One Tank Adventure: Minnewaska State Park Preserve

The brisk sunny weather of fall is a great time to hike through Minnewaska State Park Preserve, a beautiful state park, known for its rugged rocky terrain and breathtaking views.

Located in Ulster County, Minnewaska State Park Preserve is worth a visit at any time of the year. The summer months offer opportunities to swim and scuba dive. In the winter visitors can cross country ski. For most of the year visitors can also go rock climbing and horseback riding. Fall visits provide an added bonus: a breathtaking palette of red, gold and rust-colored leaves. Altogether, the preserve offers 35 miles of carriage roads and more than 50 miles of footpaths for hikers and bikers.

The preserve is perched on the Shawangunk Mountain ridge, situated more than 2,000 feet above sea level. The highest point is the 5,000-acre Sam’s Point Preserve, which features Lake Maratanza, one of the Shawangunk sky lakes; ice caves and Verkeerder Kill Falls, a stunning 187-foot-high waterfall.

The preserve is also a must-visit location for bird watchers because of the diversity of forest-dwelling species found there. The Nature Conservancy designated the preserve’s bird conservation area as one of the “Last Great Places” because the large swatch of forest supports such a high diversity of birds.

Want more than a day at this park? There are also options for camping out and waking up to fall foliage. The tent-only campground at the Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Compound will remain open through mid-November and is a five-minute drive from the park’s main entrance. You can find out more about the campground here.

The park and all programs that take place there are free to the public, although there is a $10 parking charge. The park is located at 5281 Rte 44-55, Kerhonksen, NY 12446. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can find out more about events and programs at the park by calling the Park Preserve Office at 845 255-0752 or visiting the site.

Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia