Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area is a 690 acre (2.79 km2) recreational
and protected area
in the U.S.
state of New York
. It is located in the town of Esopus
in eastern Ulster County
. Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area (CRA) covers part of the ridge-top, slope, and base of Shaupeneak Mountain, an 892 ft (272 m) high ridge of the Marlboro Mountains
, which stretch from Newburgh, New York
to Kingston, New York
.
Shaupeneak Ridge CRA is owned by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, a private entity seeking to preserve lands of historic, ecological, and aesthetic significance in the Hudson Valley
. However, the property is dually administered by Scenic Hudson and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
due to an agreement made possible by the New York Fish & Wildlife Management Act (FWMA). By New York State standards, Shaupeneak Ridge CRA is managed similar to a multiple use area, although with somewhat more restrictive use rules. Outdoor activities offered include hiking, fishing, hunting, and cross country skiing.
Trails in Shaupeneak Ridge CRA are well blazed, leading across numerous environs from the meadows at the base of the mountain to rocky overlooks along the ridgeline. Parts of the property lie within what is known as the Shaupeneak Ridge Biologically Important Area, an area recognized by the state of New York for its biodiversity. The lower sections of the Shaupeneak Ridge CRA lie just west of the Esopus/Lloyd Scenic Area of Statewide Significance, with the higher sections having a view across the Scenic Area towards the Hudson River and beyond.
Access to Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area is possible from a parking lot at the base of Shaupeneak Mountain off of Old Post Road (Ulster County Route 16). An additional parking area is located at the top of the mountain, along Poppletown Road.
:
Recreation area
A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. In the United States, National Recreation Areas are administered by several different agencies. They typically do not meet the strict guidelines to become national parks. In U.S...
and protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is located in the town of Esopus
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
in eastern Ulster County
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...
. Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area (CRA) covers part of the ridge-top, slope, and base of Shaupeneak Mountain, an 892 ft (272 m) high ridge of the Marlboro Mountains
Marlboro Mountains
The Marlboro Mountains, sometimes Marlborough Mountains, are a group of hogbacked mountains arranged in a 25 mile long ridge extending from Newburgh, New York to just south of Kingston, New York. Considered to be part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians, the mountains, which reach elevations...
, which stretch from Newburgh, New York
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
to Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
.
Shaupeneak Ridge CRA is owned by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, a private entity seeking to preserve lands of historic, ecological, and aesthetic significance in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
. However, the property is dually administered by Scenic Hudson and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
due to an agreement made possible by the New York Fish & Wildlife Management Act (FWMA). By New York State standards, Shaupeneak Ridge CRA is managed similar to a multiple use area, although with somewhat more restrictive use rules. Outdoor activities offered include hiking, fishing, hunting, and cross country skiing.
Trails in Shaupeneak Ridge CRA are well blazed, leading across numerous environs from the meadows at the base of the mountain to rocky overlooks along the ridgeline. Parts of the property lie within what is known as the Shaupeneak Ridge Biologically Important Area, an area recognized by the state of New York for its biodiversity. The lower sections of the Shaupeneak Ridge CRA lie just west of the Esopus/Lloyd Scenic Area of Statewide Significance, with the higher sections having a view across the Scenic Area towards the Hudson River and beyond.
Access to Shaupeneak Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area is possible from a parking lot at the base of Shaupeneak Mountain off of Old Post Road (Ulster County Route 16). An additional parking area is located at the top of the mountain, along Poppletown Road.
See also
Nearby recreational/historical areas in the Marlboro MountainsMarlboro Mountains
The Marlboro Mountains, sometimes Marlborough Mountains, are a group of hogbacked mountains arranged in a 25 mile long ridge extending from Newburgh, New York to just south of Kingston, New York. Considered to be part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians, the mountains, which reach elevations...
:
- John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary at SlabsidesSlabsidesSlabsides is the log cabin built by naturalist John Burroughs and his son on a nine-acre wooded and hilly tract in 1895 one mile east of Riverby, his home in West Park, New York...
- Hudson Valley Rail TrailHudson Valley Rail TrailThe Hudson Valley Rail Trail is a paved east–west rail trail in the town of Lloyd in Ulster County, New York, stretching from the Poughkeepsie Bridge through the hamlet of Highland. The trail was originally part of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route, a rail corridor that crossed the Hudson River via...
- Hemlock Ridge Multiple Use AreaHemlock Ridge Multiple Use AreaHemlock Ridge Multiple Use Area is an 80 acre state forest in New York, USA. It is located in the town of Plattekill in southern Ulster County...