CRAGSMOOR – A pilot parking reservation system at the Sam’s Point Area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve will be in effect on weekends and holidays from Sunday, May 1 through the last weekend in October.
Reservation can be made two weeks in advance online at https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com or through the call center at 800-456-2267.
One reservation is allowed for any two-week period and all weekend and holiday visitors will be required to make reservations.
The vehicle entrance fee is $10.95; there will be no reservation fee for Empire Pass holders.
The pilot reservation system aims to protect the site’s fragile ecosystem from the impact of increasing visitation and to provide an improved visitor experience for enjoyment of the unique features and natural beauty of the Sam’s Point Area, while reducing impacts on the surrounding community.
Annual visitation to Sam’s Point has steadily increased in recent years, with a nearly 48 percent increase in visitors since 2015. That increase has led to severe traffic congestion, illegal parking on local roads, and negative impacts on the park’s natural resources, and the surrounding areas with documented trail erosion, littering, and trampling of vegetation.
The program is aimed to mitigate the environmental concerns and reduce the disappointment of motorists previously turned away once the park reached capacity.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve’s main parking areas at 5281 Route 44/55 in Kerhonkson will remain as first come, first serve access with no reservation requirement.
