Last Updated: 05/17/2021 5:53 pm Last summer, as the threat of COVID-19 came into focus and New Yorkers were advised against gathering indoors, an unprecedented number of hikers took to the trails of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. In addition to the seasoned outdoor adventurers, there were many first-timers from points south, and some trails strained under the impact. Mount Beacon was closed in the late spring due to the impossibility of social distancing amongst the crowds, and the roads around Kaaterskill Falls in Greene County were lined with illegally parked cars. Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit conservation group, saw some of the highest use ever at its 45 parks up and down the Hudson Valley, according to Director of Parks and Community Engagement Rita Shaheen—an influx the organization is embracing. “We’re delighted that people have learned that parks are essential, and that they are a big part of how we cope and recover from this crisis,” she says. Scenic Hudson has seen many first-time hikers from New York City, Shaheen continues, which has “made it clearer than ever that access to the outdoors is a right for everyone.”