Walkway Over the Hudson

Calming, soothing, beautiful. Pick your adjective.
Try to get here before sunset. It won’t change your life, but it will kick the night off right.
You know… If you’re into that sort of romantic freely crap.
(I guess I am)

This is a lovely walk with a very peaceful beautiful view. Very enjoyable! You can look over to see the bridge nearby or below to see the houses, the water and the scenery.
It was approximately 2 miles each way. Keep in mind parking is $ 5 for 4 hours. But you can park on the street!

Visit early October for a nice view of autumn leaves along Hudson river or summer for a nice walk or run around the town then cross the bridge or watch the sunset. I parked on the streets, just come early…

The Walkway over the Hudson is a great idea: take an old and unused railway bridge and turn it into a public amenity. Since it reopened in 2009 millions of visitors, walkers and riders, have made the trip, but don’t be confused, this is no High Line (NY, NY) or Bridge of Flowers (Shelburne Falls, MA) with their extensive plantings – and for the High Line, multiple entry and exit points as well as places to sit and relax. This is a bare concrete path, and once you reach the section actually over the river you are closed in by fencing which not only would make it very hard to jump (a good thing, to be sure), but which unfortunately also closes off the view. We were glad to finally get around to giving it a try, but we don’t have any plans to return. We found a spot in the free parking lot on the Poughkeepsie side where there were also free, if not necessarily very sanitary, portable facilities and a gift shop.

It’s a wonderful place to walk, jog or bike. It connects to the trail so you can bike further. Really nice area to de stress, exercise and enjoy the surroundings

— Elevator Closes 30min before Sunset
— Elevator is located by Children’s Museum
— Best parking for elevator is the train station lot
— Bridge closes at sunset, so plan ahead
— The walkway extends much further on both sides if you want to make an extra long day
— Porta-​potties & food trucks right off bridge on Highland side
— Parking on Highland side is closest to bridge walkway for handicap access

Lovely place. Extremely clean and dog friendly. My first time visiting was few days ago when the leaves on the trees started to change color. It was an amazing experience!

It’s always a great trip driving up to upstate New York and enjoying the fall foliage.
Our destination was Poughkeepsie, a town with a population of 30k, an hour and a half drive north of NYC. After seeing a TV spot from I Love NY campaign, I looked up this walkway across the Hudson. It looked very interesting!!! We decided to drive up, so we could explore the town a little more. However, you can also take metro north round trip for $ 23 and change. The train station is actually right there where the bridge is.
This railroad-​bridge-​turned-​pedestrian-​walkway bridge stretches 1.28 miles (2km) across the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland. From up there you can also see the Mid-​Hudson bridge in the south. If you decide to do the 4.5 mile loop trail, you’ll get to cross this bridge as well. That was a little too far for us this time.
It was pretty windy with flurries (yeah it snowed) when we got there, so we didn’t get much time to enjoy the view. At the other end on the Highland side, there are some food trucks, just in case you wanna snack on something or imbibe on a cup hot apple cider.
Don’t forget to take an elevator up and down to see the structure of this bridge. It looks pretty amazing how they placed concrete slaps on this old rusty structure. What a great sight!
As for train lovers, you can also spot a mile long freight train along the Hudson on the Highland side.
This walk can be very enjoyable in the summertime. I guess I’m coming back again.

So, I understand why people might not «get» the Walkway, but it’s one of the most communal, active and lovely parts of the City of Poughkeepsie.
The bridge spans about 1.3 miles and it’s always full of dog walkers, kids racing around on bikes, runners — there’s really something for everyone in the community, even if it’s just a quick walk. Something I think is really great is that they always let dog owners know the pavement temperature for their dogs, usually with a lengthy explanation about pet safety in warmer weather. I don’t personally own a dog, but I assume my neighboring pet owners appreciate this.
The only thing I absolutely detest about this place is the parking lot. It’s unpaved and super rocky/​bumpy. After you finish off-​roading to your parking spot, though, you start the Walkway journey through a small, shaded path that opens up to the bridge’s entrance. From there, all you have to do is move forward. For the first couple minutes, it doesn’t seem like much because you’re surrounded by fences and just looking at everyone’s roofs. After a while, though, the fences lower and you’re over the river and that’s when it becomes absolutely beautiful. It’s all breezes and big, sprawling views of the Hudson. For a time, I was trying to get to the Walkway for a bit everyday and its views never bored me.
The best part? It’s FREE!

It was a relaxing beautiful day to walk over the Hudson today! Happen to be around the area for a short trip with the family — and stopped over here! Easy breezy walk through! I made it through the middle cause I was pressed for time, but it was definitely worth it! I would encourage people to visit! Only thing would be better if people knew what’s on the other side of the bridge. If it’s worth going over. I wouldn’t know unless I go back.

This is a cool little free thing to do in Poughkeepsie that I would recommend if you are traveling through or if you live here and haven’t taken the time to do.
I took away a star because the only bathroom is a porta potty in a building close to it.
The walking bridge has an elevator that takes you up… thankfully because it is high, around 300 feet if had to guess. There are some really great views from up there.

You get such beautiful views of the Hudson Valley. If you’re feeling ambitious for a long jog, across the bridge on Newburgh’s side there are trails for you to extend your run. Cool free activity.

Don’t expect the High Line, the surface here is zero-​style poured concrete with industrial fence, there’s no trace of the rails that were once here. But it looks like it will last a hundred years and the views of the Hudson River valley are spectacular!
Plenty of restrooms but no shade and not all that much breeze 200 feet above the water, dogs suffer on the Walkway Over The Hudson and humans can get pretty hot too. Still, a great excuse to find lunch in Poughkeepsie, and how many places can you cross the Hudson for free? :-)

Excellent spot.
1) This is one of the longest raised pedestrian walkway in the whole world.
2) Excellent spot for people watching.
3) The views are awesome!

This walkway used to be a railroad. At 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, from Poughkeepsie to Highland, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. We stopped by here on our way driving back from the Catskills to the NYC. We glad we did! The view is absolutely amazing! We absolutely love this place! Free parking! If you live nearby, this is definitely a must to check & if you’re not from area, it’s definitely worth taking the trip whether it’s by car or the Metro-​North to see this place. We will definitely go back!

Great place to walk, run, see the views. The walkway is a little over a mile long. We took the elevator up from the poughkeepsie side. I was a little scared going this high up but the bridge is well secured on both sides. Since it is so high up, keep in mind in the summer the temperature here will be hotter than the temperature on the ground. We were roasting, Thankfully once we got over to the other side of the bridge, there was a truck selling drinks, popsicles, etc for a very reasonable price. I was mainly concerned with getting water for my dog because of the heat. We really enjoyed it here, definitely a must visit if in the area.

Visiting the Hudson Valley for the first time in many years (after growing up here and then moving to California), I was on a mission to explore things that are new since my last visit. Walkway on the Hudson, is the longest pedestrian only elevated bridge in the world. It’s the perfect showcase for the beautiful Hudson Valley and well worth a visit.
We parked on the Highland side and that lot was free. At the start of the Rail Trail (which extends away from the walkway as well if you wanted to explore other parts of the area) we encountered info plaques on the history of the bridge, a former railway trestle, as well as general the general history and ecology of the area. In fact the entire walkway features various plaques you can read along the way. It’s a bit over two miles round trip and completely open, so no shade. Wear comfy shoes, take water, and enjoy the expansive views north and south. We saw trains going by, as well as barges and other boats. Looking towards the east side and the city of Poughkeepsie you’ll see more buildings and general activity. On the Highland side, it’s less built up and an interesting comparison.
Although folks seem to use the Walkway for exercise (we saw bikes, scooters, joggers, power walkers and even one person rollerblading), we took our time and meandered the length, enjoying the views and the info plaques along the way. There are also some benches you can rest at, if need be.
It’s all well maintained, closes at sunset and extremely well done. Great addition to the Hudson Valley since my last visit and I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be in the fall for the foliage display.

So high up. There are great views from the bridge. It’s a really nice walk. We went up in the elevator from the Poughkeepsie side. It was a very hot day. Bring water. We were very thankful that there was a vendor on the other side selling drinks, popsicles, and popcorn for a reasonable price.
Bring your camera!

I love this walk.
Over the last year, I have had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Walkway Over the Hudson numerous times. And every time, it’s perfect.
Whether you’re going for a stroll on a cool summer day, or taking in the snow-​covered landscape in the winter — it’s forever enjoyable and beautiful. At 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. Biking, bird watching, dog walking, train-​spotting — there’s never a shortage of things to do. With benches at each of the bridge’s three scenic overlooks and picnic tables at both bridge approaches, come and stay awhile. Bike racks and rest rooms are available at either end of the bridge too!
Enjoy views of the Hudson Valley from the recently installed 21-​story elevator. More than 200 feet tall, it connects the Poughkeepsie waterfront to the Walkway. Open year-​round, the historical park has been a centerpiece for events ranging from wedding ceremonies to all sorts of fundraisers. Guided tours of the Walkway are also available by appointment April-​October.
Open daily, the park opens at 7am and closes at sunset and the elevator operates between 9am-​1pm.

Gorgeous view of the Hudson river in the middle of Hudson Valley area. Even better for everyone without a car too since Poushkeepie is reachable by Train and you can make a whole day trip out of the visit coming here is a must!
The view here makes walking across George Washington Bridge very different, instead of Manhattan skyline you get an awesome view of the valley its quite breath taking during the time when I visited in Autumn when leaves are turning color. Its a very popular walk reminded me of the Highlines, actually its just an Hudson Valley version of Highlines over the river :)
From end to back took us about 1.5 hours to walk through on a slow stroll with plenty of picture time. We were coming from Mohonks that day so parked on the western side of the river where they had a free parking lot. I think there’s an even closer parking lot but there’s a fee so its definitely worth it just park little further since you’ll be doing bunch of walking anyway: P It makes the view more spectacular as you start walking on the bridge until slowly the river comes into view.
Oh since you’ll be walking over the river it does get quite windy if you’re not visiting during Summer months so definitely be prepare for the weather, an extra jacket or layer I would definitely recommend.
Lastly there’s also an elevator that takes you to ground level to check out the park and view right by the river bank, Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to ride it since they close at 5:30. But the bridge itself is open until sunset everyday.
On my visit I saw a lot of workers there so they definitely do their best to keep the place nice and clean for everyone to enjoy. It can get bit crowded especially around the two ends of the bridges but its definitely worth the walk. Highly recommend you visit if you’re up here in the Hudson Valley enjoying nature.