Region: Hudson Valley

Level: Easy

Lake Minnewaska is located just outside of New Paltz, NY, towards the upper Hudson Valley region. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is over 22,000 acres and is quite special.

As you can see below, the lake loop trail is dog friendly (must be on a leash) and despite the heavy traffic, you might run into some wildlife on the way like the young buck you see below. I did this loop with my mom and our dog, Mac, a few years back, so my apologies for the short detail. The loop is about 2 miles long and is relatively easy, with minimal ascent. It's actually a great running trail given the low ascent and the cleanliness and wideness of the trail. The lake has several great lookout areas and very pretty cliff formations. There are a few picnic areas along the path near the parking lots. I do believe it costs $10 to enter the park, just FYI. 

The loop itself was great, and I can imagine the rest of the park has some fantastic terrain. I'll be adding to this post once I do the rest of the park. 

-Kyle