Big Bird's Adventures

As I begin to add some hiking miles to my legs for my upcoming High Uintas Wilderness backpacking trip, my trusty hiking friend Jed proposed a loop in Minnewaska State Park. For those in ignorance this is a beautiful NY State Park just west of New Paltz, and is home to “The Gunks” aka The Shawangunk Mountains. An incredible natural beauty rich in Geology, and fortunately protected many moons in the past by the Mohonk Preserve and the Mohonk Mountain House. What keeps the park going, financially, is that it is very difficult to avoid a paid parking spot as most of the access is paid, and the street parking has been eliminated. There is something for everyone here. If easy is what you want, then the miles of Carriage Trails are for you. In the Summer months they’re also pretty sunny, but in the Winter months they’re groomed for some of the best cross-country skiing on the East Coast. In addition the Carriage Trails are open to cyclists, where a gravel bike works best, and a road bike with at least 28’s would work, and finally is easy for a Mountain Bike, but whatever your choice of transport is, miles and miles of Carriage Trails provide for a great day in the saddle. Scattered around are the various “Footpaths” that allow for and produce a much different hiking experience.