Very cool visitor's center with a lot of info and taxidermied animals. If you are hiking,…read moredefinitely bring waterproof shoes or crocs in sport mode because the path to the waterfall crosses a stream. Unfortunately, there's no man made bridge over it on the way. I'd recommend wearing long pants even in the summer because there's a lot of bushes that may scratch your legs on the way. Seems like the paths through the woods are pretty narrow. Maybe I'll come another time when it's blueberry season. Amazing views, just don't fall off!

Boyfriend and I wanted to come here for over a year now. Last year we went to a different spot of…read morethe Minnewaska, and the view did not disappoint. Since the parking lot isn't big (more or less 60 cars), you need to make a reservation to get in. And they are strict about this. We wanted to come in one time and they made us turn around. I am not sure if you need a reservation if you are visiting during the week, but you definitely need one for the weekend visit. Making a reservation is relatively easy. You go to the park's website (newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com) and just find or enter the park, or google this park and the top link should get you there directly. The reservation is $10 per car (plus tax/ optional donation). You can choose either 9am-2pm or 2pm-evening slot. My boyfriend is not an early riser, so I booked us the 2pm slot. I don't know how fast the reservations sell out, but I booked our slot 6 days in advance just in case. When you get there, you need show your reservation to the employees. I think it is until a certain hour, because when we were back from our hike and leaving around 430-5pm the employees guarding the entrance were gone. There is a building where you can get a free map and brochures, a little gift shop (pins for pin collectors and stickers), bathrooms, water refill area, and a big room full of facts about the area and a table with a topographic 3D map of the hikes. There is over 15miles of trails to hike available. The map is interactional, you press a button with a hike you're interested in and the map lights up with the path. Pretty cool! My boyfriend isn't an experienced hiker or does not like to hike all day as I.... so we choose the 3miles loop. The path wasn't paved, but it was smooth enough for strollers to go on. We started from the direction of Sam's point and continued by the water and cell phone towers back. Once you come in you are walking up (not very steep) path in a forrest. about half a mile I think you see the rock formation where people go on to see the view. We found some rocks below that formation and took some photos there. We were all alone, so it wasn't embarrassing to set up a tripod and take as many photos and as funny ones as we wanted. About another .2miles you go up to the official "Sam's Point" overview. It was semi crowded, so we were grateful we found a non populated spot a little below. Same view. Continuing you walk through the path and on both sides you have not so tall (maybe 8-12 feet) trees and other greenery. Everything has a placket, which labels the type of tree/ plant that grows nearby. There is an area with dead trees, which combined with some dark clouds that passed up at the same time - looked pretty eerie! Like from a spooky movie. Then you pass a body of water. We saw mama and baby ducks swimming past us. Then you just walk through other various sights, like forrest with a some ferns, forrest without them, passing by what is left of Berry Picker Cabins, and the cell phone towers, until you reach the exit. I am definitely coming back! My boyfriend and I been here for 2 years in a row, so we are probably going to make this our new annual trip. The view of the mountains is truly incredible, especially for someone living in the middle of NYC haha. It is always a great joy to get out and see something this amazing that nature formed. Loved every minute of it!

This cave is actually Fulmer mine area. Enjoy the hike up the mountain. Extremely hot, that day so…read morewe stood at the mouth of the cave to cool down! Area known for being a source of hematite. Will hike around the area again as there are several trails to hike. Delaware river is at the base and got a nice view of tubers enjoying the river along the way. We'll have to try that too sometime.

Great hike! I would recommend this hike to everyone. Very nice views. We did the whole loop and was…read moreworth it

I think this may be my favorite state park within a short driving distance from my home. There are…read moreso many hiking trails of different levels, and carriage road trails too! And the views are amazing, plus there are a bunch of waterfalls! While it does get crowded, especially in the parking lots, I find the hiking trails to be a little less crowded than the parks that are a little closer to NYC. Even though I am not a rock climber I do also enjoy seeing the climbers out there doing their thing.

This is my eighth review of MSPP, and each one has been 5 stars. Today was no different. Came by w…read morebest friend, Pots & Pans AKA, The Missing Ink. We had designs on hiking to Lake Awosting and swimming, but today was very hot and humid w the only breeze coming from fluttering butterfly wings. Plus LA is over an 8-mile round-trip. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we looped around Lake Minnewaska (about 2 miles), and rewarded ourselves w a very refreshing dip in that lake. Beautiful scenery as well. Please remember to leave no trace (carry out what you carry in). Also, good idea to bring bug spray as this is black fly season. Sunscreen as well. 5 scenic, refreshing stars

This is a beautiful hike. Worth taking the trip, hiking boots are a must, as trails have some…read moreslippery/muddy spaces. Super fun for those who love to be in nature, and soak up some healing ionization, between the water and the trees. Looking forward to returning!

Spent Saturday morning hiking in high 40s degree weather. The trail is supposed to be easy but it…read morewas rocky for half of the trail but relatively cleared. Make sure to visit Mullet Falls. Worth the trip- took about 3 hrs round trip from the unmarked parking lot. Bring walking sticks if you are concerned about muddy trails. We walk slow though. Would return !

What a stunning beautiful park , so clean with plenty of parking , picnic table and a beautiful…read morewaterfall-river . It's an amazing place to spend the day on a romantic date or with the family .

I definitely recommend going early and having your own transportation to get there because signal…read morecan be spotty. The croton gorge and its bridge was beautiful. Beautiful views , the sound of the water and trees all around. I saw a deer and many people picnicking in the grass. A lot of lantern flies unfortunately. I wish there was a way to get rid of them in a eco friendly manner because the trees don't deserve this haha! They had portopotties , a playground, and some food trucks. On a beautiful day this is a hidden gem not too far from the city.

On a beautiful fall day my wife and I decided to take a hike…read more Halfway into the hike we came across an area that was a gay kook-up spot We tried to avoid this but ended up in a clearing with a giant tree stump this was later discovered this was called the $@&$ stump

Nice trail that has a steep section, but is worth the views. We followed the yellow trail up to the…read moreoverlook and then turned back down at the mailbox shortly after. We visited in mid October and had perfect weather. The trail was moderately busy so I'd suggest going early if you want to be more spaced out from other groups.

This is a 6.8 mile (10.9 kilometers) moderately challenging hike (1,007 feet elevation gain) at…read moreMinnewaska State Park Preserve. Highlights of the trail are Sam's point, Ice cave and lastly Verkeerderkill falls. At Sam's point there are dramatic overlooks and spectacular cliff views, A photographer's paradise. Ice cave was amazing, we had to go through some crevices, my headlamp was very useful at those dark areas and footpath, I noticed remnants of ice inside even at the start of summer (that's when I did the hike), did a little rock scrambling outside the cave, there was an extraordinary ridge overlook at the end of the cave and a fantastic view from a large rock outcrop. The most challenging and strenuous part was the hike from the Ice cave to Verkeerderkill Falls - rocky, narrow, lengthy, uneven, wet, slippery, stream-like path, trekking poles and waterproof hiking boots was a big help to endure the trail. Verkeerderkill falls is a spectacle to see, there are a few ridges, escarpment, and ledge spots (somewhat perilous as all were near the drop-off) to rest and view the falls (I found a good spot facing the falls while hydrating, snacking and replenishing my energy). A solid day's workout, this is everything I could ask for from a great recreational, adventurous, stimulating hike with mother nature.

Very interesting and fun hike. Me and my friends hiked for 5 hours total. We've visited the ice…read morecaves and the waterfalls . Didn't make it to the lake because it started to thunderstorm. The hike to the waterfall is long so pack a lot of water. Also if it didn't rain before , the waterfall will be very light. In general it's a perfect place to connect with nature and cool down inside the ice caves. P.s. you still can see big chunks of ice deep down in the caves.

Favorite park in the county. Very peaceful. Very clean. Been coming here for over 25 years.read more

Love this place. We have stayed here multiple times since it's so close to home. Reservations are…read moreneeded only for major holidays during camping season; Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Must book the entire holiday weekend 3 days (90$ for non electric sites add $5 each day for electric). I believe it's 51 camp sites which vary in size and majority has electric hookups. When not going on a holiday it is first come first serve spots which is good if you just need to spend one night here. Pull into whichever site you want and at some point the groundskeepers will come to collect your money. It's deep in the woods of the park so there is good shade which is nice on the hotter days. The campgrounds have two bathroom facilities which have showers. No complaints with the bathrooms from me but I didn't use the shower part. The bathrooms are cleaned daily or every other day it seemed. Some spots are more secluded than others..and there is a bit of a hill to the bathroom if you pick spots 1-7 and 48/9 I think it was. Something to consider if you have mobility issues. There are water spigots around the grounds and attached to the bathroom facilities. But no actual sites with water hookups for RVs. The workers drive around the campsite every few hours and each time we have been there (maybe 4 or 5 times) the local police have made their presence known. No alcohol is allowed at this campground. Each site has a picnic table & fire ring. The sites are gravel/dirt & grass. Quiet hours are from 10pm-7am. We found the sites closer to the Playground side/closer to the bathrooms to be more noisy. Also those sites are closer together which would be good for larger groups. Have never had a problem with noise though we have only stayed further away from those areas. The playground has a volleyball net and other Normal playground equipment that I saw driving past it. There is no longer Boat Rentals at this park.. but there is a large lake to kayak and fish in. NO SWIMMING. The lake is a nice size and has a trail so you walk the entire length with benches around a good portion to sit and/or fish. There is a nice sized pond at the park to fish which also has benches around it. By the pond there is a nice picnic area with many picnic tables and grills. Another playground and a large pavilion. This picnic area also has a bathroom. There is a pond when you first turn into the park. The pond also has benches around it but not all the way around. Fishing license is require to fish here and they do come around to check licenses. This place is great if you want to just get away into the woods. Check the parks website to see site sizes before going or stop and take your pick of what's available.

I have been going here for over 50 years. Come see what keeps me coming back. Usually go in June or…read moreJuly. It's full of trees and waterfalls! Pack a picnic and don't forget your camera. Relax and Enjoy

George W. Childs park is a lush park with at least 3 waterfalls, well maintained roads and trails…read moreand relatively easy parking. The bang for the buck in terms of the walking in return for the views is simply splendid! This park offers shelters and brick and mortar bathrooms as well. The crowd is thin and courteous. Best summer road trip from Manhattan!

I love this place I beg to go and I love it more than the pool and beach…read more Nice big beautiful Place to go to and quite

This is a hidden gem located about 2 1/2 hours away from NYC. It's a beautiful water fall where you…read morecan swim and spend the day enjoying the nature Note that they recently implemented a system in which you need to get a pass to go in the weekends to prevent overcrowd. Please check the link below for details. The water, however, is very cold even during summer months so be prepared. GPS coordinates to get there: +41 54.902, -74 25.735 You can find further details in: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/109922.html