New Appalachian Trail Bridge and Boardwalk Open in Pawling, NY

On Sunday, July 1, 2012 a grand opening celebration was held for the newly completed Appalachian Trail (A.T.) boardwalk crossing the  Swamp River and Great Swamp in Pawling, NY.  The boardwalk is near where the A.T. intersects State Route 22 near the Metro North Railroad Appalachian Trail train station, approximately two miles north of the Village of Pawling. 

This new 1,600-foot, oak-decked boardwalk and 34-ft bridge over the Swamp River is the culmination of two and a half years of work by more than 75 volunteers who contributed 5,000 hours to the project, according to Jim Haggett, head of theDutchess/Putnam A.T. Management Committee of the NY-NJ Trail Conference and project lead. 

The project was sponsored by theNY-NJ Trail Conference and Appalachian Trail Conservancy with major funding by the Appalachian Trail Park Office of the National Park Service (NPS).  Metro-North railroad upgraded the track crossing, making it pedestrian friendly. More than 100 people attended the opening event, including local residents and officials, executives from the sponsoring organizations and hikers.

The Appalachian Trail is one of Dutchess County’s largest parks with 30+ miles of trail within a protective corridor of 4,000+ acres of NPS-owned land.  From the south, the trail enters  Dutchess County at the north end of Fahnestock State Park and meanders through the towns of East Fishkill, Beekman, Pawling, and Dover before crossing into Connecticut.  Volunteers from the Dutchess/Putnam AT Management Committee, under the auspices of the NY-NJ Trail Conference, maintain the trail and oversee the AT corridor from the Bear Mountain Bridge to Connecticut.