Day trip by ferry to Haverstraw: bike, hike, swim, shop and get lost in a Rockland moment

New, seasonal weekend ferry from Ossining to Haverstraw opens up opportunities for enjoying outdoor adventure, charming river towns and shopping

Rockland County, N.Y. – A new weekend ferry to Haverstraw means day-trip adventures and overnight getaways to Rockland County just got easier. Accessible by Metro-North, the NY Waterway Ferry crosses from Ossining to Haverstraw, hourly all day on Saturdays and Sundays until Nov. 10.

Located on the Hudson River within 20 miles of New York City, Rockland has over 32,000 acres of parks (¹/₃ of the county) including:

• hundreds of miles of paths and trails for hiking and biking,
• lakes for swimming,
• islands for exploration,

• inlets for paddling and
• mountains for epic vistas.

Rockland’s string of historic towns along the Hudson River, including Haverstraw, Nyack, and Piermont, pairs small-town charm with diverse, award-winning restaurants and a thriving arts and cultural scene reminiscent of big cities.

Waterfront dining, boutique hotels, scenic bed and breakfasts, museums, arts districts, historic landmarks, and riverfront parks make Rockland a hiatus within reach of metropolitan New York.

The county has made it easy for visitors arriving by ferry to explore by providing a free, round-trip bus line – the TOR Ferry Connection – from the ferry landing to key destinations including:

• Haverstraw Village - Broadway & Lincoln St.

• Tip: Walk to the historic Haverstraw African American Memorial Park, at 41 Clinton St., to see a vibrant 750-square-foot “Freedom Colors” mural and the new “Beacon of Hope” statue of Harriet Tubman, unveiled on Juneteenth. Haverstraw’s walkable “urban village” also has a dense array of ethnic restaurants plus NY’s oldest chocolate shop, Lucas Candies, and the Haverstraw Brick Museum. Stay overnight at Casa Hudson, a modern interpretation of the bed and breakfast.

• West Haverstraw -

• Visit Garner Arts Center, a 19th century former industrial complex on 14 acres, where visitors can enjoy art exhibitions and installations, film screenings, live performances, a creekside sculpture trail and on-site Roundtable Brewery and La Redonda Tavern, an Argentinian tapas-style restaurant.

• Rockland Lake State Park in Valley Cottage - Route 9W & Lake Rd.

• Located on Hook Mountain, the park offers a new water complex, picnic areas, playgrounds, hiking trails with breath-taking views of the Hudson Valley, six tennis courts and two 18-hole golf courses. A 3.2-mile paved trail encircles the lake.

• Downtown Nyack - Artopee Way

• Explore shops, choose from a range of eateries, from sidewalk cafes to fine restaurants, view the early work of a famed artist and catch live jazz music at the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center.

• Palisades Center

• Find everything you need in this gigantic, four-story shopping mall with the world’s largest indoor ropes course, an indoor go-kart track, comedy club and more.

Travelers with bikes can access a wide network of off-road biking paths by the Haverstraw ferry landing plus popular scenic routes for cycling on roads.

“This new bus route combined with the weekend ferry service offers visitors and residents a convenient option to explore Rockland’s unique tourism assets,” said Lucy Redzeposki, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. “Expect the unexpected in beautiful Rockland County!”

Find more information about the ferry ride to Haverstraw, which crosses the Hudson River at its widest point north of NYC, at

www.nywaterway.com/HaverstrawToOssiningRoute.aspx.

Reservations are recommended for groups traveling with bicycles. Contact NY Waterway directly at 800-533-3779 for reservations and more information.

Learn more about the TOR Ferry Connection bus route and schedule at www.rocklandcountyny.gov.

Customers using this TOR connecting service will be able to transfer to other transit options at TOR transit hubs in the Village of Haverstraw, downtown Nyack and at Palisades Center to access additional destinations. The TOR Ferry Connection schedule also includes a final evening trip to Palisades Center for Metro-North customers who may stay beyond the 8:20 pm departure time of the last ferry back to Ossining. This provides an option for Metro-North customers to return to the Hudson Line at Tarrytown via the Hudson Link bus from Palisades Center or downtown Nyack.

The fare-free TOR Weekend Ferry Connection is provided by the Rockland County Department of Public Transportation and Metro-North Railroad, in partnership with the Rockland County Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Village of Haverstraw. Go to www.rocklandbus.com for more information and to sign up for free Transit Alerts. For trip planning assistance, call the Transit Information Center at (845) 364-3333.