The Shawangunk property includes several miles of trails, and significant trail upgrades are planned.
A stunning 187-foot waterfall in New York that had been on private land has been acquired by a conservation group, permanently securing public access to the falls.
The conservation group the Open Space Institute (OSI) recently announced the acquisition of Verkeerderkill Falls—the highest waterfall in the Shawangunks and one of the most spectacular natural features in New York’s Hudson Valley.
OSI’s protection of the Verkeerderkill Falls property, which includes the 187-foot waterfall and 134 acres of surrounding land, permanently secures public access to the iconic location and fills a crucial piece in a mosaic of protected lands at Sam’s Point.
Before OSI’s acquisition, access to the falls was permitted by the former owner. With theproperty now permanently protected, visitor access is ensured.
The falls property is accessible via a six-mile round-trip hike from the Sam’s Point Visitor Center at Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The newly completed acquisition sets the stage for OSI’s next phase of the overall project: a series of trail upgrades at the site.
“There’s simply no place quite like Verkeerderkill Falls. It’s a true natural treasure!” said Erik Kulleseid, OSI president and CEO. “But this is more than just protecting land—we will be taking this project to the next level with a trail enhancement project that will make it safer for people to experience the wonder of the Falls, while safeguarding the fragile and rare landscapes surrounding the trail.”
OSI’s acquisition was supported in part by RunWild, a nonprofit organization centered around trail running that raises funds for land conservation and stewardship in the Hudson Valley. RunWild donated $205,000 toward the protection of the land and upcoming trail improvements.
OSI is pursuing additional partnerships and private funds to support the acquisition, the upcoming trail improvements, and future projects at Minnewaska. Those interested in supporting their work can donate at openspaceinstitute.com/donate.
The project is part of OSI’s long-term efforts to expand and improve Minnewaska by safeguarding scenic views, protecting rare and endangered wildlife habitat, and other efforts to welcome and educate visitors.
Over the past 30 years, OSI has more than doubled Minnewaska in size, growing the park from 10,400 acres to more than 24,000 acres today. OSI has added more than 10,000 acres to the Sam’s Point area of the park alone, including the permanent protection of the famous Ellenville ice caves. Today, Minnewaska is the third-largest state park in New York.
OSI has begun assessing trail conditions and is planning restoration work in coordination with New York State Parks, PIPC, local trail advocacy groups, and leadership from Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The OSI-led trail initiative will address erosion, fix areas where there is pooling water, and minimize the negative impacts of “social trails”—unauthorized paths created when visitors stray from designated trails. Weather permitting, the project is expected to begin this year and conclude in autumn 2026.
The property contains several miles of trails that are integral to the region’s outdoor recreation connectivity, including part of the Long Path, a 357-mile trail extending from New York City to Albany County, and the Shawangunk Ridge Trail, a 73-mile trail stretching from New Jersey to the Rosendale Trestle.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve is home to several distinctive ecosystems that provide habitat for a wide variety of common, rare, and threatened plant and animal species. Sam’s Point includes nearly all the state’s globally rare, high-altitude pitch pine barrens. The New York State Natural Heritage Program has identified multiple shrub, insect, and tree types of interest on the Verkeerderkill Falls property.
The property also contains part of the Verkeerder Kill, a stream designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as clean enough to support native trout populations and be used as a source of drinking water.
Once trail work is completed, OSI intends to transfer the property to the state as an addition to the Sam’s Point Area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve, leveraging the support of New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund.
