#1 Trail to Walk & Explore in the Country is in the Hudson Valley
It's almost unfair to other parts of the country when it comes to rankings with things like walking and riding trails.
If you were to ask any Hudson Valley resident, what's the number one trail to walk and explore? I think the most popular answer would be the Rail Trail, right? I know that would be my answer and being that the Rail Trail is part of the Empire State Trail, we are part of some exciting news.
The Empire State Trail, which runs right through our backyard, has just been named the BEST rail-trail in the United States according to the Ulster County Government Facebook page. The post says, "Right in our backyard! The Empire State Trail, which runs for 750 miles from NYC to Buffalo and Rouses Point, though Ulster County, the Hudson River Valley, and Adirondacks regions, was named the best U.S rail trail by Outside Magazine!
Empire State Trail
Back in 2017, the former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo proposed the Empire State Trail which once completed, would connect Manhattan to Canada. The 750-mile long trail was completed in December of 2020 and is the longest multi-use rail-trail in the United States. According to Wikipedia, the trail is organized into three main segments, the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail, the Erie Canalway Trail, and the Champlain Valley Trail.
Is the Hudson Valley Rail Trail Part of the Empire State Rail Trail?
That question always seems to confuse me when anyone asks, but as far as I can tell the answer is YES!! The Empire State Trail does include pre-existing trail segments like the Hudson River Valley Greenway which includes the Walkway Over the Hudson and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail (which is by far the most popular place to walk and ride in the Hudson Valley).
If you would like to plan a long walking or riding trip along the Empire State Rail Trail, New York State has a really cool map online that can help you plan it. You can see it here.