Hudson Valley & Beacon road trip from NYC

The closest real escape from the city: river views, small-town main streets and some of the best hiking within reach of Manhattan.

Distance: 60 mi
Drive time: 1h30
Trip length: Day trip or weekend
Best time: September to early November

The route

Take the Henry Hudson Parkway north to the George Washington Bridge, then the Palisades Interstate Parkway to Bear Mountain. Cross the Bear Mountain Bridge and follow Route 9D north along the river to Cold Spring and Beacon.

Where to stop

1
Bear Mountain State Park
Drive up Perkins Memorial Drive for a view over the Hudson Highlands. Good place for a first coffee stop.
2
Cold Spring
A walkable Main Street of antique shops and cafés that ends at the riverfront.
3
Breakneck Ridge
A steep rock scramble with a big payoff. Go early on weekends; the trailhead fills fast.
4
Beacon
Dia Beacon, a contemporary art museum in a former box factory, plus breweries and restaurants on Main Street.

Where to stay

Inns in Cold Spring and Beacon, or a cabin rental in the Highlands.

Need a car? Compare rental prices in Manhattan and at the airports.

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Tips before you go

Leave Manhattan before 8am on weekends to beat traffic on the Palisades.
Check museum opening days before you go: Dia Beacon is not open every day of the week.
No car? Metro-North's Hudson Line stops in Cold Spring and Beacon.

Drive times assume normal traffic from Midtown Manhattan. Check opening hours and conditions before you leave.

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