Construction begins on new Schunnemunk Meadows Trail

The Open Space Institute (OSI), NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) recently announced the start of construction of a new, 1.7-mile shared-use public trail in an OSI-managed section of Schunnemunk State Park. OSI said the trail will create “an accessible, four-season outdoor recreation experience in the western Hudson Highlands to accommodate walkers, runners, hikers, anglers, bikers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers.”

The Schunnemunk Meadows Trail will traverse wildflower meadows and hay fields running along the Moodna Creek. The $1.7 million project includes the creation of the shared-use trail loops, two fishing access points, and two improved trailheads. The project is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2025.

“We are thrilled to be building a new trail at Schunnemunk, a state park OSI has worked to create, expand, and improve for more than 20 years,” said Peter Karis, OSI’s vice president of parks and stewardship. “The creation of this gently sloping and widely accessible trail will help visitors experience more of what Schunnemunk has to offer, providing a new experience that complements and rivals the incredible views seen from the top of Schunnemunk Mountain.”

State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “The Schunnemunk Meadows trail will encourage more people to discover this hidden gem of a park in the Hudson Highlands. I am grateful to our partners at OSI, PIPC and the Hudson River Valley Greenway for their work to bring this scenic and accessible recreational trail closer to reality, and I look forward to visiting when the trail is complete.”

Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said, “As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Highlands Conservation Act, the development of the Meadows Trail project on land acquired with HCA funding will be a wonderful addition to Schunnemunk State Park. We wish to thank our partners at the Open Space Institute and New York State Parks for their ongoing support and long-term commitment to land conservation within the Hudson Highlands. We are also grateful for the hard work of engineering cadets from West Point who designed and built two beautiful trail bridges that are being incorporated into the project.”

The Schunnemunk Meadows area was permanently protected by OSI in 2015, then acquired by OPRHP and transferred to PIPC in 2018 as an addition to Schunnemunk State Park, with an arrangement in place for OSI to manage the land through 2028. Over the past two decades, OSI says it has protected more than 3,300 acres to create and expand Schunnemunk State Park.

According to the announcement, the design and construction of two pedestrian bridges that will be part of the new trail stems from a two-year collaboration with OSI, OPRHP, PIPC and cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Construction of the first Schunnemunk Meadows bridge was supported by a $15,000 grant from the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Schunnemunk Meadows Trail project was funded through OSI-secured grants and private funds.