Press Release
March 04, 2022
Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov
New York State Parks to Introduce Pilot Parking Reservation System for the Sam’s Point Area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Reservations will be required weekends and holidays from
the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October.
This
spring, New York State Parks, along with the Palisades Interstate Park
Commission, will introduce a pilot reservation system for parking at the Sam's
Point Area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve (Ulster County). Reservations are
required weekends and holidays from the first weekend in May through the last
weekend in October online. All weekend and holiday visitors will be required to
make reservations online.
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.
"The
pilot parking reservation program at the Sam's Point Area will balance responsible
stewardship with our commitment towards providing all New Yorkers safe
recreational access," said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. "The
Sam's Point Area offers extraordinary opportunities for outdoor recreation and implementing
this parking system will help ensure continued access to the site while better
protecting the natural resources of the park."
Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said, "The pilot reservation system at Sam's
Point will enhance our stewardship of site's sensitive environment and improve
the experience for visitors by offering an opportunity to plan ahead for access
to the site's limited parking area."
Annual
visitation to Sam's Point has steadily increased in recent years, with a nearly
48% increase in visitors since 2015. This 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. Through the implementation of this
pilot program, State Parks aims to mitigate these environmental concerns and reduce
the disappointment of motorists previously turned away once the park reached
capacity.
"With
more than three million visitors per year to Ulster County enjoying our many
scenic vistas and outdoor recreation, we know how important it is to maintain
access to our popular destinations while being responsible stewards of the
land," Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said. "I want to thank the
Palisades Interstate Park Commission and New York State Parks for their efforts
to balance record visitation at the Sam's Point Area of Minnewaska State Park
Preserve with the important need to protect sensitive ecological resources and
to be good neighbors to Cragsmoor and other nearby communities. The pilot
parking reservation system is a big step toward meeting this challenge."
Town of Wawarsing Supervisor Terry Houck said, "The Town of Wawarsing supports efforts
to ensure safe and pleasant public access to the Sam's Point Area of Minnewaska
State Park Preserve. The pilot parking reservation plan that will be
implemented this year should decrease traffic congestion impacts to the
historic and scenic hamlet of Cragsmoor. We would like to thank the Palisades
Interstate Park Commission and New York State Parks for their efforts to work
with us on this innovative plan."
Reservations
will be available online and by telephone through Reserve America. The vehicle entrance
fee is $10.95; there will be no reservation fee for Empire Pass holders.
Reservations will open in April. Please stay tuned for further details.
Minnewaska
State Park Preserve's main parking areas located at 5281 Route 44/55
Kerhonkson, will remain as first come first serve access with no reservation
requirement.
New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more
than 250 individual parks, historic sites, recreational trails, and boat
launches, which were visited by a record 78 million people. A recent university
study found that spending by State Parks and its visitors supports $5 billion
in output and sales, 54,000 private-sector jobs and more than $2.8 billion in
additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation areas,
call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
The
Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 under an
interstate compact to protect the Palisades from destruction by stone and
gravel quarries operating along the western banks of the Lower Hudson River. As
the nation's first bi-state partnership established to protect and conserve
natural lands, the Commission's role expanded through the years to incorporate the
Palisades Region of New York State Parks and the creation of the Palisades
Interstate Parkway.