Walkway Over the Hudson

In 1888, the Poughkeepskie Railroad Bridge opened as the first bridge across the Hudson River from the ocean all the way to Albany, NY. Opening shortly after the Brooklyn Bridge, it was an engineering marvel. It is higher above the water than the Brooklyn Bridge (212 ft) and longer than the Brooklyn Bridge (1.25 miles). Unfortunately, its railroad career ended in 1974 when a fire severely damaged the tracks. A group of forward thinking individuals raised money to aquire the bridge. It re-opened in 2009 as The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, marking the transformation of the Poughkeepskie-Highland Railroad Bridge into a new 1.25 mile linear park in the sky. It offers outstanding panoramic views of the river. We parked on the Highland side and walked across the river and of course, back. Just south of the walkway is the Mid-Hudson, FDR Bridge. We are fortunate to view both bridges from their decks today and tomorrow will see them from the water.