Hudson Valley facts for kids
The Hudson Valley is a beautiful valley in New York State. It follows the path of the Hudson River. This long valley stretches from Westchester County in the south all the way up to Albany in the north.
The Hudson River valley runs mostly from north to south. It cuts through the eastern part of New York State. The valley is famous for its amazing natural beauty and rich history.
Geology and Landscape
The Hudson Valley has many different kinds of rocks. In the southern part, you can find Triassic sandstones. These are often reddish in color. There is also a famous rock formation called the Palisades Sill. Further north, you can see older rocks called Precambrian gneiss. These rocks are very ancient.
The Hudson Fjord
In a part of the valley called the Hudson Highlands, the river flows through a fjord. A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs. This special shape was carved out by huge glaciers during past ice ages. These glaciers slowly moved, shaping the land over thousands of years.
To the west of the river, you can see the tall Appalachian Mountains. Near the Tappan Zee Bridge, the western side of the river has very high cliffs. These cliffs can be as tall as 400 to 800 feet!
Glacial History
A long time ago, during the last ice age, a giant glacier covered the Hudson Valley. This huge sheet of ice stretched all the way down to Long Island. As the ice age ended, the glacier melted. Water from the Great Lakes area also drained south through the Hudson River. This ancient body of water is known as Lake Iroquois. Today, Lake Ontario is what remains of that large lake.
Images for kids
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Robert Havell, Jr., View of the Hudson River from Tarrytown, c. 1866
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The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture is a leading nonprofit farm and educational center in the region.
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The main laboratory building of the IBM Watson Research Center is located in Yorktown Heights.
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The Mid-Hudson Bridge, connecting Poughkeepsie and Highland
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The Yonkers station serves Amtrak intercity trains and Metro-North commuter trains.
See also
In Spanish: Valle del Hudson para niños
