Contained & Reopened: Promising News From Minnewaska State Park

After a troubling 11 days at Minnewaska State Park in Ulster County, NY, an announcement was made mid-week indicating that certain areas of the park have reopened as of, September 7, 2022.

Firefighting agencies, both volunteer and professional, have battled devastating wildfires since officials shared the news that lightning strikes on Saturday, August 27 sparked the fires.

Parts of Minnewaska State Park Preserve Reopen September 7, 2022

With the announcement from the Governor's Office that the wildfires at Minnewaska State Park Preserve were contained, it was the news that followed that have so many people smiling again today:

The park reopens on Wednesday, Sept. 7, though some areas will remain closed, as work begins on remediating impacts from the firebreaks, minimizing erosion and preventing the introduction of invasive species. We are grateful for the hard work of so many agencies over the past week, and we appreciate the outpouring of public support for this beloved site.

This reopening news was shared by the New York Parks & Historic Site Facebook page on Wednesday the 7th. There are certain areas of the park that, as mentioned, will remain closed:

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

A community-run hiking and backpacking social media page titled Friends of the Long Path detailed information about certain paths and trail ways being closed, most significantly, the popular Long Path area of Minnewaska State Park. The post provided details about detours and said that a map would soon be provided for visitors.

NYSDEC via Facebook

Wildfire Impact on Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Earlier this week, information was shared by officials indicating that if not for the help of over 200 firefighters from across the area and beyond, this fire could have burned through 1,000 acres. Current reports indicate that the fire impacted about 142 acres of the Minnewaska State Park Preserve.

Governor Kathy Hochul

Although Governor Hochul announced this week that the fire is contained, an update posted on the Governor's website said that 'response actions in the area will continue in the coming days with a smaller force of state and local experts as fire control efforts advance.'

Pat Ryan, Ulster County Executive, shared the following with regard to Governor Hochul's aid and the community response:

Governor Hochul has been here with us now through an ice storm, power outages, tornado and wildfire, and that's just been in the last year in Ulster County. While it has been concerning that we have had so many horrific natural disasters in the last year, I'm proud of how our community has consistently come together to help each other.