Lake Awosting

Lake Awosting is the farthest of Minnewaska's lakes from the parking lots, a sky lake on the ridge that visitors reach on foot or by bike. NY State Parks puts Awosting Beach 8.2 miles round trip from the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, about four and a half hours of walking on carriage roads. The Lake Awosting Carriage Road then circles the lake in 3.5 miles. The beach's swimming area, like Lake Minnewaska's, is closed until the 2027 season.

How to Get to Lake Awosting

Park at the main entrance, 5281 Route 44-55 ($10 per car), and start from the upper lot by the visitor center. NY State Parks' trail map shows two carriage roads heading south-west from the Lake Minnewaska area toward Lake Awosting:

• Upper Awosting Carriage Road (green, 3.1 miles).
• Lower Awosting Carriage Road (black, 2.7 miles).

Both meet the Lake Awosting Carriage Road (black, 3.5 miles), which loops round the lake and passes Awosting Beach. Many visitors go out one way and back the other. The 8.2-mile round trip is NY State Parks' figure to the beach; a full lap of the lake adds more.

By Bike

All of these are carriage roads, so bikes are allowed with a helmet, at 15 mph or less, slowing to 5 mph near walkers. Only Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed. Bikes stay off footpaths such as the Scenic Trail, and off any carriage road the park closes for snow, ice or soft conditions. See carriage roads and biking.

Awosting Beach and Swimming

Awosting Beach is one of the preserve's two designated swimming areas. When open, swimming is allowed only there and only with lifeguards on duty. As of October 2026, NY State Parks says the swimming areas at Lake Awosting and Lake Minnewaska are closed until the 2027 season. Dogs are never allowed at the beach. See swimming.

Loops That Include Lake Awosting

• Castle Point and Hamilton Point: the Castle Point Carriage Road (blue, 4.6 miles) and Hamilton Point Carriage Road (yellow, 2.9 miles) lead to two of the preserve's best-known overlooks. NY State Parks lists Castle Point at 7.2 miles and Hamilton Point at 7.0 miles round trip from the visitor center. Combining them with Lake Awosting makes a long day.
• Scenic Trail: the violet Scenic Trail (4.3 miles) is a footpath that continues south toward the Sam's Point Area. Footpaths are slower than carriage roads.
• Mud Pond: another of the ridge lakes, on Mud Pond Road, which NY State Parks marks as open seasonally.

Plan the Day

• Time: four and a half hours is walking time. Add breaks, and check the posted closing time: 5 p.m. in winter, 6 p.m. in late October, later in summer.
• Water and food: there are no trash cans in the preserve, so carry out everything.
• Map: buy the $5 topographic map at the visitor center or download the official map before you lose signal.
• Weather: the carriage roads are exposed on the cliff tops; NY State Parks warns about cliff edges throughout.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for: a full-day hike or a long carriage-road bike ride, quieter shores than Lake Minnewaska.
• Maybe skip if: you have two hours. Walk the Lake Minnewaska loop and Awosting Falls instead.