Spotlight: New Paltz, NY

Art, culture, and outdoor adventure come together in a colorful Hudson Valley town.

Home to a versatile music scene, farm-to-table fare, quirky boutiques and cafes, the SUNY New Paltz campus, and historic Mohonk Preserve. From hiking and biking to wining and dining, here's everything you need to know for a visit to New Paltz.

Three Things You Can't Miss | Family Fun | Spend the Day | Spend the Weekend | Spend the Week | Hotels & Stays | Where to Eat | Getting There

Three Things You Can't Miss

Historic Huguenot Street

Experience more than three hundred years of history across seven historic stone-house museums, a reconstructed 1717 French Church, the community’s original burying ground, and a replica Esopus Munsee wigwam. Interactive exhibits, guided tours, and reenactments will tell you stories of a French-speaking Protestant settlement as it evolved over time, while also revealing the history of the area’s Indigenous and enslaved African peoples and Dutch settlers.

Mohonk Preserve

Experience the natural beauty of the Shawangunk Mountains with more than 70 miles of carriage roads and trails for hiking, biking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding. The 8,000-acre preserve is also the home of “Gunks," one of the most visited climbing destinations in North America.

The Testimonial Gateway

View the massive, beautiful stone archway and tower that served as the formal entrance to Mohonk Mountain House from 1908 to 1935. Surrounded by 110 acres and lined with large oak trees, it's an iconic Hudson Valley site.

family fun

Mohonk Mountain House

The Victorian all-inclusive resort has a Kids' Club where the kids can spend hours making arts and crafts, playing tennis, or exploring the natural beauty of the resort. Other activities include: archery, fishing, campfires, family-friendly hikes, horseback riding, swimming, or kayaking, canoeing, going on a rowboat or pedal boat around the lake.

Dressel Farms

This family-owned farm offers a year-round roadstand where visitors can get homemade ice cream, local honey, maple syrup, and cider. Summer marks the return of peach and strawberry picking. Come September, visitors can enjoy fall foliage while picking apples and pumpkins from the farm's 300 acres.

BC's climbing gym

BC's Climbing Gym

Before you climb The Gunks, try out this family-friendly boutique bouldering gym, built for movement, momentum, and fun. Expect thoughtful, technical, and “flowy” boulders for varying sizes, styles, and ability levels. If you love the challenge of moving over stone, you’ll love the movement waiting for you here.

spend the day

Grab sandwiches at Main Street Bistro for a picnic lunch by Lake Mohonk, then hike through the expansive Mohonk Preserve among mountains, streams, and gardens. Nestled in the iconic Shawangunk Mountains, this outdoor oasis showcases more than 70 miles of carriage roads and trails for hiking, biking, running, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Up for a challenge? Check out Mohonk's Lemon Squeeze (purchase of hiking trail day pass required). The adventurous rock scramble takes you through narrow crevices, rock formations, trails, and ladders as you climb to the summit where sweeping panoramic views of the Hudson Valley await.

For a more beginner hike, take on The Trapps, a well-maintained carriage path running beneath the cliff known as The Trapps. Adding to the views, you'll likely see rock climbers hanging from the cliffside as you walk along the base.

spend the weekend

Minnewaska State Park

Saturday

Explore the quieter trails of Minnewaska State Park, a nearly 24,000-acre preserve that offers pristine wilderness in every season. Hike the High Peters Kill Trail through peaceful woodlands and gentle rolling hills, with scenic ridge views and the cascading waters of Peters Kill stream along the way. The park preserve is known for its clear streams and waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, and dramatic cliffs and ledges.

You can also enjoy seasonal activities like swimming, scuba diving, rock climbing, bouldering, boating, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

After a day outdoors, stroll through Water Street Market, an open-air collection of boutiques, galleries, and eateries. Stop by the two-story Antique Barn for a souvenir!

Robibero Family Vineyards

Sunday

Savor a delicious meal at Main Street Bistro, a beloved local spot once voted Best Breakfast and Best Bistro by Hudson Valley Magazine. Settle in at the bar counter and enjoy the warm, casual atmosphere, complete with artfully-decorated walls that make you feel right at home. The menu features eclectic American and vegetarian cuisine, along with fresh-baked treats from the in-house bakery.

Then unwind with a visit to Robibero Family Vineyards, where you can sip handcrafted wines while taking in sweeping views of the Hudson Valley and the Shawangunk Ridge. Set on 42 scenic acres, the vineyard offers wine tastings, cellar tours, wood-fired pizza, artisan appetizers, live music, lawn games, outdoor fire pits, and can't-miss seasonal events and festivals.

spend the week

Monday

Explore Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House. Consistently voted a top resort in major publications, including "Top Resort in the Mid-Atlantic" by Condé Nast Traveler (2025) and #2 Best Resort in New York by Travel and Leisure (2025), this lavish Victorian castle allows full access to Mohonk Preserve with more than 8,500 acres of Catskill wilderness and 110 miles of trails and carriage roads for hiking, biking, running, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and more.

Climb Mohonk's Lemon Squeeze, an exhilarating rock-scramble hike that brings you to the Sky Top Lookout for breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley. If you're not staying over night, purchase of a hiking day pass is required.

Tuesday

Bike the 22-mile Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, surrounded by picturesque streams, hillsides, and forests, stretching from Gardiner, through New Paltz, and on to Kingston. Rent bikes from New Paltz Biking and cycle through the scenic Hudson Valley.

An easy 15 minutes on the trail will bring you to Keegan Ales in Kingston, an award-winning brewery serving craft stouts, ales, food, and brewery tours.

Stop by the Dressel Farms stand for apples, cider, honey, maple syrup, and ice cream. Wind down with a glass at Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery, offering tours and tastings year-round.

Wednesday

Visit the Testimonial Gateway, an iconic stone archway and watchtower set on 110 acres that served as the official entrance to Mohonk Mountain House from 1908 to 1935.

Climb to new heights at BC's Climbing Gym, an indoor bouldering gym that will prepare you to take on the legendary Gunks.

Thursday

Relax at the Spa at Mohonk Mountain House, named the #1 Resort Spa in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler's annual Spa Poll for 2013 and "One of the Top Three Hotel Spas" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards.

The 30,000-square-foot Spa wing includes 16 treatment rooms, a solarium with a stone fireplace, outdoor heated mineral pool, eucalyptus steam room, fitness center, yoga studio, and more.

Friday

Ride horseback through the Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House grounds with the Mohonk Stables guided horse and carriage tours. Horse rides are led by experienced guides to ensure safety and enjoyment. Their stables house six saddle horses and a team of draft mules who pull the carriage.

Appreciate the arts at DM Weil Gallery, a high-end exhibition space housing colorful abstract creations, with the majestic Shawangunk Mountains as a backdrop. This gallery brings fun and entertainment to every aspect of the fine arts.

Saturday

Drink in the crisp, clean, and fruity flavors at Robibero Family Vineyards. Producing fresh artisan wines, you can enjoy tastings, tours, and the beautiful landscape at this charming winery whose "Robibero Winery 2021 The Stray" was voted Best in Show at the 2025 Hudson Valley Wine Competition.

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art on the SUNY New Paltz campus has permanent and rotating collections filled with photographs, paintings, and sculptures. The art sparks curiosity, critical thinking, and connection, serving the University and the diverse communities of the region.

Water Street Market in New Paltz, Ulster County, Hudson Valley Region

Sunday

Travel back in time on Historic Huguenot Street. Nestled on the banks of the Wallkill River, you can explore this 17th-century community with guided tours of the church, homes, and archaeological sites of New Paltz's first French settlers.

Experience the charming village atmosphere when you stroll down Main Street, lined with authentic shops, boutiques, and cafes. Continue exploring this funky college-town by roaming the SUNY New Paltz campus where you can visit the John R. Kirk Planetarium and view Old Main, the university's oldest building, dating back to 1907.