U.S. Route 6 traverses the lower Hudson Valley of New York from the Connecticut state line to the Pennsylvania border, offering a mix of historic small towns, scenic parklands, and panoramic viewpoints. This guide follows Route 6 east-to-west, highlighting walkable villages, roadside museums, and scenic or historic landmarks directly on or just off the highway. Each stop includes a brief description, an address for orientation, and any suggested short walks or detours to enrich your trip.
Village of Brewster (Eastern Terminus)
Brewster is a quaint, walkable village at New York’s east end of US 6. Founded as a railroad hub, its Main Street retains a small-town charm with 19th-century storefronts. At the heart of downtown is the Southeast Museum, housed in the 1896 Old Town Hall, which exhibits local history – from the Harlem Line Railroad to the Croton Reservoir’s construction hudsonrivervalley.org The village’s compact center invites a short stroll past the historic Brewster train station and along storefronts that evoke its 19th-century boom as a dairy and rail shipping center.
- Address: 67 Main Street, Brewster, NY 10509 (Southeast Museum, downtown Brewster) southeastmuseum.org hudsonrivervalley.org
Suggested Walk: Park near the Southeast Museum and walk Main Street to explore antique shops and the 1931 railroad station (now a library). A five-minute walk brings you to the Brewster Standard Supply building and old train depot, reflecting the village’s railroad heritage.
Carmel Hamlet (Lake Gleneida Historic Center)
Carmel is the seat of Putnam County, and Route 6 becomes its picturesque main street (Gleneida Avenue) alongside Lake Gleneida. Overlooking the lake is the 1814 Putnam County Courthouse, the second-oldest working courthouse in New York State en.wikipedia.org. Its Federal-style façade and vintage cannon out front set a historic tone. Just south on the lakeshore stands the Sybil Ludington Statue, honoring the local teenage revolutionary hero who rode 40 miles on horseback in 1777 to warn militia of a British attack atlasobscura.com. This bronze statue (erected 1961) depicts Ludington on her horse, commemorating a ride twice the distance of Paul Revere’s atlasobscura.com.
- Address: 15 Gleneida Ave, Carmel, NY 10512 (Sybil Ludington statue at Lake Gleneida) putnamcountyny.gov atlasobscura.com
- Suggested Walk: Park near the courthouse (40 Gleneida Ave) and follow the paved path along Lake Gleneida for views of the water and statue. A short loop around the courthouse block showcases other 19th-century buildings and a veterans memorial. This compact center is ideal for a brief lakeside walk and photo stop at the Sybil Ludington monument.
Mahopac Hamlet (Lake Mahopac Waterfront Park)
Mahopac is a hamlet known for its beautiful 587-acre Lake Mahopac, which Route 6 skirts at the southern end. In downtown Mahopac, at the junction of US 6 and old Route 6N, lies Mahopac Chamber Community Park, a petite waterfront park on the lake’s shore townofcarmelny.gov. This park offers a relaxing stop with a gazebo, fountain, benches, and a short walking path right by the water townofcarmelny.gov. It’s the best public spot to admire Lake Mahopac’s views (as much of the shoreline is privately owned). The surrounding hamlet area includes local shops and the Mahopac Library (a modern building with a small garden), making the area modestly walkable.
- Address: Routes 6 & 6N, Mahopac, NY 10541 (Mahopac Chamber Park) townofcarmelny.gov
- Suggested Walk: Enjoy a gentle walk within Chamber Park – loop the path by the gazebo and pause at the railings for panoramic lake vistas. If time permits, continue along the sidewalk on South Lake Boulevard to see a few lakefront Victorian homes and grab a lakeside breeze before returning to Route 6.
Bear Mountain Bridge & Hudson Highlands Scenic Area
Bear Mountain Bridge, opened in 1924, carries Route 6 across the Hudson River amid the Hudson Highlands. This graceful steel suspension bridge was one of the first highway crossings of the Hudson in the region and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Driving westward, you’ll encounter the Bear Mountain Bridge Road “Goat Trail”, a winding cliffside approach with pull-offs that offer sweeping Hudson River vistas en.wikipedia.org. One marked scenic overlook on the east side provides interpretive displays about the Revolutionary War-era Hudson River Chain and the 1777 Fort Montgomery battle, with views over Iona Island, Dunderberg Mountain, and Peekskill far below en.wikipedia.org.
On the west side of the bridge is the entrance to Bear Mountain State Park, a beloved park in the highlands. Just off Route 6’s traffic circle is Hessian Lake and the historic Bear Mountain Inn (1915), as well as trailheads. The Appalachian Trail crosses the river on this bridge – you might notice the white blazes on bridge railings en.wikipedia.org. Pedestrians can walk on the Bear Mountain Bridge’s walkways for a stunning panorama of the Hudson Highlands and to watch boats far below.
- Address: Bear Mountain Bridge, Routes 6/202, Cortlandt, NY 10567 (east end of bridge; pedestrian walkway access) en.wikipedia.org
- Suggested Walk/Detour: Walk across the Bear Mountain Bridge (sidewalk on north side) for an unforgettable view of the Hudson River cutting through forested mountains en.wikipedia.org. On the west end, you can detour into Bear Mountain State Park – a 5-minute walk from the circle leads to Hessian Lake’s loop trail and the Carousel building. For a longer scenic detour, drive Seven Lakes Drive up Bear Mountain 2 miles to Perkins Memorial Tower at the summit, where a short climb up the tower rewards you with a 360° view of the Highlands. (Note: The Bear Mountain Bridge charges a westbound toll; eastbound is free.)
Harriman State Park (Long Mountain Parkway Scenic Drive)
West of Bear Mountain, Route 6 enters Harriman State Park, New York’s second-largest state park famed for its natural beauty. Here Route 6 is dubbed the Long Mountain Parkway, a 7-mile mostly undeveloped stretch that winds through forested hills en.wikipedia.org. Harriman State Park boasts 32 lakes and 200 miles of hiking trails roadtripusa.com, and the highway itself was engineered in the 1920s to showcase the landscape with scenic overlooks and stone arch bridges roadtripusa.com. As you crest Long Mountain, there’s a roadside pullout with the Torrey Memorial plaque – a small overlook where you can gaze out at the park’s wooded peaks and the distant Shawangunk Ridge. This spot offers a peaceful pause amid Harriman’s wilderness.
- Address: Long Mountain Parkway (US 6) at Torrey Memorial Overlook, Town of Highlands, NY 10911
- Suggested Walk: This stop is more about the drive and viewpoints. If you pull off at the marked scenic overlook near the summit of Long Mountain, take a few minutes to walk the short path to the Torrey Memorial stone. You’ll be treated to a quiet viewpoint overlooking forested valleys of Harriman State Park – especially beautiful in autumn. Otherwise, simply enjoy the drive: Route 6’s curves here reveal vistas of lakes and rocky ridges through the trees.
Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove (Monroe)
As Route 6 joins NY 17 through southern Orange County, it passes the outskirts of Monroe. Just off exit 129 (labeled “Museum Village”) is the Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove, an open-air living history museum. Founded in 1950, Museum Village is dedicated to 19th-century rural life, featuring a recreated village with over two dozen historic buildings and tens of thousands of artifacts tripadvisor.com iloveny.com. Visitors can explore a one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, general store, and exhibits ranging from early agricultural tools to a massive 1908 mastodon skeleton discovered locally. It’s a family-friendly stop that brings Hudson Valley history to life.
- Address: 1010 State Route 17M, Monroe, NY 10950 (Museum Village entrance, directly off Route 17M/old Route 6) tripadvisor.com museumvillage.org
- Suggested Walk: Plan about an hour to walk the Museum Village grounds (open seasonally). Stroll along the gravel lanes between buildings; interpreters in period dress may be on hand to demonstrate candle-making or smithing. As this site is essentially a walking tour in itself, it offers a pleasant break from driving. (Note: Check hours; generally open spring through fall on weekends.)
Village of Goshen (Harness Racing Heritage)
Though the modern Route 6 bypasses Goshen on a highway, it’s worth a quick foray into this historic village (accessible directly from Route 6 at exit 124). Goshen’s downtown is centered around an idyllic Main Street and church park. It is most famous for the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, located on Route 17M/Church Street bordering the active Goshen Historic Track. This half-mile oval track, opened in 1838, is the oldest harness horse racing track still in use in the United States en.wikipedia.org (a National Historic Landmark), and the adjacent museum celebrates the sport’s legacy. Housed in a 1913 stable, the museum features vintage sulkies (racing chariots), photographs, and even a chance to ride a simulated race. Outside, you might catch a training session or county-fair race on the historic dirt track, continuing a tradition over 180 years old en.wikipedia.org.
- Address: 240 Main St, Goshen, NY 10924 (Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame) nyheritage.org en.wikipedia.org
- Suggested Walk: Park near the Harness Racing Museum and walk the Church Park Historic District – a one-block area with Goshen’s 1883 orange courthouse and the town green. From the museum, stroll over to the track’s rustic grandstand (open to visitors when no events are happening) to imagine the races of yesteryear. Goshen’s downtown, with its brick sidewalks and boutique shops, invites a short walk – don’t miss the 1911 Hambletonian Statue in the village square, honoring the foundation sire of trotters born here en.wikipedia.org.
City of Port Jervis (Delaware River & Fort Decker)
Port Jervis sits at New York’s western terminus of US 6, along the Delaware River. This small city grew around the Delaware & Hudson Canal and the Erie Railroad, and its downtown (Peck and Front Streets) is directly traversed by Route 6. A key historical site just off Route 6 is Fort Decker, a stone house built in 1793 from the ruins of a colonial fort en.wikipedia.org. It now operates as a local museum (Minisink Valley Historical Society) and is the oldest building in Port Jervis en.wikipedia.org. Stopping here, you can see the fortified home that survived a 1779 raid during the Revolutionary War and later housed canal engineers – the city itself is named after John B. Jervis, chief engineer of the D&H Canal en.wikipedia.org.
Fort Decker Museum of History in Port Jervis – the 1793 stone house is the city’s oldest structure and served as a refuge during frontier conflicts en.wikipedia.org.
Beyond Fort Decker, Port Jervis offers a charming, walkable downtown with painted brick buildings. Just a few blocks south of Route 6, you can find a viewing platform for the Delaware River. Here the Delaware and Neversink Rivers meet at the Tri-States Monument, a granite marker where NY, NJ, and PA boundaries converge (a short drive or 15-minute walk from downtown) en.wikipedia.org. Standing at Tri-States Rock, you can literally be in three states at once.
- Address: 127 West Main St, Port Jervis, NY 12771 (Fort Decker Museum of History) en.wikipedia.org
- Suggested Walk: Begin at Fort Decker (west end of Main Street) to tour its small museum and read the outdoor historical markers. Then, walk east down Jersey Avenue into the heart of downtown Port Jervis. Consider a detour south on Water Street to Riverside Park: a short path leads to the Tri-States Monument at the river’s edge en.wikipedia.org. This peaceful spot offers views of the Delaware River and the forested hills of New Jersey and Pennsylvania – a fitting end to your Route 6 journey.
Fort Decker Museum of History in Port Jervis – the 1793 stone house is the city’s oldest structure and served as a refuge during frontier conflicts
References
- Southeast Museum – Brewster’s local history collections and historic 1896 building hudsonrivervalley.org hudsonrivervalley.org
- Putnam County Courthouse – Built 1814, second-oldest courthouse in NY State en.wikipedia.org; Sybil Ludington historic ride in 1777 atlasobscura.com
- Mahopac Chamber Park – Lake Mahopac public waterfront park with gazebo and paths townofcarmelny.gov
- Bear Mountain Bridge area – Hudson Highlands scenery and Revolutionary War interpretive site en.wikipedia.org; Appalachian Trail crosses at bridge en.wikipedia.org
- Harriman State Park – Over 200 miles of trails and 32 lakes in park roadtripusa.com
- Museum Village (Monroe) – Open-air museum interpreting 19th-century rural life tripadvisor.com iloveny.com
- Goshen Historic Track & Museum – Oldest active harness racing track (since 1838) and Hall of Fame en.wikipedia.org
Port Jervis Fort Decker – 1793 stone house (oldest building in Port Jervis) and Revolutionary War history en.wikipedia.org
