MINNEWASKA – The Lake Awosting Carriage Road Trail has reopened at Minnewaska State Park Preserve following a $1.3 million, 17-month restoration project, state officials announced.
The project repaired 2.6 miles of the carriage road along Lake Awosting, allowing visitors to complete a loop around the lake, the largest sky lake on the northern Shawangunk Ridge.
Improvements included widening and resurfacing sections of the trail, installing 50 culverts, adding 8,500 linear feet of drainage ditches, and constructing 6,000 square feet of retaining walls. More than 15,000 tons of road materials were installed, graded, and compacted to improve drainage, reduce erosion, and extend the trail’s lifespan.
The project was funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, with additional support provided to the Open Space Institute by several private and regional organizations.
Since 2014, OSI has invested $6.6 million in partnership with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Palisades Interstate Park Commission to restore historic carriage roads at Minnewaska. OSI has led restoration of 18 miles, while state agencies have restored another 10 miles.
The Victorian-era carriage road network is being rehabilitated to provide recreational opportunities for hikers, runners, bicyclists, cross-country skiers and equestrian users. The roads also serve as access routes for search-and-rescue operations, maintenance and forest fire control.
Officials said nearly 30 of the preserve’s 35 miles of carriage roads have now been rebuilt.
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