Our Favorite Rides: The Shawangunks
Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park Preserve are hardly a secret but that makes the area no less worth the trip up, especially when the fall colors are at their peak.
The gravel routes through the Mohonk and Minnewaska Preserves combine a network of carriage roads, access roads, and single-track trails. The views as the trails wind up along the ridge are breathtaking and once at the top offer a spectacular vista across the valley towards the Hudson. The gradients are steady - there are very few steep pitches and surfaces are well maintained. The rock formations vary with the kind of terrain mixed throughout the park so higher volume gravel tires are ideal.
Getting to the trailhead in New Paltz from NYC takes about an hour and a half and parking is plentiful if an early start is planned. Metro North to Poughkeepsie is also an easy option. The ride to New Paltz along the flat paved rail trails is a pleasant and easy 45 minute warmup.
Groomed gravel pathways lead from New Paltz into the foothills before entering the park. Once inside the Mohonk Preserve there is a welcome center where cyclists can pay the $20 day use fee ($15 for hiking). Here, and at the two other visitor centers within the park, tools and tire pumps are available. The Minnewaska visitor center midway along the route also has restrooms and water fountains. The park is a destination for hikers and rock climbing so expect to share the trails.
ORTBO
This past October TBD took a mid-cyclocross season break for an Outdoor Retreat and Team-Building Occurrence (ORTBO). Yes, we are fans of the Apple TV+ series Severance, which filmed at several locations within the park! The leaves were near peak color, the temperatures ideal for endurance gravel, and spectacular views were around every corner.
Each year the Mohonk Preserve presents the Shawangunk Grit, an ‘epic fundraising ride’ to benefit the preserve. Registration details for this year’s November 1st ride are on Bike Reg.