At this site in Ulster County, a succession of bridges spanned the location, from a wooden covered bridge erected in 1845, to an iron bridge installed in 1891, to a steel through truss bridge built in 1940 and refurbished in 1990, and finally to an environmentally friendly pony truss steel bridge installed in 2016 to better withstand major weather events, meet modern traffic needs, allow greater pedestrian access, and avoid repainting through its weathered steel finish. In 2008, the bridge here was permanently dedicated to Carmine Liberta, a lifelong resident of New Paltz and a decorated Korean War veteran. Nearby, Skytop Tower, a stone structure opened in 1923 and dedicated to Mohonk Mountain House founder Albert K. Smiley, provides three hundred sixty degree panoramic views that on clear days reach five states, while views of New Paltz and the Wallkill and Rondout Valleys are also visible from Minnewaska State Park and overlooks along State Route 44/55. The Shawangunk Ridge is formed primarily of Shawangunk Conglomerate, a dense mix of white quartz pebbles and sandstone whose hardness and resistance to weathering, contrasted with the faster erosion of the underlying shale, create the ridge’s white cliffs and slopes, especially on its eastern side, and support notable rock climbing and hiking. The Wallkill River winds across the broad valley, bringing nutrients and minerals that have made the area ideal for agriculture for centuries, and Ulster County’s fertile farmland is known for producing exceptionally fine fresh produce.