The Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge, which locals and climbers call the Gunks, is a long ridge of sheer cliffs in Ulster County, New York, that NY State Parks says rises more than 2,000 feet. Most of the places visitors come for are protected in Minnewaska State Park Preserve, including its Sam's Point Area, and in neighbouring Mohonk Preserve: sky lakes, cliff-top carriage roads, waterfalls, globally rare dwarf pine ridges and climbing cliffs that Mohonk Preserve calls world-famous. NY State Parks puts Minnewaska within an hour and a half's drive of New York City.
The Ridge at a Glance
The Sky Lakes
The ridge holds five lakes, often called sky lakes. A 2020 Times Herald-Record history counts four of the five inside Minnewaska State Park Preserve: Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting, Mud Pond (also called Lake Haseco) and Lake Maratanza. The fifth, Mohonk Lake, is on the grounds of Mohonk Mountain House, a private resort.
- Lake Minnewaska: 2-mile carriage-road loop from the visitor center.
- Lake Awosting: 8.2 miles round trip to its beach.
- Lake Maratanza: on the Loop Road at Sam's Point.
Who Protects the Ridge
- Minnewaska State Park Preserve: more than 24,000 acres, run by NY State Parks and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, with 35 miles of carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths.
- Sam's Point Area: about 5,000 acres on the highest section of the Shawangunks, now part of Minnewaska.
- Mohonk Preserve: a nonprofit with more than 8,000 acres and 70-plus miles of carriage roads and trails, including the Trapps cliffs. See Mohonk Preserve.
- Witch's Hole State Forest: marked on Minnewaska's map along the northern boundary near Stony Kill Falls.
Cliffs and Climbing
Mohonk Preserve calls the Gunks cliffs world-famous. Inside Minnewaska, roped climbing is allowed only at the Peter's Kill Area, with a $10 day pass; bouldering is also on NY State Parks' activity list. See rock climbing.
Dwarf Pine Ridges
At Sam's Point, NY State Parks protects a globally rare dwarf pine ridge community, a mix of pitch pine-heath barrens and chestnut oak forest. Stay on the trails there.
Long-Distance Trails
NY State Parks' map shows two long-distance routes crossing the preserve: the Long Path and the Shawangunk Ridge Trail. Both pass through the Sam's Point Area. Any overnight trip still has to follow Minnewaska's rule: day use only, with no camping or fires inside the preserve.
The Best Short Introductions
- Easiest: the 2-mile Lake Minnewaska loop and Awosting Falls, both on carriage roads.
- Big view, short walk: the Sam's Point Overlook, 1.2 miles round trip.
- Full day: Gertrude's Nose, 7 miles of cliff-edge footpath.
- Waterfall: Verkeerder Kill Falls, 187 feet.
Art and History
Painters of the Hudson River School summered in Cragsmoor, the hamlet at the foot of Sam's Point, NY State Parks notes. Above Lake Minnewaska, Alfred Smiley opened the Cliff House hotel in 1879; the hotels are gone, and the land became a state park preserve in 1993. See history.
The Shawangunk Ridge FAQ
What is the Shawangunk Ridge?
A ridge of sheer cliffs in Ulster County, New York, that rises more than 2,000 feet. Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Mohonk Preserve protect much of it.
How do you pronounce Shawangunk?
Most people simply say "the Gunks," the local nickname for the ridge.
What are the Shawangunk sky lakes?
Five ridge-top lakes: Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting, Mud Pond and Lake Maratanza inside Minnewaska, and Mohonk Lake on Mohonk Mountain House property.
Where is the best hiking in the Gunks?
For a first visit, the carriage roads at Minnewaska State Park Preserve: the Lake Minnewaska loop and Awosting Falls. For a full day, Gertrude's Nose or Lake Awosting.