Land Trail

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.

The goals of the Greenway Land Trail Program are to:

• Coordinate the designation and creation of a hiking/biking/paddling trail network, known as the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail System, which provides physical and visual access to the Hudson River where possible;
• Promote and preserve the Hudson Valley’s recreational, scenic, natural, cultural, historic, and agricultural resources through carefully planned trail linkages and access points;
• Foster a community-driven, voluntary process for establishing and designating trails;
• Encourage the development of local trails that link to the Greenway Trail System and major trail corridors, forming larger area and regional networks;
• Support and encourage volunteer trail stewardship efforts;
• Enhance trails awareness and advocacy in the region;
• Contribute to the economic development of the Hudson Valley’s communities by creating trails, which support local businesses, complement tourism efforts, and make the valley a better place to live and work;
• Ensure that local communities have the tools they need to plan and develop trails through a program of technical assistance and grants.

The Greenway Land Trail has three types of designations:

1. Riverside Trails – Routes along or near both shores of the Hudson River that hug the Hudson River shoreline providing access to the river; or that run along the ridge lines with views of the river. The routes will directly connect riverside open spaces, river access sites, historic sites and scenic downtowns, as well as link community trail systems.  2. Countryside Corridors – A network of rail trails, utility easement lines and shared roadways that connect the countryside communities in the Greenway area to those along the river (Riverside Trails).  3. Connector Trails – The Greenway recognizes that many communities have trail resources that do not fit easily into the above categories, but are important connections between the Riverside Trails and Countryside Corridors. Since the Greenway’s primary goal is to make connections between resources, communities and the Hudson River, trails that provide these connections are included in the Greenway Trail system. 

Through Greenway Trail Designation, we aim to recognize and continue support of local efforts to provide much needed recreational opportunities within Hudson Valley communities. Communities and organizations may request designation of their trail at any time.

Designation of your trail as part of the Greenway Land Trail System has a number of  benefits:

Competitive advantage for certain New York State grants.  Projects to develop and improve the Greenway Trail System are listed as a fundable category and/or key initiative under the New York State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, The New York State Trails Plan, the New York State Open Space Plan and the Hudson River Estuary Program Action Agenda. 

Competitive advantage for Greenway Conservancy Small Grants Program.  As one of the Greenway's key missions, our Grants Review Committee highly rates projects that extend, enhance, interpret and/or protect designated trails and their associated resources.

Heightened local and regional recognition (if desired) of the site as an important regional resource for recreation and exploration of the natural and cultural history of the Hudson River Valley. 

Enhanced public visibility (if desired) on the state and national levels for trails and site through Hudson River Valley Greenway and National Heritage Area publications, events, projects and programs.

In addition to these benefits, being a part of the Greenway Trail means being a part of a larger regional trail effort, in collaboration with neighboring communities and organizations. The Greenway trail links historic sites, parks, downtown areas, and open spaces, connecting residents and visitors to the resources of the Hudson Valley.

Through the efforts of the Hudson River Valley Greenway (HRVG) and its partners over 29 years, the dream of creating a world class trail system has been realized with the Empire State Trail (EST). This amazing trail system connects New York City north to the Canadian border and from Albany west to Buffalo, in a statewide trail system that is the longest shared-use path in the world. The foundation for the EST in the Hudson River Valley was summarized in the Greenway Trail Connections Plan, which began by connecting existing and ongoing projects throughout the Valley. The Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail was completed December 31, 2020 and runs from Battery Park in Manhattan north to Whitehall, Washington County at the head of Lake Champlain.