The Lake Awosting Carriage Road Trail at Minnewaska State Park Preserve in New York has reopened following a 17-month restoration project that upgraded 2.6 miles of the carriage road along Lake Awosting.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, and the Open Space Institute announced the reopening on Monday, Sept. 28. The $1.3 million project is part of a broader effort by the three organizations to restore and improve Minnewaska’s extensive carriage road network.
The project received $500,000 from New York’s Environmental Protection Fund, with additional support contributing to the overall restoration effort. Work was carried out by Mombaccus Excavation, led by Keith Kortright and Keith Kortright Jr.
The restoration included widening and resurfacing portions of the carriage road to accommodate a range of visitors and improve its long-term durability. The project also addressed drainage and erosion issues through infrastructure improvements intended to reduce flooding and protect the trail from continued deterioration.
According to the Daily Freeman, crews completed approximately 8,500 linear feet of ditching, installed 50 culverts, and constructed about 6,000 square feet of retaining walls. More than 15,000 tons of road materials were installed, graded, and compacted as part of the work.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Executive Deputy Commissioner Tom Alworth said the project demonstrates the value of cooperation among the organizations involved.
“Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and OSI, State Parks is proud to reopen the improved Lake Awosting Carriage Road Trail at Minnewaska State Park Preserve,” Alworth said in a press release.
Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said the restored section contributes to the larger carriage road system.
“Minnewaska State Park Preserve’s carriage road network offers a magnificent way to experience the beauty of the Shawangunks,” Laird said in a statement. “The reopening of Awosting Carriage Road is another step toward the restoration of the entire network. “
The reopening also allows visitors to complete a loop hike around the full perimeter of Lake Awosting, described in the release as the largest sky lake on the northern Shawangunk Ridge.
Open Space Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Erik Kulleseid emphasized the need for continued investment in the preserve.
“Minnewaska is a remarkable park and caring for it requires long-term commitment from many stakeholders,” Kulleseid said. “OSI’s work to protect and enhance the Shawangunk Ridge will never truly end, but we couldn’t do it without our partners and sustained support from public funding sources like the EPF (Environmental Protection Fund.”
For outdoor hospitality businesses operating near major parks and recreation areas, the project illustrates how trail infrastructure can influence the visitor experience and the accessibility of outdoor destinations. Improvements such as drainage systems, retaining walls, resurfacing, and erosion controls can also reduce maintenance pressures and help extend the usable life of heavily traveled recreation infrastructure.
The Lake Awosting project forms part of a larger goal to rehabilitate Minnewaska’s approximately 35-mile Victorian-era carriage road network. The network has experienced erosion and deterioration over more than a century of visitor use and exposure to weather.
The reopening therefore restores access to one section while contributing to a longer-term infrastructure program across the preserve.
For campgrounds, glamping operators, RV parks, and other outdoor hospitality businesses located near destinations with similar trail networks, continued public investment in recreation infrastructure can affect the range and condition of activities available to guests and may support broader destination-based visitation.
