The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced the temporary closure of the paved parking lot at 61 Parker Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Located at the east entrance to the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, the parking lot will remain closed through mid-January 2026 as the park constructs a new maintenance center at the end of the existing parking lot. The original maintenance center was lost to fire several years ago. 

Walkway visitors can find alternative parking options on both sides of the Hudson River. In Poughkeepsie, there is free parking at Pulaski Park (170 Washington Street, approximately 0.2 miles from the Washington Street Stairs), and along Brookside Avenue between Washington Street and Garden Street. In Highland, visitors may park in the gravel lot at 70 Haviland Road adjacent to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail Caboose. In addition, there is ample on-street parking near the Walkway in both Highland and Poughkeepsie. Visitors are encouraged to follow posted signage for rates and availability.

Guests with mobility challenges are encouraged to enter on the west (Highland) side of the bridge where accessible parking will be more easily found. Street parking and the Dutchess Rail Trail on the Poughkeepsie side may also provide some access points for those with mobility devices.

For several years, Scenic Hudson has been rehabilitating a derelict former manufacturing plant on Parker Avenue, across the street from the Poughkeepsie entrance to Walkway over the Hudson. The factory property Scenic Hudson purchased in 2020 included a dirt lot that, under prior owners and prior to commencement of construction, had informally been used for parking by Walkway visitors. Scenic Hudson’s building permit required the dedication of that lot to parking for Scenic Hudson’s 70 employees and future tenants. During construction, the lot serves as a staging area for the construction project. After construction is complete, anticipated for the summer of 2025, Scenic Hudson will welcome public parking in the lot on evenings and weekends.

For complete information and for additional notifications about the Walkway, please visit the New York State Parks website https://parks.ny.gov/parks/walkway/details.aspx or the Friends of the Walkway https://walkway.org/.