Good News for Cyclists, Runners and Walkers in the Hudson Valley
By John Bradley
Two breaking news items spell good news for cyclists, runners and walkers in the Hudson Valley. Both of the Rail Trails in Columbia County - the statewide Empire State Trail (EST) on the west and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail (HVRT) on the east - announced important progress for these popular trails. The plan to extend the HVRT north from Hillsdale to Chatham took a giant step forward as the pedestrian bridge over Rte 22 neared completion with the opening expected in late October. The bridge connects the trail to the Black Grocery trail that continues into Hillsdale. Concurrently, the northward extension of the HVRT to Philmont, Ghent and Chatham got a boost with work started on the Chatham-Ghent section. You can read more in the Sept 6 Columbia Paper.
The 750 mile Empire State Trail, which connects Columbia County to NYC, Albany, Plattsburg and Buffalo, was also in the news with the release of the Empire State Trail Economic Impact Report marking 5 years since trail completion. In addition to the economic impact, the report documents the environmental and health benefits for the communities in the 26 counties where the trail passes. The report highlights that the ‘economic output’ of the trail was $1.87 billion. This was considered more than the impact of the entire National Parks system, excluding the Great Smoky Mountains Park. The immediate local benefits for our communities have been tourism, jobs, environmental protection and health. For Columbia County, the annual impact has been $38.2 million resulting from 215,370 annual visits to our trail segment. The report also noted the intention to continue to build out the trails system in NYS.
References:
Columbia Paper,Sept 6, 2026
The Economic Impact of the Empire State Trail, Parks and Trails New York, June 2026
Empire State Trail Appendices - County Profiles -
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