Getting here by car

The New York Thruway (Interstate 87) runs the length of the valley on the west side of the Hudson River. The Taconic State Parkway does the same on the east side.

Here are the best ways to get to the valley from other locations:

From the south: From New York City, take I-87 (the Major Deegan Expressway that becomes the New York Thruway) north. Stay on the Thruway to cross to the west side of the Hudson. To stay on the east side of the river, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north. From New Jersey, take I-287 to I-87, the New York Thruway. From Pennsylvania, take I-84 east.

From the north: Take the Northway, I-87, south until it joins the New York State Thruway south.

From the east: From Connecticut, I-84 runs east to Brewster in Putnam County, N.Y., and continues to Beacon in Dutchess County, where it crosses the Hudson River.

From Massachusetts: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike, I-90, west toward Albany. Then go south on either the Taconic State Parkway or the New York Thruway.

From the west: From northwestern New York, take I-90, the western branch of the New York Thruway, east to the Albany area. Then take the Thruway, I-87, south. From the southern tier of New York, Route 17 travels east into the valley's Orange County.