Part of the concept is to bring together the nearby Walkway, the Poughkeepsie waterfront, and the Mid-Hudson Bridge (above)

POUGHKEEPSIE – We’ve all heard of the rail trail that will connect the Walkway Over the Hudson to both sides of the Hudson River when it is completed this fall.

The paths, which are developed in areas of Ulster and Dutchess counties already, will eventually connect to the former Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge.

Another trail is being developed through a collaborative effort of nine groups, led by Scenic Hudson.

The environmental group’s senior vice president Steven Rosenberg called the Walkway Loop Trail a “ribbon” trail.

“It’s a 3½ mile that will connect the Mid-Hudson Bridge, the Walkway Over the Hudson, the Poughkeepsie waterfront with all of its cultural and historical attractions and the park on the waterfront; the new Frannie Reese State Park, which will open this fall and on the Town of Lloyd side, the rail trail that extends west to New Paltz and Rosendale, and a new waterfront park in Lloyd,” he said.

Kiosks at both ends of the Walkway, a brochure, and signs along the walking trails, will provide for a user-friendly experience.