Minnewaska State Park Preserve facts for kids
The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a huge park in Ulster County, New York. It covers about 22,275 acres (90.14 km2) of land. You can find it on U.S. Route 44/New York State Route 55, about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of New York State Route 299.
This park is famous for its amazing views of the Catskill Mountains. People love to visit for picnics, hiking, mountain biking, and swimming. In winter, you can even go snowshoeing! The park is looked after by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Minnewaska State Park has four of the five special "sky lakes" found on the Shawangunk Ridge. These are Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting, Mud Pond (also called Lake Haseco), and Lake Maratanza. Lake Minnewaska is about half a mile (0.8 km) long and an eighth of a mile (0.2 km) wide. Lake Awosting is much bigger, about 1 and an eighth miles (1.8 km) long and a quarter of a mile (0.4 km) wide.
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A Look Back: The Park's History
Long ago, this area was part of the Mohonk Mountain House property. In 1879, a hotel called the Minnewaska Mountain House, or Cliff House, was built here. It had a great view of Lake Minnewaska and could host 225 guests. Later, another hotel, Wildmere, was built for 350 guests.
Over time, the hotels became too expensive to keep up. Cliff House was left empty in 1972 and sadly burned down in 1978. Wildmere closed in 1979 and also burned down in 1986.
After many years of discussions about building new things, New York State bought the land in 1987. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve officially opened its doors in 1993. The park grew even bigger in 1996 when the Open Space Institute added 5,400 acres (21.85 km2) from the old Ellenville watershed lands. This new area is now called Sam's Point Preserve.
How the Park Grew Bigger
In March 2006, the park got even larger! About 2,500 more acres (10.12 km2) were added. This happened thanks to a group of conservation organizations working together. These groups included the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference, the Open Space Institute, and the Nature Conservancy.
A plan to build on the Awosting Reserve property fell apart. So, a court decided the land should be sold. The Trust for Public Land bought the property for $17 million. They then gave the land to New York State, making the park even larger for everyone to enjoy.
Amazing Plants and Animals
Minnewaska State Park Preserve has special natural areas. These include unique ice cave areas and forests with pitch pine, oak, and heath plants. There are also large chestnut oak forests. These places are home to many plants and animals that are rare in New York State.
You might find wildlife like the timber rattlesnake and the bobcat here. The park is also the only place in New York State where a special type of moth, called Zale curema, has been found. It's a truly unique place for nature lovers!
Swimming in Lake Minnewaska
For many years, people could swim anywhere in Lake Minnewaska. You could also swim in Lake Awosting and the Peterskill areas. But in 1987, when New York State bought the land, swimming was stopped.
In 1988, thanks to people like Helga Schwartz and many petitions, swimming was allowed again. It was in a small, roped-off area.
Later, in April 2000, Judy Mage, Myriam Miedzian, and Ellen James met with park officials. They asked for more space for distance swimming. Because of this meeting, the swimming area in the lake became bigger. The closing time for swimming was also made half an hour later.
On June 11, 2000, a group called SWIM (Swim Without Interference at Minnewaska) was formed. They wanted to bring back swimming all over the lake. After talking with park officials, SWIM suggested creating a club. Members would show they could swim well, buy insurance, and sign forms. This group helped get a second swimming area. It has a 200-yard (182.9 m) buoyed cable for distance swimming.
In the spring of 2002, SWIM became the Minnewaska Distance Swimmer's Association (MDSA). In its first year, 430 people joined! Today, the MDSA has almost 700 members. [1]
Image gallery
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Lake Awosting
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Palmaghatt Kills Ravine, Old Growth Forest
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A view of Lake Awosting from the cliffs
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The swimmer's beach at Lake Minnewaska
Images for kids
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Frozen lake, Minnewaska State park in late March, 2021
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Frozen Lake Minnewaska, March 2021
