Public campgrounds are planned to open on an area of the Minnewaska State Park Preserve owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The camp will be on Route 299 between New Paltz and the Shawangunk Ridge.
The American Alpine Club and the Mohonk Preserve will manage the campground. This campground will allot space for over 60 tent campers on 45.9 acres of land, according to Jim Hall, executive director at the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.
The campground will only permit tents and outdoor camping, offering an alternative to the others in the area. Currently the area offers high and low end options for camping, such as cabins, RV – type campground and hotels, but there is nothing as close to the mountain as this.
“The campground is the missing thing in such a beautiful, nationally recognized area,” said Hank Alicandri, the director of land stewardship and chief ranger at the Mohonk Preserve. “This is going to be a clean and safe place to build community.”
Due to various factors they are not yet ready to begin construction, according to Hall. Currently, $700,000 has been raised for this project they are waiting to secure final funding, estimated to be $1.5 million. They are also finalizing plans for handling water and sewage by designing comfort stations and a pavilion/bathhouse.