Hudson River Skywalk on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge ~ Catskill, NY

If you have a few minutes to spare, strolling on the Hudson River Skywalk is a neat experience you won’t want to miss. This walkway runs alongside the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and gives you a one of a kind view of the Hudson River and the Hudson River Valley, as well as the Catskill Mountains in the distance.

About the Skywalk

Bikes and Pets are prohibited on the Skywalk.

The Skywalk is handicap accessible.

The Skywalk, built in 2019, allows tourists to easily visit the homes and studios of Hudson River School artists Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, which are in close proximity but on opposite sides of the River.

As I mentioned, the Skywalk is attached to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and runs parallel to it, with a large gap separating automobile traffic from the pedestrian walkway. Due to the constant traffic, It can be very noisy, and the bridge does shimmy a little. However, the views from the bridge make it worth the noise.

Parking

There are parking areas on both sides of the bridge. We parked on the Village of Catskill side because the parking area on the other side wasn’t obvious when we arrived at the bridge in Hudson. We crossed the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in our vehicle, and when we reached the other side (in the Village of Catskill), there was a parking area right at the end of the bridge, on the left-hand side.

There is also a little scenic park there, where you can sit and enjoy the view of the bridge. They also have a frame set up to take pictures of the Skywalk.