Directions for walking the Hudson River Walkway from Exchange Place in Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge
June 8, 2019
Overview: The New Jersey Hudson River Walkway from Exchange Place in Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge is about 13.5 linear miles and will have two distinctly different segments. The initial ~ 10-mile segment is a largely contiguous, completed Walkway from Exchange Place in Jersey City to the Edgewater border. The following 3.5-mile segment through hilly Edgewater and Ft Lee to the GW Bridge is interrupted with sections that are not completed and will require walking on River Road to bypass these unfinished segments. The walk will also be significantly longer than the 13.5 miles as the Walkway winds in and out of coves, piers and marinas.
Jersey City: The Walkway is complete throughout Jersey City from Exchange Place to the Hoboken Train Station. You will pass mostly commercial office buildings and piers. You will have to detour around construction at the Holland Tunnel. In Newport at the northern end of Jersey City, the Walkway goes around a marina, through a small park and along the street for a short distance. Look for the large brass Walkway plaques in the sidewalk. Make sure to follow the Walkway onto the pier at The Ellipse condominiums which is recently opened to the public and is a special view of Manhattan. The Jersey City segment ends at a Walkway bridge that connects with Hoboken where you will find historical descriptions of the waterfront along the fencing.
Hoboken: After crossing the Walkway bridge from Jersey City to Hoboken, the Walkway continues directly through the Hoboken Train Station. The Walkway is poorly signed thru the Station but look for the green and black Walkway signs within the station and emerge on the other side of the station on the Hoboken Walkway.
The Walkway is completed throughout Hoboken except for a brief segment in north Hoboken. The southern part of the Hoboken Walkway passes two public parks on reconstructed piers in the Hudson. Take the time to explore the piers. They are the closest you will get to Manhattan on the Jersey side of the walk. In northern Hoboken, the Walkway leads directly around a closed and demolished dry dock facility. This is currently a major dispute between Hoboken, who want to make it into a park, and NY Waterways, who want to build a ferry maintenance and refueling station. Return back to the Walkway at Maxwell Place immediately after the dry dock. As you approach the most northern end of Hoboken and pass the Maxwell Place and Shipyard condominium complexes, you will find an area of construction and a short detour that leads back to the Walkway near the Hudson Tea condos. Stay right and close to the water and follow the Walkway behind the massive Hudson Tea condominium. This leads directly to the Walkway segment that connects Hoboken with Weehawken.
Weehawken: The Walkway is largely complete through Weehawken. This is one of the best places to see the Manhattan skyline and take pictures. The Walkway goes behind the Sheraton Hotel past a newly constructed apartment complex on a pier in the Hudson, and into the southern end of Weehawken Park. The Walkway leads you River Road for a brief distance passing the final section of Weehawken Park that will open in late 2020. Stay right toward the river and enter Weehawken Park. Follow the Walkway through Weehawken Park, pass the Weehawken 9/11 Memorial and the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal and into West New York.
West New York/Guttenberg: The Walkway is completed through West New York and Guttenberg and continues into North Bergen after the pocket park in Guttenberg. Turn right immediately after the park and continue on the Walkway behind Hudson Pointe and toward the river in North Bergen.
North Bergen: In North Bergen, the Walkway will pass the Hudson Pointe condos and the parking lots for the Harborage and Palisades Medical Center. This stretch of the Walkway also has unobstructed magnificent views of the NYC skyline. The Harborage and Medical Center Walkway is asphalt. The asphalt Walkway leads to a segment behind the Waterside restaurant. Stay to the right and continue on the Walkway that runs between the Waterside restaurant’s outdoor cafe and the water’s edge and is the official and legal pathway for the Walkway in this area. The Walkway then turns left beside the restaurant and onto the lane is a yellow striped path. Follow the path as it winds past a small cluster of the Kings Pointe condominiums on your left. Turn right immediately before the PSE &G transformers and follow the Walkway a short distance to Roc Harbor condos. Turn right and walk around the recently reopened Walkway around the Roc Harbor condominium and the Watermark Condominiums which leads again to River Road. Turn right at River Road and continue north toward Edgewater.
Edgewater/Fort: From North Bergen, proceed on River Road for a short distance. Pass an undeveloped riverfront property and immediately turn right at the Glass House Condominiums. Reenter the Walkway and continue on the Walkway until it comes to an end. Return to River Road to passthe large Quantas Superfund Site and a large Commercial/Condominium complex called City Place. Immediately after City Place, take a right through the movie theater parking lot. (The movie theater is closed and will be developed into residential units.Too bad☹)and proceed toward the river where you will rejoin the Walkway.
Stay on the Walkway for about a mile where it again will bring you back to River Road at the site of the old Hess Oil Terminal which has been demolished. After you pass the Hess Oil site on River Road, again bear right through the Trader Joe’s parking lot and rejoin the Walkway at the rear of the parking lot. The old Binghamton Riverboat has been removed and a new one is planned. Proceed on the Walkway for about 3/4 of a mile where the Walkway goes through the Edgewater Marina and again you will be back on River Road.
Walk on River Road past Admiral’s Walk and the Waterside condominiums and turn right into Edgewater Veterans Park. Head for the river along the black top path and rejoin the Walkway which will lead you back to River Road just below the old Le Jardin restaurant that is being renovated. Walk up hill on River Road to Annette Ave passing the Moorings, the closed Von Dohln marina, Vela Homes and the Caribbean House. You should see a Walkway sign at the entrance to Annette Ave. It also has new security arms to prevent vehicles from entering.
At this point you have two choices.
- You can stay on River Road for .8 miles through Ft. Lee to the entrance to the South Walkway of the GW Bridge. (The North Walkway is closed). This is an unattractive area for the walk and parts of River Road have no sidewalks and can be dangerous.
- Proceed right, pass the security arms, and down Annette Ave toward the river. This is the entrance to the Edgewater Colony, a private community. (Some of the residents are not happy that the Walkway runs through their private community but it is perfectly legal). Walk down Annette Ave staying left around a bend until you come to a fork in the road. Admire the view of the river and the multi-million-dollar homes and then take the left fork on Annette Ave up the hill. (The right fork, which is Shore Road has another Walkway sign but will take you down to the Hudson River and Palisades Park with no access to the GW Bridge). Go up the hill and return to River Road at the Fort Lee border where there is a wide sidewalk for the final 1/2 mile to the entrance to the GW Bridge South Walkway.
Good Walking
The Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy