The Shawangunk Ridge hides ice caves, 60-foot waterfalls, and lakes the color of the Caribbean

It’s only 90 minutes from New York City

Minnewaska State Park Preserve covers nearly 24,000 acres on the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge in Ulster County, New York.

The ridge rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level, and the park holds crystal-clear lakes, 60-foot waterfalls, ice caves, and cliff edges with views that stretch to the Catskill Mountains.

Most people driving through the Hudson Valley have no idea any of this is up there. The road in changes that fast.

A ridge of white cliffs above the Hudson Valley

The Shawangunk Ridge doesn’t ease you in. Sheer white cliffs rise straight from the rock, and the ledges open to wide views of the Hudson Valley below and the Catskills in the distance.

The park covers nearly 24,000 acres of rugged, rocky terrain blanketed by dense hardwood forests, and none of it feels like the same New York you left 90 minutes ago.

The ridge runs above 2,000 feet, and once you’re up there, the city feels like something from another life.

The grand hotels that burned and became a park

Two resort hotels once sat on this ridge. Alfred Smiley built the Cliff House in 1879, overlooking Lake Minnewaska, and a second hotel called Wildmere followed in 1881.

The Smiley family were Quakers and ran both properties with strict rules against gambling and heavy drinking. The Phillips family bought the land in 1955 but couldn’t keep pace with rising costs.

Cliff House closed in 1972 and burned in 1978. Wildmere shut down in 1979 and burned in 1986.

New York State bought the property in 1987 and opened it as a protected preserve in 1993.

Sky lakes fed only by rain glow turquoise from the rock

The word “sky lake” sounds invented, but these are real, and they’re rare.

Lakes Minnewaska, Awosting, and Mud Pond all sit atop quartz conglomerate bedrock more than 2,000 feet up, fed entirely by rainwater with no streams flowing in or out.

That pure, acidic water gives them their color, a deep turquoise that reads almost artificial in photos. A fourth sky lake, Lake Maratanza, sits even higher in the Sam’s Point Area of the park.

There’s nothing else quite like them in the Northeast.

Two very different ways to swim in a sky lake

Lake Minnewaska has a designated swimming beach with lifeguards on duty through the summer. The water stays cool even on hot days because of the elevation, so don’t expect a warm dip.

Lake Awosting offers something different. There’s no beach there, just a wide, smooth slab of rock that slopes gradually into the water.

The hike to reach it keeps the crowds thin, and on a weekday you might have the whole shoreline to yourself. Two sky lakes, two completely different experiences.

Awosting Falls drops 60 feet into a boulder-choked pool

The trail to Awosting Falls from the lower parking area runs mostly flat for about 0.6 miles, which makes it one of the easier walks in the park.

The falls themselves drop about 60 feet over a sheer rock face into a pool packed with boulders below. Swimming and wading aren’t allowed at the base.

The best time to go is spring, when the snowmelt pushes the water volume up.

Fall runs a close second, when the trees around the cliff face turn and the whole scene changes color around the falling water.

Walk a cliff edge above the Palmaghatt Ravine

Gertrude’s Nose Trail runs roughly 7.5 miles in a loop along exposed cliff edges high above the Palmaghatt Ravine. From the trail, you can see across the Hudson Valley all the way to the Catskills.

Castle Point and Hamilton Point are two overlooks you can reach by carriage road, both giving you wide views of the sky lakes and the ridge below.

One glacial boulder called Patterson’s Pellet sits right at the cliff edge along the Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road, left there when the ice-age glaciers pulled back.

The cliff trails are not the place for young kids or anyone who doesn’t like heights, and worn sneakers won’t cut it here.

35 miles of old carriage roads cut through the forest

The park has 85 miles of trails in total: 35 miles of historic carriage roads dating to the 1800s hotel era, and 50 miles of footpaths for more rugged terrain.

The carriage roads are wide and graded, which makes them good for families, casual walkers, and cyclists.

The Lake Minnewaska Loop follows one of these roads all the way around the lake, with views of the cliffs and ledges the whole way.

Mountain biking is allowed on the carriage roads, so if you’d rather roll than walk, the park has room for that too.

Sam’s Point holds ice in its caves well into summer

The Sam’s Point Area sits at about 2,289 feet, the highest section of the Shawangunks.

The Ellenville Fault Ice Caves are deep rock crevices that trap cold air year-round, holding ice long after the rest of the park has warmed up.

You walk through the narrow passages on boardwalks and ladders.

Sam’s Point also holds one of the best examples of dwarf pitch pine barrens in the world, a globally rare ecosystem.

The area has a separate entrance about 20 minutes from the main park gate, and you’ll need parking reservations on weekends and holidays from April 18 through Nov. 15, 2026.

Verkeerder Kill Falls plunges 187 feet at Sam’s Point

A loop trail at Sam’s Point connects the ice caves, the Sam’s Point overlook, and Lake Maratanza, the highest of the four Shawangunk sky lakes.

Along the way, you can see Verkeerder Kill Falls from the trail. The falls drop 187 feet, making them one of the tallest in the region.

They sit on private property, so the view from the marked trail is as close as you can get. Stay on the path and respect the boundary.

The falls are worth the stop even from a distance.

Hawks and falcons stream south through here every fall

The Nature Conservancy put the Shawangunk Ridge on its list of Last Great Places, and the reasons aren’t hard to find. The park is a designated Bird Conservation Area with a wide range of forest-dwelling species.

Come in fall and you may catch large groups of hawks and falcons moving south along the ridge in migration.

The habitats range from pitch pine barrens to hemlock forests to cliff-edge ecosystems, and nearly 40 rare plant and animal species live within the preserve.

The variety packed into one park is hard to match anywhere in New York.

Rock climbing, scuba diving and skiing round out the year

The park doesn’t shut down when summer ends. Rock climbing is allowed at the Peter’s Kill Area with a daily permit and a signed risk form.

Scuba diving is permitted in Lake Minnewaska with a seasonal permit. Horseback riding is available by permit on designated routes, but only on non-holiday weekdays.

In winter, the carriage roads get groomed for cross-country skiing, and snowshoe rentals are available on site.

Dogs are welcome on a leash of six feet or less, though they’re not allowed on beaches, in picnic areas, or on groomed ski trails when those trails are open.

Plan around the parking lots or you might get turned away

The park opens daily at 9 a.m., and closing times shift with the seasons. Parking at the main entrance costs $10 per car.

On clear weekend days, both Lake Minnewaska and Sam’s Point can fill up fast and close intermittently when the lots hit capacity.

The main entrance on Route 44/55 near Kerhonkson takes you to Lake Minnewaska, Awosting Falls, and the carriage roads.

The Sam’s Point entrance in Cragsmoor leads to the ice caves, Verkeerder Kill Falls, and Lake Maratanza. Get there early on weekends.

The parking situation is the one thing that can make or break the day.

Visit Minnewaska State Park Preserve in New York

Minnewaska State Park Preserve sits at 5281 Route 44-55 in Kerhonkson, about 90 minutes north of New York City.

The park opens daily at 9 a.m. with seasonal closing times, and parking costs $10 per car at the main entrance.

If you’re heading to Sam’s Point, check the official website for parking reservation details since reservations are required on weekends and holidays from April 18 through Nov. 15, 2026.

Bring layers, solid footwear, and more water than you think you’ll need.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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