This tour will guide you through the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridge at 1.28 miles from gate to gate. he Walkway spans the majestic Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York, in the heart of the beautiful, historic Hudson Valley.
On this tour you will hear about this region's environment, Native Americans, European settlers, unusual endangered fish, impressive early engineering feats, and much more.
The Walkway is open seven days a week, 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset -- and occasionally after dark for special events. Walkway Over the Hudson is one of the most accessible parks in the world for visitors with mobility challenges because it is flat, paved, and stair-less. For more information about the Walkway, visit walkway.org.
Sample Stories
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Railroad Bridge Fire
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For 85 years, this route was a railway carrying train traffic along the Poughkeepsie-Highland Bridge. Then on May 8th, 1974, a fire broke out near this very spot and significantly damaged the rail line. Harold Tartell, a firefighter from Milton, New York, remembers that day:
"It was a beautiful day in May, balmy day, breezy and, from what I understand, there was a train coming across. I think it was headed westbound. And what caused or started the fire we seem to believe, or people seem to believe, is there was a brake shoe or a brake dragging and the hot slag, or what have you from the brake, got the ties in the creosote started. And, of course, with a breeze that spread things, it really got going up there. What the problem [was] out there, there was a standpipe that was, I guess, around three or four inches in diameter, iron pipe, that was supposed to be for firefighting purposes and there were hose stations based, I think, every 50 or 100 feet up there in the need of a fire that there would be water to supply those lines. Well evidently when the winter before the fire they didn't drain the standpipe, and the standpipe was probably filled with water and froze and burst. And when they attempted to get water out to the fire via the standpipe, the standpipe was full of holes and the efforts were very unsuccessful."
To quench the flames, firefighters from the city of Poughkeepsie and many other local agencies were dispatched. They laid out over 2,600 feet of hose, eventually finding a useable water source on the Highland side of the bridge. After battling the blaze for hours, with thick, black smoke billowing into the sky above Poughkeepsie and debris falling onto the city streets below, the fire was extinguished.
Thankfully, due to the quick action of heroic firefighters, there was no loss of life. But nearly 700 feet of railroad track was damaged. The bridge closed to traffic, and no trains ever crossed the span again. The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge stood dormant for decades.
Ulster Welcome Center
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In 2018, the Walkway Over the Hudson opened this $5.4 million Ulster Welcome Center. A 3,500-square-foot visitor center and plaza, it features amphitheater seating for special events and programs for hundreds of people, a covered 1,400-square-foot patio, a bus drop-off location to provide easier access, and upgraded and environmentally friendly pathways, plus concession stands and public restrooms.
The facility utilizes the latest energy efficient measures, including LED lighting, insulated building shells, and modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, powered by solar panels. In fact, more than 30 percent of the energy needed to power the Ulster Welcome Center is generated by its solar panels.
In the plaza outside the Welcome Center, Walkway visitors can rent bicycles, eat a healthy snack provided by our vendors, buy Walkway souvenirs, and learn more about the bridge and the park via informative panels all throughout the area.
This is also the location of the Walkway's signature annual event, Starry Starry Night. Held under a remarkable clear-top tent on the first Friday in October, Starry Starry Night brings together friends of the Walkway from across the state to celebrate another year of progress and success in the park. The catered event, which includes a silent auction, awards ceremony, and fireworks show, is open to the ticket-holding public.
