Things to Do in The Hudson Valley and Catskills
River estates, modern art and mountain waterfalls, a short trip from the city.
See top-rated activities »About the Hudson Valley
The Hudson River flows about 150 miles from Albany to New York Harbor, and the valley along its lower half is lined with old estates, river towns and farms. The 19th-century Hudson River School painters made its views famous, and you can still see why from the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, a former railroad bridge turned into a pedestrian park more than 200 feet above the water, or from the Bear Mountain Bridge in the Hudson Highlands.
History runs deep here. In Hyde Park, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home sits beside Springwood, the house where he was born, and nearby are Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill cottage and the Vanderbilt Mansion with formal gardens above the river. Farther south, in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, Historic Hudson Valley runs Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Philipsburg Manor, and every fall the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze lights up thousands of carved pumpkins at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson.
Art lovers come for two places in particular. Dia Beacon fills a former Nabisco box factory on the river with large works from the 1960s onward, and Storm King Art Center, near Cornwall, places monumental sculpture across 500 acres of fields and hills. Towns such as Beacon, Hudson, Rhinebeck and New Paltz have antiques, galleries and a strong farm-to-table dining scene, and the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park runs restaurants staffed by its students.
West of the river rise the Catskills, lower and gentler than the Adirondacks but full of trails, waterfalls and swimming holes. Kaaterskill Falls, a two-tier waterfall that was a favorite subject of the Hudson River painters, is the best-known hike. Woodstock and Phoenicia have small-town charm, and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, on the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, has a museum and a summer concert season. The Mohonk Preserve near New Paltz is a center for hiking and rock climbing on the Shawangunk Ridge.
Don’t Miss
A former rail bridge turned into a 1.28-mile walkway high above the river.
FDR's birthplace and home, his library and museum, and nearby Val-Kill.
A Gilded Age country house with formal gardens and Hudson views.
Monumental outdoor sculpture across 500 acres; book timed tickets ahead.
Washington Irving's Sunnyside, Philipsburg Manor and the Jack O'Lantern Blaze; Kykuit is closed for 2026.
A two-tier waterfall painted by the Hudson River School, reached by a short but steep trail.
A museum and summer amphitheater on the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in the Hudson Valley
Viator
Viator
Viator
Viator
Viator
ViatorTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 27, 2026. Best in Upstate NY may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Plan your time in the Hudson Valley
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Get free trip quotes »the Hudson Valley — FAQ
Can I visit the Hudson Valley without a car?
Partly. Metro-North trains run from Grand Central to Beacon, Cold Spring and Poughkeepsie, and Amtrak stops at Rhinecliff for Rhinebeck. A car makes it far easier to see the estates and the Catskills.
When is the best time for fall foliage in the Hudson Valley?
Usually mid to late October, after the Adirondacks and Catskills peak. Weekends are busy at apple orchards and along the river.
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