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Winter Sports

For some, a winter sport can be as simple as putting on their down jacket and heading out to the trails with a good pair of snowshoes. For others, there's nothing like cross-country skiing to capture the essence of being outdoors in the winter. While some may think of winter sports as a thrilling downhill rush, others prefer the quiet swoosh of skis as they glide along through the diverse landscape of the Ridge.

Cross Country Skiing

Cross country skiing provides an incomparable winter experience in the Shawangunk Ridge, especially at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve and the Mohonk House trail network. Besides the scenery - the snow-covered cliffs, the frozen waterfalls, the blanketed forests - skiers are treated to impeccably groomed carriage trails that seem limitless.

The trails take skiers from the low roads to the uppermost cliffs to glimpse the snowy surroundings below. There are also ungroomed trails for the more experienced skier that pose a unique challenge as the narrow trails snake through valleys, orchards, and hills to meet with the major arteries.

Skiing at the Mohonk House is also a fantastic experience. While most of the trails are narrower than those found at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve, they are well worth it, with gentle slopes that can lead skiers to the magnificent, world-famous Mohonk House. If skiers opt to ski to the lodge, they are apt to see horse-drawn sleighs carrying winter parties along the carriage trails surrounding the grounds. Mohonk also offers ice skating in a Victorian open-air pavilion.

Although countless skiers take advantage of these trails in the winter, especially on the weekend, the carriageways are so wide as to accommodate them all without much crowding. Keep in mind, that during skiing season, when snow is on the ground, there is no hiking, sledding, or snowmobiling at the Preserve.

For ski rentals, please see our outfitters page.



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