
4th of July at the Gunks
July 3 @ 8:00 am - July 5 @ 5:00 pm
FreeCamping
We’re staying at the American Alpine Club (AAC) campground:
Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground
953 Route 299
Gardiner, NY 12525
(303) 951-4571
https://americanalpineclub.org/gunks-campground
Campsites are $38/site/night, or $24/site/night with the AAC member discount (Leo is a member and can book sites with the member discount). IMPORTANT: tent space is limited to one 12’x12’ pad (one family size tent or two backpacking tents) and a maximum of 4 people. The club is not renting out campsites for this event, so please make your own arrangements; use the (optional) spreadsheet if you are interested in sharing a campsite.
There are coin-operated showers ($1 for 4 minutes), WiFi at the pavilion (name: Gunks Campground, no password), and a communal fire pit (firewood provided).
If you don’t want to stay at the AAC campground, there are a number of hotels in the area.
Climbing
We will be top rope climbing at the Peterskill area in the Minnewaska State Park, a 5-10 minute drive down the road from the campsite. There is a $10/vehicle/day vehicle entry fee and a $10/climber/day climbing permit fee. Each climber must fill out a waiver. IMPORTANT: The park has a limit of 100 climbers per day, so it is best to get there when they open at 9 AM.
Anchors: some (but not all) climbs have a pair of bolts and rings which can be used to build anchors. IMPORTANT: you may not tie anchors to pitch pine trees. Other tree species are OK if the bark is protected from abrasion.
Guidebooks
Note that the Peterskill area is NOT contained in Wolverine’s $50 Gunks Climbing. For printed guidebooks to Peterskill, stop by this shop in the nearby town of New Paltz, NY:
Rock and Snow
44 Main Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
(845) 255-1311
https://www.rockandsnow.com/
Other activities
Pack a swimsuit: Minnewaska State Park features the fabulous Lake Minnewaska with its swimming beach. There are also numerous hikes.