Hudson Valley Trail Reports Twice the Number of Users in 2020

It is no secret that 2020 was the year of walking outside. The COVID-19 pandemic cause many of us to stay home and miss out on so much of the outdoor fun we are use to in the Hudson Valley. Events were canceled, even charity walks and runs had to come up with other ways to get together. Many organizations went virtual which meant people could walk there charity mileage at their leisure close to home. This maybe one of the reason among many others that Hudson Valley Trails saw more visitors this year than in previous years.

Today (January 15, 2021) the River-to-Ridge trail posted on their Facebook page that they saw a big increase in the trail located just outside of New Paltz being used in 2020. Apparently, they were able to establish thanks to help from trail counters data that more than 200.000 people used all or part of the River-to-Ridge trail. That number is double the amount of people who use the same trail in 2019.

All of our Hudson Valley rails trails saw increased use this past year. There wasn't a nice summer day that went by that you didn't see trails full of walkers, runners, bikers and of course their pets. Everyone taking in the miles of trails we have in our region. At one point this summer you couldn't even buy or rent a bike if you wanted one because the supply had all been purchased.

I realize that there were many people who were unable to take advantage of our local trails because they didn't get time off, they actually had to work harder. But it is nice to know that the people who were stuck staying home and the children who had to not attend school in person, where at least able to take advantage of the great Hudson Valley outdoors and they did.

Here's to hoping we can all keep enjoying the trails in the Hudson Valley as life returns to a schedule post COVID-19 sometime in 2021.