Mid-Hudson Bridge and Franny Reese Preserve

[Mark Schaefer]

This is a semi-urban hike in the Hudson Valley, across from Poughkeepsie, NY, at the fairly new Franny Reese Preserve owned by the Scenic Hudson organization. I have seen this attractive wooded property for several decades while commuting over the Mid-Hudson (a.k.a. Franklin D. Roosevelt) Bridge. However, I never knew that the Preserve had been created until I read a recent Fall Excursion article in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

I did two hikes on this property last week. The first on a sunny day for an over and back walk on the Mid-Hudson bridge, followed by a loop hike through the Preserve and up to an overlook view of the bridge. I then came back two days later to photograph the wooded trails and Robinson Estate ruins in the Preserve in the more even and conducive light of a cloudy day. The new trails in the Preserve are marked fairly well, but there are no trail maps available yet. Currently there are no trail signs at intersections, but I found the trails straightforward to traverse. The ruins and bridge overlook are both within one mile of the bridge. In addition there is an approximate 3 mile loop trail through the Preserve with some glimpses of the river, bridge, and Poughkeepsie on its course.

There are two hiking approaches to the Preserve. On the sunny day I parked at the Johnson-Iorio Park (acme topo) at the end of Haviland Road (mentioned on the Scenic Hudson site). This road was the original western auto approach to the Mid-Hudson Bridge. It is reached from US-9W, one traffic light north of the current bridge interchange. Turn east onto Haviland Road and drive to the parking lot at the road's end. This provides the best west shore access to walk across the Mid-Hudson Bridge on the north side walkway. It also has a staircase down to a carriageway that passes under the western approach to the bridge. This unmarked carriageway leads south into the Preserve. The gate to the staircase is locked about an hour before sunset, so don't wait too long to return. I had to scramble up the loose slate slope next to the staircase after I found the gate locked on my return. I hiked over the bridge on the north walkway which has access ramps on both ends of the bridge. On the east end of the bridge I dashed across the busy bridge traffic to reach the south walkway. This is not recommended, but I wanted to photograph from the both sides of the bridge. The south walkway of the bridge has no access ramps on either end of the bridge, so is more difficult to use. After reaching the west shore again, I did find a somewhat rough path down to the carriageway that leads into the Preserve. As you hike into the Preserve, the first good side path to the right (also unmarked) leads to a high overlook over the bridge. If you reach a dead end on this unmarked path, backtrack a few yards and you will see a way up the slope to the viewpoint. The view is a bit overgrown, but it is possible to get a good telephoto shot next to an oak tree:


From the viewpoint head west then south on another path. This is labeled Ransom Road on the topozone map, and it leads to a power line and an intersection of 6 paths. From the intersection a downhill trail to the left leads to the estate ruins (one side of the marked loop trail). An uphill trail to the south is the other side of the marked loop trail. Avoid the paths along the power line. Another carriageway branches west/right to Macks Lane. The trail system is not as complicated as this may sound, and distances are fairly short.

On the cloudy day I parked at the bend on Macks Lane. This approach is mentioned in the Poughkeepsie Journal article and follows an old carriage road which is the dotted line on the above topozone map. Once at the intersection of 6 paths head north on an old road (Ransom Road on the topozone map) to the right of the power line to reach the bridge overlook. Or take the downhill or uphill marked trails for the Preserve loop.

Additional photos are in this slideshow or if you prefer the viewing the webshots photo album. I combined the photos from the two days to describe a continuous hike from Johnson-Iorio Park. A few shots of the Macks Lane approach are at the end.

It would also be possible to start this hike from Poughkeepsie, perhaps from the Train Station or by parking near Waryas Park. Access the north bridge walkway from the ramp on Gerald Drive. While researching this hike, I found another photo album which describes a walk across the bridge with great detail on the ramp and staircase accesses.

 

[Jay H]

haviland Road is also the way to access the bike path across the Midhudson and I use that bridge whenever I am bike touring east of the Hudson.. Snake your way through the town of Lloyd til you eventually cross the highway there at a traffic light, take the small road down to some park and then cross the Mid Hudson on the north walkway. Once you are in Poughkeepsie, you can snake your way through downtown to get to Rt 9 to go north past the CIA, Marist College, Hyde Park, etc... to points north or east.

Nice report Mark, I'll have to check the photos at home...

Jay

 

[MattC]

I rode my bike over from New Paltz about a month and a half ago and checked out the Preserve. I did the same loop hike and checked out the bridge overlook. There was a turkey at the overlook that day. Another small, but interesting and important little Scenic Hudson parcel. I have never rode or walked across the bridge, I'll have to do that some time. Mark can probably speak to this, but I believe Franny Reese was involved in the Storm King conservation fight years ago, among other things.


On my way to Highland on the same day I visited the Preserve, I rode the length of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, which is paved. I noted on that ride that there is now a wooden staircase access to Black Creek where the Rail Trail crosses the creek. There is apparently something of a trail down there, but I was there in late summer and it was very overgrown and didn't seem to go anywhere. Apparently this is intended to be a nature preserve, used for eductional trips for schoolchildren and other groups, as well as for recreational use. Hopefully the trail will be better maintained and lengthened at some point.

Matt

 

[Tom Rankin]

I have never rode or walked across the bridge, I'll have to do that some time.

The bridge walk is pretty cool!

There are signs that ask you to walk your bike, but I have seen bikers on the bridge, from time to time...

 

[Jay H]

I've biked it before, the only caveots is you have to do a little jink to the left to go around the major bridge structures and the metal walkway is pretty slick when wet... One time I went through, they were working on the poughkeepsie side and had these huge flood lights with electric generators parked on the walkway and I couldn't fit my bike with full size panniers through it so I had to stop and lift my bike over it and then snake by and remount.. three times!

Jay

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Mark can probably speak to this, but I believe Franny Reese was involved in the Storm King conservation fight years ago, among other things.

Yes, Frances ("Franny") Stevens Reese was chair of Scenic Hudson for 18 years and played an important role in saving Storm King Mountain from development by Consolidated Edison. She remained very active in conservation efforts until her untimely death at age 85 in 2003. Another short obituary is here. This is the Scenic Hudson Press Release discussing the creation of the Preserve, the decision to name it in honor of Franny, and announcing a state grant that will be used in:

"restoring the landscape's natural beauty, enhancing views of the river and creating lifelong learning opportunities. Specifically, the money will be used to upgrade the trail system, which includes an historic carriage road, and plant native flowers and shrubs. It also will enable Scenic Hudson to construct benches and a pavilion as well as create exhibits describing the site's history and natural wonders. Work on these projects should begin in 2007."​

There is much good work to look forward to in this Preserve. It is a fitting living memorial to Franny Reese.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

The bridge walk is pretty cool!

There are signs that ask you to walk your bike, but I have seen bikers on the bridge, from time to time...

I've biked it before, the only caveots is you have to do a little jink to the left to go around the major bridge structures and the metal walkway is pretty slick when wet... One time I went through, they were working on the poughkeepsie side and had these huge flood lights with electric generators parked on the walkway and I could fit my bike with full size panniers through it so I had to stop and lift my bike over it and then snake by and remount.. three times!

I like this bridge walk very much. I have also walked across the Rip Van Winkle and Bear Mountain bridges - always fun, and also good places to photograph. They all noticeably shake as big trucks drive by. I was carrying my tripod, but never bothered setting it up on the bridge. Using long exposures is not very viable on a vibrating bridge. Being sunny I was able to hand hold adequately with ISO 100, after waiting for the trucks to pass.

I saw the signs that bikes should be walked. I did encounter two bicyclists that were riding across. It was no problem. I ducked into one of the occasional alcoves between the walkway and the bridge roadway -- so the bikes could pass without dismounting. The north walkway was free of any work equipment, but there was a little on the south walkway.

I last biked across the Mid-Hudson Bridge in the mid 1980s. That was before the walkways were added, and the road was a wide two lanes rather than the current more narrow three lanes. Bicycles could ride on the roadway. At the time bicycles were not allowed on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, so on two occasions I biked from the Kingston area down to the Mid-Hudson bridge, then up the east side to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and then back down to my home. To minimize traffic I started these rides early on Sunday mornings, and wherever possible used roads parallel to US-9W and US-9 even if it meant more hills and mileage. I still needed to use the main roads for more than half the distance. IIRC it was a 95-100 mile loop. Bikes are now permitted on the Kingston bridge so a shorter loop is currently possible.

Perhaps in 2009, the railroad bridge will be open to pedestrians and bicycles, at least that is the hope and current plan.

 

[Jay H]

I like this bridge walk very much. I have also walked across the Rip Van Winkle and Bear Mountain bridges - always fun, and also good places to photograph. They all noticeably shake as big trucks drive by. I was carrying my tripod, but never bothered setting it up on the bridge. Using long exposures is not very viable on a vibrating bridge. Being sunny I was able to hand hold adequately with ISO 100, after waiting for the trucks to pass.

I saw the signs that bikes should be walked. I did encounter two bicyclists that were riding across. It was no problem. I ducked into one of the occasional alcoves between the walkway and the bridge roadway -- so the bikes could pass without dismounting. The north walkway was free of any work equipment, but there was a little on the south walkway.

I last biked across the Mid-Hudson Bridge in the mid 1980s. That was before the walkways were added, and the road was a wide two lanes rather than the current more narrow three lanes. Bicycles could ride on the roadway. At the time bicycles were not allowed on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, so on two occasions I biked from the Kingston area down to the Mid-Hudson bridge, then up the east side to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and then back down to my home. To minimize traffic I started these rides early on Sunday mornings, and wherever possible used roads parallel to US-9W and US-9 even if it meant more hills and mileage. I still needed to use the main roads for more than half the distance. IIRC it was a 95-100 mile loop. Bikes are now permitted on the Kingston bridge so a shorter loop is currently possible.

Perhaps in 2009, the railroad bridge will be open to pedestrians and bicycles, at least that is the hope and current plan.

They have been talking about that bridge in Poughkeepsie for quite some time and from the sounds of it, if nothing is done sometime soon, it's going to fall into the hudson!

I've walked the Bear Mtn bridge on the way to Anthony's nose from the Popolopen gorge before but I've never been on the Kingston Rhinecliff bridge at all...

I've kayaked under the Mid Hudson and the RR bridge too!

Jay

 

[MattC]

They all noticeably shake as big trucks drive by. I was carrying my tripod, but never bothered setting it up on the bridge. Using long exposures is not very viable on a vibrating bridge.

Speaking of vibrating bridges, check this out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/arts/01waki.html?pagewanted=all

I thought about doing the Mid-Hudson>RT9>Rhinecliff>9W loop a couple months ago when I was just starting to get really into road biking. Now it's too late w/ the cold and short days, but maybe next summer I'll try that. I did manage to ride to Kingston once by way of High Falls and Lucas Ave, and then back by way of Port Ewen and 213.

Matt

 

[Jay H]

I've seen a video of the guy before on Reuters, posted it on AHP.com..

He should do every hudson river crossing and them use all the samples to do his bridge music.. even on the bridges on the hudson up in the ADKs... that would be a neat project... Maybe ask Funkyfreddy for some help..sounds like it's up his alley...

Jay

 

[Mark Schaefer]

They have been talking about that bridge in Poughkeepsie for quite some time and from the sounds of it, if nothing is done sometime soon, it's going to fall into the hudson!

Yes, since 1991 when Bill Sepe started to show up at County Fairs and other events to sell T-Shirts and take donations to raise funds for the effort. It was Bill's vision to raise all of the money privately. In time that proved to infeasible, maybe even Quixotic. The legal wrangles alone swamped whatever could be raised. Now that they are going for public and private grants there is a real chance this is going to happen. I have not heard of any show stoppers yet stemming from the ongoing inspections. There was another PoJo news article today. And the Walkway over the Hudson has an image depicting the envisioned 2009 opening.

I've walked the Bear Mtn bridge on the way to Anthony's nose from the Popolopen gorge before but I've never been on the Kingston Rhinecliff bridge at all...

The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge still does not allow pedestrians, but I am glad that they now allow bikes. It is a good ride. The new roadway expansion joints are not the problem that the former bridge deck was for skinny tires (when bicycling was not permitted). Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies.

BTW, Percussive "rap" bridge music would be good vibrations. The reverb reminds me of whale songs. This also works on fire towers, but without the full tonal range possible on a large bridge.