On View: March 7 – April 5, 2026
Opening reception: March 7, 2026, 3-5PM
A collaboration between the Woodstock Land Conservancy, KATrail.org, and CPW, the Happy Trails Contest features submissions via an open call for photography about the Ashokan Rail Trail (ART).
Ulster County proudly opened the Ashokan Rail Trail (ART) to visitors in late 2019. The ribbon-cutting event was well attended, and visitors exceeded the county’s expectations in the first year. Since then, walkers, runners, and cyclists—both residents and visitors—have enjoyed the rail trail, with Ulster County data noting that the ART draws “an average of more than 16,000 visitors per month.”
Available in all four seasons from dawn til dusk, and boasting three trailheads for entering and exiting the 11.5-mile trail, the ART is a testament to community support, partnerships, and environmental preservation. Built on part of the historic Ulster & Delaware Corridor, the rail trail runs along the Ashokan Reservoir between West Hurley and Boiceville.
For more than six years, the ART has drawn professional and amateur photographers to capture its breathtaking landscapes, its unique flora and fauna, and the many happy faces of those on the trail. It’s these moments the Happy Trails Photo Contest memorializes. In doing so it reminds us that the ART is a community asset to cherish—and protect.
When the ART was first proposed more than a decade ago, it was an audacious dream. Today it is a reality. Maybe it’s time to dream anew as supporters work to expand the trail. If you’d like to dream with us, go to KATrail.org to learn more. But first, please join us on March 7th at CPW to celebrate the art that exemplifies the ART.
About the Community Gallery:
CPW’s Community Gallery is a new space dedicated to fostering connections between diverse local communities using photography. It will host a rotating schedule of short-run exhibitions featuring work by CPW members, local artist collectives, student groups, and projects by local nonprofit organizations. CPW is committed to being a welcoming hub for critical and creative explorations of photography from varied perspectives.