The 17th annual Hudson River Valley Ramble kicks-off this Saturday with a weekend full of activities and continues throughout September with more than 225 exciting outdoor adventures across the New York’s Hudson Valley. The Ramble offers visitors and residents of all ages an opportunity to experience the distinct cultural heritage and landscape of the region by hiking a trail, visiting an historic site, or paddling on the river during the Northeast’s most beautiful time of the year.
For a complete listing of events, visit www.hudsonrivervalleyramble.com.
Ramble events are led by naturalists, ecologists, historians, geologists, and trained volunteers from more than 150 organizations. Events include hikes, walking tours, paddling excursions, festivals, historic site tours, and other family friendly activities.
Sampling of Hudson River Valley Ramble events happening this weekend:
Lower Hudson River Valley: Westchester, Rockland
· 9/4, 10:30 A.M. Tour Lyndhurst Mansion, a Gothic Revival mansion overlooking the Hudson River. The park-like 67-acre site celebrates nearly 175 years of life on the Hudson River and features 16 architectural structures, including a Lord & Burnham steel-framed greenhouse complex and the oldest regulation bowling alley in the United States.
· 9/3, 9/4, 11:00 A.M. Trace the footsteps of Washington Irving’s most famous character – Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” – with a walk to the author’s final resting place. Enter the cemetery’s 116-year old receiving vault and stop at a Revolutionary War monument.
· 9/3, 1:00 P.M. Tour Horace Greeley’s Country Home in Chappaqua. Horace Greeley was the founder and editor of the New York Tribune, one of the most influential newspapers of the 19th Century. Tour his second home in Chappaqua (now a museum), view exhibits and artifacts related to Greeley, and take a walking tour of his historic farm.
Mid-Hudson River Valley: Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam
· 9/3, 9/4, 10:00 A.M. Tour Historic Huguenot Street and visit three historic house museums and a reconstructed 1717 French church on a guided tour of this 10-acre National Historic Landmark District. Discover over 300 years of history encompassing the Native American and Colonial experience, through the Gilded Age, and into the 20th century.
· 9/3, 9/4, 5:30 P.M. Kayak along the Esopus Creek at sunset and pass through Cantine Falls and the Saugerties Lighthouse before heading into the Hudson River.
· 9/3, 9:30 A.M. Hike the Woodland Trail of Discovery at Boscobel House & Gardens and enjoy the beautiful grounds overlooking the Hudson River. Audio tours of Hudson River Valley stories will also be available.
Upper Hudson River Valley: Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Columbia, Greene
· 9/3, 9/4, 10:00 A.M. Take a guided tour of Shaker Museum at Mount Lebanon and learn about the history of Shaker society dating back to 1787. You will learn about the way Shakers viewed immortality and remembrance as you walk through the forest to their Cemetery and Community memorial.
· 9/3, 8:00 P.M. Skyscape Series: Neptune at Opposition at Olana explores the night sky at Olana State Historic Site. President and Vice President of the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association will present.
· 9/4, 1:00 P.M. Discover the Albany Pine Bush as your take a 0.9 mile hike over rolling sand dunes and explore the world of inland pine barrens.
About the Hudson River Valley Ramble
The Hudson River Valley Ramble celebrates the history, culture, and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, as well as the amazing landscapes, communities, and trails throughout the region. The Ramble is presented by the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and is sponsored by The New York State Division of Tourism “I Love NY”; The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program; The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; The National Park Service; the Appalachian Mountain Club; Upstater Magazine; and The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. The Ramble is made possible by more than 150 partner organizations.
About the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area program was established by Congress in 1996 and is funded through the National Park Service and Department of the Interior. The mission of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is to recognize, preserve, protect and interpret the nationally significant historic, cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the Nation. To celebrate its 100th anniversary and to look ahead to its next 100 years, the National Park Service launched the #FindYourPark movement to inspire people from all backgrounds to celebrate and support not just the National Parks but all of America’s parks and special places that rejuvenate and inspire them. Heritage Area events like the Ramble resonate with that initiative. The Hudson River Valley Greenway is the management entity for the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
About the Hudson River Valley Greenway
The Hudson River Valley Greenway is a unique state-sponsored program established by the Greenway Act of 1991 to encourage communities to develop projects and initiatives related to the criteria of natural and cultural resource protection, regional and local planning, economic development, public access to the Hudson River (as well as other regional and local resources), and heritage and environmental education. It provides technical assistance and small grants for planning, water trail and land-based trails and other projects that reinforce the Greenway Criteria. In keeping with the New York tradition of home rule, the Greenway program has no regulatory authority and participation by municipalities in Greenway programs and projects is entirely voluntary. The Greenway also manages the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
