! See Rhode Island from the unique perspective of the rails with Rail Explorers, then take to the skies with Newport Helicopter tours and see the island in a whole new way! Try the  Mansion Tour  or the spectacular Sunset Tour . Book your helicopter tour today at  www.newporthelicoptertours.com

Cooperstown Division coming soon