Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley follows the Hudson River north from the New York City metro to the edge of Albany, a scenic 150-mile stretch of river, rolling Appalachian foothills, and historic estates along both banks. The river is wide and tidal as far north as Troy, and the stone foundations of the old riverfront industrial towns still anchor the small cities along the way. Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia, and Greene counties extend the length of the valley, with anchors at Tarrytown, Beacon, Cold Spring, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Hudson, and Saugerties. The region holds the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt estates in Hyde Park, Olana south of Hudson, Storm King Art Center, West Point above the Hudson Highlands, the Walkway Over the Hudson at Poughkeepsie, and Dia Beacon. Most travel here is paced for a long weekend out of New York City, easily reached by Metro-North or short Amtrak rides. Trips combine river-town wandering, big-house tours, hiking in the Highlands, and the food and antique scene that has built up around towns like Hudson, Beacon, and Rhinebeck.