COVID put the kibosh on the Dutchess County Fair (and so much else) last year, so it’s great to have it up and running again, from August 24-29.
Continue reading10 Facts About the Dutchess County Fair
10 Scenic Hudson Parks You Can Get to By Train
Who says you need a car to explore Scenic Hudson parks? A ride on Metro-North’s Hudson Line and a short walk will deliver you to these 10 outstanding places where you can admire the Hudson River, connect with nature, go fishing, rent a kayak, or just sit and enjoy a little peace and quiet.
Yonkers
A 2-minute walk from the station brings you to this 1,000-foot walkway paralleling the river’s edge that offers magnificent views of the New York City skyline and across the river to the Palisades.
Van der Donck Park at Larkin Plaza
Relax and enjoy nature in this park right outside the station’s front door. Its centerpiece is the Saw Mill River, a Hudson River tributary that flowed beneath a parking lot here for 80 years until being “daylighted.”
Take a 5-minute stroll to arrive at the only place in downtown Yonkers where you can dip a toe in the river. It’s also a prime sunbathing spot.
Irvington
Scenic Hudson Park at Irvington
A minute from the station, the park features a riverfront walking path offering views spanning from the Manhattan skyline to the Tappan Zee. There’s a basketball court for LeBron James wannabes.
Tarrytown
Stroll westward for 2 minutes and you’ll arrive at this riverfront oasis (formerly site of an asphalt plant) featuring an esplanade as well as lawns perfect for siestas.
Peekskill
Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing
Hop off the train and walk right into this park, whose walking path offers an up-close look at Peekskill Bay—and maybe a bald eagle. For more exercise, stroll 2 miles south along the city’s RiverWalk.
Cold Spring
Foundry Dock Park, Cold Spring
Right across the station’s parking lot, this park is small but offers BIG views of the dramatic Hudson Highlands. Those craving more action can bring a kayak and paddle through nearby Constitution Marsh.
West Point Foundry Preserve, Cold Spring
Take a 10-minute walk along scenic Foundry Cove to visit this woodsy “outdoor museum” containing remains of a 19th-century ironworks whose cannons helped win the Civil War.
Beacon
Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park
For optimal enjoyment of this riverside mecca 2 minutes from the station, bring a blanket, picnic or fishing pole. For more action, bring a bike (our Madam Brett Park is 1 mile away on the flat Klara Sauer Trail) or a kayak, and paddle into Newburgh Bay.
Poughkeepsie
Take the elevator 5 minutes away to enjoy magnificent views from the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. For more fun, take the Walkway Loop Trail or hike at idyllic Franny Reese State Park.
Tour Historic Hudson River Towns by App
Launched in June 2020, an app allows users — whether driving in their car or reclining in a backyard hammock — to take a self-guided audio tour of parks, historic sites and other attractions in riverfront communities in Rockland and Westchester counties.
Created for Historic Hudson River Towns, a consortium of municipalities along the river, the app spans attractions from Yonkers to Peekskill on the Hudson’s eastern shore and Nyack to Haverstraw on the west. Interestingly, it crosses both the oldest (Bear Mountain) and newest (Gov. Mario M. Cuomo) bridges in the Hudson Valley.
Along with fact-filled narration, the app features myriad photographs illustrating the historic, scenic or ecological importance of each location.
The 50 stops on the tour include 7 Scenic Hudson parks or riverfronts where we played major roles in transforming contaminated industrial sites into magnificent places to connect with the Hudson’s beauty and wildlife. These include Esplanade Park in Yonkers, Scenic Hudson Park at Irvington, Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing and Emeline Park in Haverstraw. Scenic Hudson staff members provide the narration at each of these stops.
Historic Hudson River Towns also has released two guided audio tours — one for bikers, the other for walkers — crossing the river on the Cuomo Bridge’s 3.6-mile pedestrian path, which opened to the public on June 14. It offers interesting facts about the current and previous bridges, the history of the two communities it connects (Nyack and Tarrytown), and a glimpse at the life and legacy of Mario Cuomo. Future plans include walking tours of Irvington, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Nyack.
Funding for the mobile audio tour program was provided by a grant to Historic Hudson River Towns from the New NY Bridge Project’s Community Benefits Program, administered by the New York State Thruway Authority.
