Minnewaska State Park

Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located on the Shawangunk Mountain ridge 2,000 feet above sea level. Driving up to it provided us incredible views of the mountain range and valley. We arrived at the park, we paid our $10 admission and went in to make some lunch in our van. There are a few picnic areas that many families gathered at to relax and eat at. After lunch, we started our trek to the waterfalls.

We first came across a field of flowers with hundreds of butterflies fluttering around. It was a great way to start our hike! The park features numerous waterfalls, 3 crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, incising sheer cliffs and ledges opening to beautiful views, clear streams cut into valleys, 35 miles of carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths on which to bike, walk, and hike. There hasn’t been much rain in NY, so the waterfalls weren’t rushing like they normally do but they were still beautiful. We walked along the paths and just keep finding cool spots to sit and take in the views. The water was clean, cool and made for a refreshing dip to cool off from the hot summer sun.

There is a tent only campground on the property that we didn’t stay at but looked very accommodating for its guests. The park was very clean and luckily it wasn’t overcrowded when we were there, so we were able to really enjoy ourselves. As we left the park, we pulled off to enjoy the scenic views which were breathtaking. So vast and served as a great reminder to how beautiful New York is, especially being within an hour of New York City.