Traveling down the Hudson River, named by Native Americans the river that flows both ways, you discover people, places, and events that made American history. The cultural, historic, and scenic resources of the Hudson Valley are so numerous, so varied, and so compelling that it's no wonder Congress recognized the Hudson River Valley as a National Heritage Area in 1996. The National Park Service called the region the "landscape that defined America" and characterized the valley as "an exceptionally scenic landscape that has provided the setting and inspiration for new currents of American thought, art, and history." Its political importance was demonstrated early in our history, when the river played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. The many streams and waterfalls of the tributaries of the Hudson River powered early sawmills and gristmills. The river and its landscapes inspired the Hudson River school of painters. Sublime and picturesque paintings by Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and Asher Durand depicted this unique American landscape for the world to witness. Industrialists and commercial leaders like William and John D. Rockefeller, Frederick Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan, and Ogden Mills built their great estates along the Hudson River.
Heritage sites in this guidebook are associated with areas of interest and categorized as must see, best bet, or special interest to make it easy to explore the stories of the Hudson River Valley. Heritage sites are also organized by geography and proximity to make it easy to find heritage sites nearby.
