Visitors to New Paltz can also stroll through Historic Huguenot Street. The street is a National Historic Landmark District, featuring seven stone houses dating to the early 1700s, a burial ground, and a 1717 stone church, all in their original village setting. The New Paltz Huguenots were Protestant residents of France and what is now Belgium. Seeking religious freedom, they sailed to the New World in the 1660s and 1670s. The group traveled to present-day Kingston and then founded New Paltz, named for "Die Pfalz" in Germany, where they had received temporary refuge before fleeing to America. In 1677, 12 families purchased 40,000 acres of land stretching from the Shawangunk Mountains to the Hudson River. Huguenot Street allows visitors to get a glimpse of what life was like for the founders of New Paltz. Visitors can stroll through the neighborhood on their own, or get a guided tour that will allow them to peak into some of the buildings that are operated as historic museums.
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail runs through New Paltz. This past summer, the Historic Rosendale Trestle became a part of the trail. The trestle is a 118-year-old structure that is now a walkway over the Rondout Creek—150 feet high, 940 feet long, the trestle offers spectacular views of the Shawangunk Ridge, Joppenbergh Mountain, and the village of Rosendale. The trestle's completion means the Open Space Institute and Wallkill Valley Land Trust are now close to completing plans for a continuous 24-mile trail running from the town of Gardiner through New Paltz, and ultimately to Kingston. A $200,000 grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation was awarded in December to aid in the completion of the trail.
Into the Wild
Leaving downtown and heading toward the Shawangunk Ridge, one drives through a sprawling, flat valley of farmland. Here, there are several locations that farm-to-table enthusiasts won't want to miss, including the Wallkill View Farm Market, which sells a variety of fresh vegetables and produce as well as tasty baked goods.
Those looking for outdoor adventures in the Shawangunks have lots of options. There is the Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park, and the Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian resort that has miles of trails that guests can access.
The Gunks were first climbed by Fritz Wiessner in 1935, and Wiessner and Hans Kraus mapped out many of the classic climbing routes on the mountain range, including a legendary route called High Exposure, considered by many climbing enthusiasts to be one of the best climbs for its difficulty level anywhere in the world.
One of the most popular climbing areas in the Gunks is called the Trapps. Located within Mohonk Preserve, the Trapps consist of a striking gray-white cliff wall that is close to 300 feet high. There are more than 1,000 different climbing routes in the Gunks (more than can be found at any other Northeast climbing location), and about half of these routes are found in the Trapps. Many of these climbing routes have colorful-pun inspired names, including Tequila Mockingbird and Into Thin Hair.
