Mohonk Preserve
Encyclopedia
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
, a section of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, 90 miles (144.8 km) north of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in Ulster County, New York
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
, USA. The Preserve is 5 miles (8 km) west of the Village of New Paltz
New Paltz (village), New York
New Paltz is a village in Ulster County in the U.S. state of New York. It is about north of New York City and south of Albany. The population was 6,818 at the 2010 census.The Village of New Paltz is located within the Town of New Paltz...
. The Preserve protects over 7000 acre (28,328 km) of cliffs, forests, streams and ponds, and manages 30 mi (48.3 km) of carriage roads and 40 mi (64.4 km) of trails for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. Hunting is allowed at the Mohonk Preserve as part of a research-based deer management program that aims to reduce ecological damage (including the loss of bird habitat) caused by deer overbrowsing. The Preserve includes world-famous rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
cliffs and is the single busiest climbing destination in North America.
History
The Mohonk Preserve was founded in 1963 as the Mohonk Trust by guests of the Mohonk Mountain HouseMohonk Mountain House
The Mohonk Mountain House also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is a historic American resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. Its prominent location in the town of New Paltz is just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains on the western side of the...
and the Smiley family, who are the founders and present owners of the Mohonk Mountain House. This resort and its Victorian hotel was named a National Historic Landmark in 1986. A reciprocal agreement allows Preserve members and day visitors to visit the resort grounds.
There is no research to support the commercial branding that "Mohonk" in the native Lenape language means, "lake in the sky", or that the name historically applied to the lake. According to Marc B. Fried's Shawangunk Place Names, an early variant of the name, "Moggonck," applied on boundary records to the "high hill," the crag now named Skytop where the Smiley Tower is located. "The spelling in 1677 was "Moggonck" in both Dutch deed and English patent....although the spelling change from gg to h was probably done for the sake of euphony, with commercial considerations in mind, it has the effect of helping preserve the guttural sound of the letter g in Dutch, the original language in which the name was transliterated from the Indian tongue." Citing Lenape scholar Dr. David Oestreicher, Fried writes about its meaning: "Animal place names among the Lenape were common. Moggonck appears to be derived from maxkwung, 'place of bears,' or perhaps shortened from Munsee maxkawenge, 'hill of bears.'"
With respect to the change in spelling and the name of the lake, Fried writes: "A change in spelling from "Moggonck" to "Mohonk" is first seen in a New Paltz Times article of July 6, 1860, where it is reported that "A Mountain-House is being built at the north end of Lake Mohonk, at Paltz Point." This is also the first instance found of the name - any name - being applied to the lake."
Description
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
. The Preserve's mission is to protect the Shawangunk Mountains by inspiring people to care for, enjoy, and explore the natural world. To accomplish its mission, the Preserve conducts programs in four key areas - environmental education, serving over 11,000 children and adults each year; land protection, saving high-priority land on the ridge; land stewardship, balancing the protection of land and wildlife with opportunities for recreation; and scientific research, creating a "living laboratory" on the land. Each year the Preserve welcomes 150,000 visitors who come to rock climb, mountain bike, hike, ski, and study and enjoy nature. The land is home to more than 1,400 plant and animal species, including the endangered peregrine falcon and 2,000 acres of rare dwarf pitch pine. Interconnected, protected areas provide shelter, food, and mating opportunities to black bears, bobcats, warblers, timber rattlesnakes, and many other animals.
The Mohonk Preserve has been involved in several land disputes with their neighbors The land acquisition tactics of the Mohonk Preserve, which include the use of adverse possession, have led to the formation of the Mohonk Neighbors Association. A Kingston Daily Freeman article dated July 3rd 2011, reporting on Mohonk Preserve lawsuits against two neighbors can be found here.
For perspective, the Mohonk Preserve has over 250 immediate property adjoiners and over 50 linear miles of boundary, which is regularly monitored. The Preserve's response to the Daily Freeman article of July 3 cited above, submitted on July 5 and published on July 20, can be found here.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 21,106 acre preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in New York on US 44/NY 55, five miles east of New York State Route 299. The park is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. It is primarily used for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking,...
adjoins the Preserve lands to the south, and protects another 12000 acre (48.6 km²) of former property of another member of the Smiley family as a state park and Sam's Point Preserve
Sam's Point Preserve
Sam's Point Preserve, or Sam's Point Dwarf Pine Ridge Preserve, is a 4,600-acre preserve in Ulster County on the highest point of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York. It is owned by the Open Space Institute and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Its unique environment features dwarf pine trees...
adds another 4600 acre (18.6 km²) parcel owned by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
. Located within the Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Mohonk Preserve is the Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District
Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District
The Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District is located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Gardiner, New York, United States. It is a large area that covers the site of a settlement that thrived there from the late 18th to mid-20th centuries. Inhabitants practiced subsistence farming, making it one of the...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
External links
- Mohonk Preserve: http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/
- Mohonk Mountain House: http://www.mohonk.com/
- http://newpaltz.hvnet.com/hikeclimb/mohonk.htm
- NY-NJTC: Mohonk Preserve Trail Details and Info