New York State Route 97

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NY Route 97
Length:	61.05 mi[1] (98.25 km)
South end:	US 6/209/NY 42 in Port Jervis
North end:	NY 17 in Hancock
Counties:	Orange, Sullivan, Delaware
Numbered highways in New York < NY 96B NY 98 > Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference
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New York State Route 97 (NY 97) is a 61.05 mi (98.25 km) long north-south scenic route in the U.S. state of New York. It runs from U.S. Route 6 and US 209 in Port Jervis to New York State Route 17 in Hancock. Its most famous feature is the Hawk's Nest, a tightly winding section of the road along the Delaware River, a few miles north of Port Jervis.

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Orange County 1.2 Sullivan County 1.3 Delaware County 2 History 3 Major intersections 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Route description

[edit] Orange County

Route 97 begins, along with NY 42, at an intersection in Port Jervis where Park Avenue reaches US 6 and US 209. After passing through a residential neighborhood, the road climbs a nearby hillside and offers some stunning views back over the city, then leaves it. The road here runs right next to the active Central New York Railroad.

A few miles further on, the two routes split at the hamlet of Sparrow Bush. After passing through a wooded area and climbing some more, the road opens on to its most dramatic portion, the Hawk's Nest.

Here 97 perches on steep and stony cliffs, following a narrow, twisty course. Picturesque stone fencing prevents cars from falling into the river a hundred feet (30 m) below, and there are frequent overlooks to take in the view and, on nice summer days, the kayakers and rafters. It has been used in commercials for BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Cadillac models, as well as by American Express. Car and motorcycle enthusiasts, and more recently bicyclists and even skateboarders, have been drawn to the Hawk's Nest's combination of scenic beauty and challenge for many years.

Once past the Hawk's Nest, 97 again returns to river level as it crosses the Mongaup River and enters Sullivan County.

[edit] Sullivan County

Here the road runs more east-west, as does the river. Highway and the railroad tracks are never far away as 97 winds past several small hamlets that grew up around the railroad. In the slightly larger hamlet of Barryville, 97 meets its first state highway since Sparrow Bush as NY 55 crosses the highway on its way into Pennsylvania where it becomes that state's Route 434.

Continuing on past land mostly undeveloped as part of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, 97 passes more small hamlets. Shortly after Minisink Ford and the restored Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct, the river turns northward again and so does 97. However, the highway strikes a course more inland, with more than a mile separating it from the river at Luxton Lake. The NY 52 junction heralds a return to the river route, however, and shortly thereafter 97 comes upon Narrowsburg, the largest community it will pass through between its termini (while still small). A bridge leads across to Darbytown and PA 652.

Having returned to the side of the Delaware, 97 hugs it closely up to Cochecton, where the old Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike once reached the river and a bridge gives access to Damascus and PA 371. 97 goes on to Callicoon and its last state highway junction in Sullivan County, NY 17B. It avoids a bend in the river north of the quiet hamlet by heading more to the north, then rejoins the river past Hankins and Long Eddy until it reaches the Delaware County line.

[edit] Delaware County

In Delaware 97 again moves away from the river and finds some stretches more like other state highways and less like a river road, with long straightaways, wide turns, good pavement and gentle climbs. A few miles south of Hancock, 97 returns to the river and follows it past the confluence of its east and west branches and then enters the village. There, it collects PA 191 and ends at a junction with NY 17/I-86. The highway continues north as Delaware County Route 67 (Sands Creek Road) to end at NY 10.

[edit] History

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Prior to the advent of the current state highway system, the modern alignment of NY 97 was originally defined in New York State Highway Law as Route 3-a in 1911.^[2] In the 1930 renumbering, the portion of Legislative Route 3-a from Port Jervis to Callicoon was designated as NY 97.^[3] The remainder of the roadway north to Hancock became part of NY 17B. All of Legislative Route 3-a had no signed designation prior to 1930.^[4]

97 was created in its present form in 1932 when then-New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation designating the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, largely contiguous with the current route. About a quarter of the route follows the old Delaware and Hudson Canal.

The highway's star attraction, the Hawk's Nest, almost didn't happen. While a road of some form had run along the cliffside route since at least 1851, the original plan for 97 would have bypassed it entirely in favor of a shoreline route. But the Erie Railroad refused to sell the right-of-way.

Near Cochecton, a historical marker points out that Route 97 passes the rock claimed by New Jersey colonists as the western end of the colony's northern border during the New York - New Jersey Line War in the 18th century.

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[1]	Roads intersected	Notes
Orange	Port Jervis	0.00	US 6 / US 209 NY 42	Southern terminus of NY 42/97 overlap; southern terminus of NY 42
	Sparrow Bush	2.95	NY 42 north	Northern terminus of overlap
Sullivan	Narrowsburg	18.38	NY 55 PA 434	Western terminus of NY 55; eastern terminus of PA 434[a]
	S of Barryville	32.31	NY 52 east	Eastern terminus of overlap
	Barryville	32.97	NY 52 west	Western terminus of overlap
	Cochecton	41.86	To PA 371 via CR 114
	CDP of Callicoon	46.29	NY 17B	Western terminus of NY 17B
Delaware	Village of Hancock	60.41	NY 268	Southern terminus of NY 268. As of 2006, road closed off at this point due to effects of flooding earlier in the year on highway.
			PA 191	Northern terminus of PA 191[a]
		61.05	NY 17	Exit 87 (NY 17)

[edit] Notes

a. ^ ^a b The actual eastern terminus of PA 434 and the actual northern terminus of PA 191 is at the New York-Pennsylvania border in the middle of the Delaware River roughly 400 yards (370 m) from where their locally-maintained continuations into New York intersect NY 97.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• NY 97 Travelogue @ Empire State Roads
• Hawk's Nest Bike Run at YouTube