The reason why we chose Mohonk Preserve as our fall foliage hike one year was primarily because of the majestic Mohonk House. In order to hike in this preserve, you need to purchase a $15 ticket as a hiker or $20 as a biker. I know right? You need to pay to visit a preserve? Why not just visit the tons of free parks in the area? If you know me, while I am deterred by having to pay for something that should be public…I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for red tape. If I need to pay for it, it’s likely super well-maintained and worth the money. And I have to say, Mohonk Preserve’s 85 miles of carriage roads now turned into well-maintained trails are worth paying for. They are a literal hiker’s paradise.
Like most nature preserves, Mohonk Preserve is privately owned and managed. It was founded by the Smiley family in 1963 and remains one of the largest, private, nonprofit nature preserves in New York State.
What’s The Difference Between A Nature Preserve and a Park?
The wildlife: Parks aren’t typically very diverse, and you usually won’t find a lot of different animals and plants in them. For the most part, parks have a few different types of ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees. Nature preserves on the other hand are filled with different kinds of birds, bugs and plants!
We trek through the preserve passing by what seems like hundreds of mountain climbers. Shawangunk Ridge, also known as “The Gunks,” is renowned worldwide for its rock climbing opportunities. You see a ton of beginners learning the ropes, no pun intended, and experts making their way to the top. I look straight ahead because I have a fear of heights and don’t want to see what’s happening above my head!
After miles of trekking through a diversity of plants, animals and birds, we are greeted by the sight of water, a lake, mirroring the kaleidoscope of autumn colors surrounding us. Fun fact: Lake mohonk is a glacial lake that is sky-fed. It was purchased in the 1800s by the Smiley family, who founded the Mohonk Mountain House, perched regally atop the Shawagunk Ridge. The house, or hotel, has been welcoming guests since 1869. If you truly want to experience Mohonk Preserve you can stay at the hotel, which offers guests experiences such as kayaking, golf, archery, boating, fine dining, luxury spa treatments, entertainment, and of course access to certain private only areas of the 40,000 acre forest.
However, if you aren’t staying at the property, you can still take advantage of some cool activities. One of these is renting a row boat from Mohonk Mountain House. For $22 you can row for 30 minutes on Mohonk Lake either via rowboat, paddle boat, canoe, kayak, or paddle board. If nature is more your thing, then keep your eyes peeled for butterflies. Do to it’s natural diversity, Mohonk Preserve is known for having over 90 species in the park alone. And let’s not discount the winter, when you can cross-country ski and snowshoe.
Following our hike, we headed to the Four Brothers Drive-In in Amenia. This is my favorite retro drive-in movie spot. It feels like I’m back in the 80s. We parked our Jeep Grand Cherokee in the movie lot and went over to the old school diner to grab some delicious burgers, shakes and fries—a well-deserved reward after our many miles hiking. We hopped back in the car, finished our dinner and snuggled under blankets, holding the radio we bought to transmit the movie sounds closely to our heads. It’s October, so Halloween classics are abound. We sat in the car as we watched some of my favorite Halloween movies, Scream and Hotel Transylvania. It was the perfect ending to a day rich in natural beauty and adventure, reminding us of the simple pleasures of life and the joys of fall in the great outdoors.
2 comments
Lake mohonk is a glacial lake that is sky-fed, and already existed when the smiley brothers purchased the land. it is not a man-made lake.
Thank you for the correction! I read that from a website that was obviously incorrect. I will correct this 🙂