The Walkway in the Winter
The popular Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York remains a popular destination in the winter even amidst the Hudson Valley’s regularly brutal winter conditions. With the winter season in full swing, many visitors from the area continue to spend time at the popular walking bridge whether they have visited the location before or are experiencing the attraction for the first time.
“We live nearby in New Paltz, so we try to go hiking and go out when we can. This seemed like a cool spot, we hadn’t been before,” said a couple experiencing the bridge for the first time who wished to remain anonymous. “It’s really cold so we only got to the water’s edge and walked back but it was beautiful. I think we’ll come back when it’s not incredibly freezing.”
Though the bridge is more catered toward visitors in the warmer seasons of spring, summer and fall, the Walkway over the Hudson does remain open year round as long as weather permits. Currently the bridge is open from seven AM to sunset every day as long as conditions are safe for pedestrians.
There are some differences to what the bridge offers in the winter months as the elevator, electric tram, and merchandise pavilions are all closed until the spring. Many of the food vendor trucks and locations that are also seen on both ends of the bridge are also either closed or not present during the winter which is often a popular spot for the public to stop and refuel while enjoying their experience.
Kristin Wolfe, a frequent visitor of the Walkway over the Hudson bridge was in Lola’s Cafe and remarked at how there is always something to do or food trucks to enjoy at the pedestrian bridge.
“The food along the walkway is a great breaking point. That area where there are some food trucks is a good place to stop and take a break,” said Wolfe. “There’s always something going on, obviously the winter is a bit slower but there are tours or sometimes people playing the guitar, it’s a good spot.”
Wolfe said that Mercurial Coffee is one of her favorite food trucks to stop and take a break at, but they are only present during the warmer months. Businesses like Mercurial Coffee or Lola’s Cafe that either drive to the pavilion areas or are located right near the pedestrian bridge see a lot of traffic from people who are enjoying the walkway.
“We definitely see more people coming in from the bridge during the warmer months,” said Flex, a longtime employee at Lola’s Cafe. “You notice people who look like they are just coming in off the walkway based on their appearance and how they’re dressed.”
While Lola’s Cafe sees more people come off the bridge in the warmer months, they still occasionally see people come from the walkway in the winter.
“Any time it’s a decent day I like to get up there. I have been up there in winter months when the wind is quite strong,” said Wolfe. “When you get up there in the center and that wind picks up, it is really strong and cold up there but it’s still so beautiful so it’s worth it cold or not cold.”
