Photo by Jason Taylor, Scenic Hudson
If you ask anyone who
lives in the Mid-Hudson Valley to list their favorite local attractions, you
will hear the Walkway Over the Hudson over and over again.
It is not hard to
understand why. What beats a stroll on the longest raised pedestrian walkway in
the world, complemented with beautiful river and mountain views?
One of the best things
about the walkway is that it’s enjoyable to everyone. Its wide and flat surface
means anyone young and old can have an easy, pleasant stroll — even for parents
pushing strollers and people in wheelchairs. And at 212 feet tall and 1.28
miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world — almost
a 3-mile round trip walk from the parking lot.
The Ulster County side
You can access the Walkway
from either Poughkeepsie, on the Dutchess County side, or from Highland, on the
Ulster County Side.
From Highland, the walkway
connects to the rest of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. If you are interested,
you can keep walking along the trail that will connect you to Franny Reese State Park, The Highland Landing Park, or Main Street Highland.
While there are vendors
selling food and water at either end of the walkway, you don’t have to go far
to find more shops and restaurants in Highland.
The Frozen
Caboose sells local Jane’s and
Perry’s ice cream, soft-serve and smoothies. That sure is something to look
forward to after a walk on a sunny day!
Read more: Explore the Hudson River with your kids
The Dutchess County side
On the Poughkeepsie side,
the walkway elevator (installed last year) takes you down to the riverfront
Waryas Park, and from there it’s a 15-minute walk to the Metro North Poughkeepsie train station.
If you would like to explore
Poughkeepsie after the walkway, you will find a playground and a skate park at
the waterfront below the bridge. And, of course, there is also the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum (currently closed for renovations), a perfect place to spend a few hours with
children ages 6 and under.
Looking to dine by the
riverfront? The River Station offers
great seafood and burgers, a chowder bar, and an outdoor deck for you to enjoy
the view.
Special events
The Walkway is a great
place to people watch. On a nice weekend, you will often different
organizations with activities, sometimes offering face painting, free balloons,
and live music to children and adults. To check out their full list of upcoming
events, visit walkway.org.
Kathy Ng lives with her family in Dutchess County.