New Paltz:
Alan Ruben writes:
Amazingly enough it doesn’t matter how many articles are written extolling this as quite possibly the best area for soft-surface running in the country, I still see very few people running here.
| Minnewaska Map |
| Mohonk Map |
| Printable Copy |
The two main areas (which are linked together) are the Minnewaska State Park and the member- and visitor-supported Mohonk Preserve. Each area consists of over 100 miles of trails, many of which are Carriageway trails – which were originally built for horse-drawn carriages – so they are wide, soft-surface and not too steep, in other words ideal for running. Running on these trails you will see amazing cliff formations, lakes and breathtaking views as well as trees (yes they’ve got lots of them) and all that other nature stuff. The network of Carriageway trails is so extensive that it is easy to plot a unique 20 mile run, in either park, where you are not going over the same trail twice.
Some information on running in the Mohonk Preserve is listed on Mohonk Preserve but really they barely touch on the running routes available.
There is the regular $5 parking charge for the state park whereas for the Mohonk Preserve a day pass costs $8 per person and an annual membership costs $50. A pass to use the Mohonk Preserve also allows you to use the Mohonk Mountain House Lands which are seamlessly connected anyway and most people don’t realize which area they are in anyway.
[The “other nature stuff” Alan refers to does not, I assume, include carnivores of the fleet kind. Of course, if I’m wrong, it reminds me of the old joke. Two guys are in the woods when a bear shows up. One scrambles to put on his sneakers. The other laughs and says, “You don’t think you’re going to outrun the bear, do you?” The other says, “I don’t have to outrun the bear.” Yet another reason to do intervals. A link to additional Minnewaska maps.]
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Last edited on ... April 10, 2006
