A new trail coming to one of the region’s most popular hiking areas will connect three riverfront towns in the Hudson Highlands and, officials hope, alleviate some of the dangerous access points that have put hikers at risk in the past. But will the improved access exacerbate already crowded conditions?
The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail in late April received $20 million in state funding for Phase 1 of the much-anticipated project that will link the towns of Fishkill, Beacon, and Cold Spring by creating a cohesive, 7.5 mile linear park along the Hudson River.
“It’s clear to anyone what a transformational project the Breakneck Connector and Bridge, and additional trail enhancements, will be,” said state Sen. James Skoufis (D-Cornwall) at a news conference announcing the funding on Thursday, April 21.
The project is a public-private partnership between State Parks and Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail,, an independent nonprofit subsidiary of Scenic Hudson. It is being completed in partnership with 19 additional agencies, including Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Open Space Institute, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and Metro-North.
In 2020, Scenic Hudson acquired 12 acres of land and two separate trail easements to pave the way for the cohesive trail, which also aims to provide better river access and spots for quiet reflection in nature, in addition to an improved trail network.
A plan 20 years in the making
The Fjord Trail would connect the three riverfront towns of Fishkill, Beacon, and Cold Spring while aiming to provide better river access and spots for quiet reflection in nature. Some are concerned that the trail could lead to even greater congestion along already-popular trails.
SCAPE Landscape ArchitectureAmy Kacala, executive director of Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, said in an interview that the project was initially hatched over coffee conversations nearly two decades ago in an effort to mitigate the effects of visitors coming to hike Breakneck.
“The call to action, or the crisis of discussion, was hikers walking on (Route) 9D, which has no shoulder, and the feeling that at some point someone was going to get hit,” says Kacala.“So what did they need to do to make it safer to reach Breakneck?”
Related: New, safer trailhead to popular Breakneck Ridge on the way
In recent years, Breakneck’s popularity has soared. Kacala says visitorship has increased each year, sometimes by 20 percent per year, for the last decade. That’s left Cold Spring with too many visitors, too much traffic, and cars parked dangerously along 9D to access trails.
Around the same time she became involved in planning for the Fjord Trail, Kacala says Cold Spring was hitting a wall, experiencing too much visitation in its downtown area. The village center is easily reachable by foot from the Metro-North train station, making Cold Spring a popular destination among day-trippers.
“So it started with safety, but now it’s both safety and a visitor management strategy for all these people coming to Breakneck,” says Kacala.
The need for a visitor management strategy has shaped the planning phases for the Fjord Trail, such as the inclusion of bathrooms and garbage receptacles, way-finding signs from train stations to the trail, offsite parking, and a proposed shuttle system that would bring people from remote lots to the trail. That system, Kacala says, would be managed by Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. An RFP for a trolley study was recently released.
If you build it, will more come?
Public behavior is also shaping an evolving vision for trail improvements. Kacala says establishing a dedicated swimming area near Little Stony Point is being considered, with improved access and signage. The site has been popular with unattended swimmers in the past although can be dangerous; a woman went missing while swimming off the point as recently as July 2021, one of many such incidents over the years.
“There are safety issues at Little Stony Point. Swimming is not allowed, but people do it,” says Kacala. “We’re considering adding a dedicated swim space so there’s a space for that behavior.” Kacala says during a recent public poll in Philipstown, a dedicated swimming area was one of the most requested features.
Kacala says public feedback has largely been encouraging, with people expressing excitement for the trail. Still, she says there have been some concerns — mainly that an attractive new trail will only draw more visitors.
“There’s that double-edged sword,” she says. “We have a problem, we know we need a big solution to that problem, but it might also add visitation. But hopefully the management practices, which are all absent right now, will help that.”
At last week’s press conference, Kacala acknowledged the many voices that have contributed to shaping the project’s master plans.
“The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail vision is one of improved safety and enhanced access to much beloved State Park land,” she said. “Local community stakeholders and our dedicated 20-entity Steering Committee have been honing that vision for more than 15 years.”
Cold Spring Mayor Kathleen Foley acknowledged the need for the trail and mitigation strategies associated with it not only for visitors, but for residents.
“The Village of Cold Spring isn’t just a destination, it’s our home,” she said. “The state monies that Senator Skoufis is unlocking represent a significant infusion of state funds, and a game-changer for tourism management. The Fjord Trail will bring rationalized pedestrian and vehicular traffic flows, and much-needed basics like bathroom facilities. And, we hope, it will bring proper park staffing so that our first responders stay safe and ready in the village where they’re needed.”
Kacala says an environmental review is underway and will be available for public review and public feedback in the coming months. In addition, the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail nonprofit continues to seek opportunities to interface with the public, answer questions, and gather input. To that end, the group is planning a community day on June 25.
“It’ll hopefully be fun and social, but we also want to provide an informal way to drop by, ask questions, and learn a little bit about the project,” says Kacala.
Construction on the Breakneck Connector and Bridge is scheduled to begin late 2022, with an anticipated completion date in 2027.
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