Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
553 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bruynswick School No. 8 · Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Shawangunk
Shawangunk has 1,967 acres of parks, 147 for every 1,000 residents
11% of Shawangunk’s land is conserved, about 3,964 acres. The biggest trail networks: Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge (2.1 mi). 34% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #370 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
3,964 acres · of 56.1 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,967 ac
147 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.1 mi
2.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Shawangunk?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shawangunk have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shawangunk is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #370 of 758 in New York. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Shawangunk’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land147 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,967 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home34% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 68%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 51%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
1,084 acres0.3 mi of trail
Mud Pond Trail (Yellow)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Open Space Institute lands
Nature preserve
630 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ulster Forest Preserve Detached Parcel
Nature preserve
121 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge553 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsMinnewaska State Park Preserve1,084 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Ulster Forest Preserve Detached Parcel121 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOpen Space Institute lands630 acres
Galeville Park57 acres
DirectionsPopp Park3 acres
Shawangunk Ridge State Forest2 acres
Garrison Park2 acres
Who protects it
3,964 conserved acres
11% of Shawangunk’s land. Who manages Shawangunk’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,808 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1,189 ac
Other state land876 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits719 ac
Town or city198 ac
State conservation124 ac
Joint92 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,931 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 1,189 acState Resource Management Area · 856 acPrivate Conservation · 418 acAgricultural Easement · 211 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 207 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 22 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnewaska State Park Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 1,808 | Open |
| Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 1,189 | Restricted |
| Wallkill State Correctional Facility State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 856 | Open |
| Town of Shawangunk Land Local Park | Town or city | 194 | Unknown |
| Sam's Point Addition - Cirucci Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 156 | Closed |
| Sam's Point Addition Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 138 | Closed |
| Ulster Fp Detached Parcel State Conservation Area | State conservation | 124 | Open |
| Open Space Institute Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 93 | Open |
| Sam's Point Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Closed |
| Palisades Interstate Park State Park | Other state land | 21 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
7 places to go in Shawangunk
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Shawangunk
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Shawangunk
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Shawangunk
Verkeerderkill Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Shawangunk
1 peak without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.4 mi
Mud Pond Trail (Yellow)0.3 mi
Verkeerderkill Falls Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Baseball
9Soccer
5Tennis
4Basketball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Johannes Decker FarmDistrict · listed 1974
About itReformed Church of Shawangunk ComplexBuilding · listed 1982
About itCrowell, J. B., and Son Brick Mould Mill ComplexBuilding · listed 1983
About itDill FarmBuilding · listed 1983
About itJohannes Jansen House and Dutch BarnBuilding · listed 1983
About itMiller's House at Red MillsBuilding · listed 1983
About itPearl Street SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itTerwilliger HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itThomas Jansen HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itWilliam Decker HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itAndries DuBois HouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itBruynswick School No. 8Building · listed 2000
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Shawangunk: April, May, July and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Shawangunk →
Next door
Shawangunk and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wawarsing98 miMamakating61 miMontgomery38 miShawangunk15 miCrawford11 miEllenville9.9 miWalker Valley0.2 miPine Bush0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawangunk | 11% | 0.3 | 147 | 34% | B+ |
| Crawford | 4% | 0.3 | 54 | 40% | B |
| Mamakating | 11% | 0.6 | 259 | 41% | A− |
| Walker Valley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pine Bush | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wawarsing | 28% | 0.8 | 1,628 | 70% | A |
| Ellenville | 78% | 1.1 | 1,038 | 98% | A+ |
| Montgomery | 11% | 0.8 | 102 | 78% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Shawangunk
Where can I hike in Shawangunk?
The longest trail networks: Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 2.1 miles; Minnewaska State Park Preserve, 0.3 miles; Ulster Forest Preserve Detached Parcel, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shawangunk is conserved land?
11% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Shawangunk’s trails?
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge and Minnewaska State Park Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Shawangunk?
2.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Shawangunk?
54,327 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shawangunk or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,829 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Shawangunk have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #370 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Shawangunk neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →