Minnewaska State Park To Reopen

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With the largest wildfire contained and then rained on, New York officials will reopen Minnewaska State Park Preserve Wednesday, though some areas will remain closed indefinitely.

The Napanoch Point fire was completely contained and 60 percent controlled by Saturday, state officials said.

It started Aug. 27 as a result of a suspected lightning strike and spread to roughly 142 acres within the park. Two other nearby fires being addressed last week as part of the Shawangunk fire complex, Stony Kill and Wurtsboro, were also fully contained by the weekend.

"The hard work of over 200 firefighters a day, led by the @NYSDEC forest rangers, and multiple coordinated agencies including @NYSDSHES @NYSPolice other state and local partners, and the Quebec Wildland Firefighters, together prevented this from becoming a 1,000 acre loss," Ulster County officials said on Twitter.

Though the park will re-open, four trails will remain closed:

• Smiley Carriage Road from Ellenville to Lake Awosting
• High Point Carriage Road
• Berry Picker Footpath
• Mine Hole Footpath

The departments of parks and environmental conservation will work to remediate impacts to the park from the firebreaks, minimize erosion and prevent the introduction of invasive species, state officials said.

From the park's webpage:

Located in Ulster County, NY Minnewaska State Park Preserve is situated on the dramatic Shawangunk Mountain ridge, which rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. The park features numerous waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, incising sheer cliffs and ledges opening to beautiful views, clear streams cut into valleys, 35 miles of carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths on which to bike, walk, hike and simply enjoy. And, all this within an hour and a half drive from New York City.