Hudson River Skywalk

Take in the views that inspired America’s first great art movement.

The Hudson River Skywalk is a scenic pedestrian route that begins at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill and crosses the Hudson River on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, continuing to Olana on the far bank.

Out on the bridge, three viewing platforms about 150 feet above the water put the Catskill Mountains in full view to the west, with the river stretching north and south below you. It’s the same landscape that moved Thomas Cole to paint and launch the Hudson River School, and artists still set up their easels here today.

Stroll out onto the bridge, about a mile each way, for a relaxed out-and-back, or make a day of it with a visit to the Thomas Cole House, open seasonally for tours, exhibitions, and programs, and then explore Main Street in Catskill.

Plan your visit: The Skywalk is free and open dawn to dusk. Free parking is available at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge lot on the Catskill side.