Mohonk Preserve
HISTORY
The origins of the preserve date to 1869, when twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley purchased Lake Mohonk and established the Mohonk Mountain House. On February 26, 1963, the Smiley family, friends, neighbors and supporters formed the Mohonk Trust to protect the area's unique natural landscape for future generations. The property of the Mohonk Trust on that day in 1963 consisted of $100, a gift from Mabel Craven Smiley. Land was acquired by the Mohonk Trust over the years, and it became the Mohonk Preserve Inc. in 1978. According to their 2017 IRS Form 990 their assets then exceeded $25 million. Through the support of members, donors and partners, the preserve has become a center for outdoor education and a conservation advocate, especially for natural lands in the Shawangunks and the Hudson Valley. Its mission includes land protection and stewardship, sponsorship of environmental education programs, which according to Preserve officials have served more than 100,000 children over a thirty-year period, and maintenance of biological, weather, and natural history records spanning more than a century.
In 1986, the Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House together were designated a National Historic Landmark.
The name "Moggonck" appeared in early boundary records referring to the "high hill", the crag now named Skytop where the Skytop Tower is located. The spelling change from "gg" to "h" was probably done for aesthetic reasons. The word Moggonck was possibly derived from the Lenape maxkwung, "place of bears", or from the Munsee maxkawenge, "hill of bears". Another possibility comes from the related Mohican language, in which Magunk is derived from Magki, "great", and Unk, "a standing tree".
RYDESHARE DROPOFF
WEATHER
Get a more detailed forecast here.
SUGGESTED TRAIL
There are literally dozens of trails you can take, from easy to very hard, with secret watering holes, lake views, peak views, water fall views. But we're suggesting this one as one of the highest rated on Alltrails in the area at ~2 miles and good enough for most hikers.
PRO-TIP
It will be crowded. Take your time. Pace yourself. Although it's short, it's steep.