Hudson River Skywalk
Rip Van Winkle Bridge, 99 NY-23, Catskill, NY
* IMPORTANT UPDATE *
Restrooms at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge are closed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience.
For the safety of all users, masks are required while walking on the bridge, due to the path being less than 6 feet wide.
See America’s first canvas with the Hudson River Skywalk, a new historic and scenic walkway at the place where American landscape painting began. The new walkway connects the homes and studios of the major Hudson River School artists, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, over the Hudson River and across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, offering sweeping views of the Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains.
Thomas Cole and Frederic Church met as teacher and student here in the Hudson River Skywalk Region nearly 200 years ago and started a multi-generational friendship. They drew inspiration from this magnificent landscape that remains remarkably unchanged due to extensive preservation efforts. You’ve seen the paintings in museums, now see the real thing.
The Hudson River Skywalk Region includes the City of Hudson and the Village of Catskill, which both offer historic Main Streets with restaurants, shopping and accommodations. The City of Hudson connects to New York City via AMTRAK.