Beyond the Trail
Land Trail System
The Hudson River Valley Greenway welcomes you to take part in the many exciting recreational trail efforts occurring throughout the Hudson Valley. The Greenway is helping communities and trail groups establish a system of trails that link cultural and historic sites, parks, open spaces, and community centers as well as providing public access to the Hudson River.
Where are Greenway Trails located?
Information regarding designated Greenway Trails as well as directions to trail-heads can be found by clicking on the map below. Information such as latitude and longitude of parking areas and allowable trail uses is included, if available.
Information regarding designated Greenway Trails as well as directions to trail-heads can be found by clicking on the map below. Information such as latitude and longitude of parking areas and allowable trail uses is included, if available.
View Hudson River Greenway Trail on a larger map
The Greenway Land Trail Program seeks to coordinate the creation of a multi-use trail network, the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail System. The Greenway supports the creation of this Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail by helping local and regional organizations plan and build trails through small grants, engaging regional partners to advance the interconnected trails throughout the region, supporting visioning and trail planning workshops, in addition to region-wide visioning and trail mapping. Where possible, the trail system provides physical or visual access to the Hudson River. The Greenway seeks to further contribute to the economic development of the Hudson Valley’s communities by creating trails that support local businesses, complement tourism efforts, and make the valley a better place to live and work.
For a portable copy of the Trail Map please click here-Trail Map 2.8 MB
National Heritage Area
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area was designed by Congress to recognize the importance of the history and the resources of the Hudson River Valley to the nation. These resources represent themes of settlement and migration, transportation, and commerce. The cities, towns, and rural landscapes of the region display exceptional surviving physical resources spanning four centuries.
The Hudson River Valley played an important role in the military history of the American Revolution. The region gave birth to significant developments in American art and architecture and played a central role in the recognition of the esthetic value of the landscape through the work of Andrew Jackson Downing, Alexander Jackson Davis, Thomas Cole, and Frederic Church. Dutch and Huguenot settlements, the Knickerbocker writers, early labor cooperatives, and the first women's secondary school are all significant contributions to the development of our country and are products of the Hudson River Valley.
The mission of the National Heritage Area program is to recognize, preserve, and promote the natural and cultural resources of the Hudson River Valley. This will be accomplished through a voluntary partnership with communities and citizens, and local, state, and federal agencies emphasizing public access, economic development, regional planning, and interpretive programs.
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area includes 250 communities in ten counties bordering the Hudson River for 154 miles of tidal estuary. This area is approximately three million acres of Hudson Highlands, Catskill Mountains, rolling farmland and compact villages, small cities, and hamlets. The region extends from the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, south to the northern border of New York City.
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is managed by the Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, a public benefit corporation, and the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council, a state agency. These organizations were established in the Executive Department of the New York State Government in 1991 and are governed by boards of directors representing numerous public and private constituencies and interest groups in the region. The office for these programs is located in Albany, New York.
Please visit our new website, www.hudsonrivervalley.com
Water Trails of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail in the Hudson River Valley in 1781 and 1782: A Historical Overview and Resource Inventory
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA), in cooperation with the National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (W3R-US) is pleased to announce the publication of Water Trails of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail in the Hudson River Valley in 1781 and 1782: A Historical Overview and Resource Inventory. The paper was painstakingly researched and written by Dr. Robert A. Selig, Historian of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail. This paper was produced in 2020 with financial support provided by the HRVNHA.
The Hudson River played a pivotal role as a corridor of transportation for troops and materials during the American Revolutionary War (the Revolution). The historical research closely examines strategies and initiatives developed during the Revolution, including
- the anticipation of an allied siege of New York City,
- the crossing of the Hudson by over 6,000 Franco-American troops from Peekskill/King’s Ferry to Stony Point as a key part of the march to Yorktown,
- the celebratory encampment of the allied armies in Peekskill following the second crossing of the Hudson River upon the return of the comte de Rochambeau’s forces from Virginia in September 1782, and
- the failed waterborne attempt by Continental Army forces sailing down the Hudson from Teller’s Point to surprise Loyalists at Fort Independence.
The Fort Independence excursion will be utilized for future inclusion in the Boater’s Guide to the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail Water Routes.
The report compiles an inventory of current-day historical, cultural, and natural sites and resources in the Hudson River Valley that were significant in the Revolution in 1781 and 1782. To read the report click here.