Together with NY 52, which it closely parallels and briefly joins in downtown Liberty, it forms the latitudinal backbone of the Hudson Valley region for non-interstate traffic. It offers the traveler a wide variety of landscapes, from farmlands, mountains and forests to the urban center of Poughkeepsie. Sights along the way include two of New York City's major reservoirs in the Catskills, a dramatic crossing of the Shawangunk Ridge, and the Mid-Hudson Bridge.