The Shawangunks has more than 55 miles of mapped perennial streams and brooks, The Shawangunk landscape is characterized by cliff, talus, slabrock and both elements of a Boreal and Southern forest. The Shawangunk has a variety of spectacular waterfalls and springs that cascade over cliffs into the streams below. The Shawangunks contain mainly public lands. Most of the northeren Ridge is protected and held as the Mohonk Preserve , Minnewaska State Park Preserve ,

Sam's Point Preserve with more than 100 miles (160 km) of hiking trails and several climbing areas. In 2007 Shawangunk Ridge State Forest and Witches Hole State Forest were added. There are several old carriage trails on the Ridge including; Smiley Road from Ellenville into Minnewaska State Park Preserve, and Old Plank Road and Old Mountain Road in Shawangunk State Forest. These federally protected preserved acres are over 270 million years old of natural untouched nature. With rare plant life that only grows at high elevation to the ice caves that are deep fissures in the conglomerate bedrock that retain ice through much of the summer, resulting in a cool microenvironment that supports several northern species such as black spruce, hemlock, rowan , and creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), and sbryophyte such as Isopterygium distichaceum. These ice caves are concentrated near Sam's Point in the northern Shawangunks. Larger limestone caverns occur along the lower slopes of the Rondout and Delaware River valleys. Prestige Spring Water delivers natural spring water direct from the shawengunk mountains to your home or office. This natural spring is truly Americas best tasting bottled water.

Browse shawengunk links

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newyork/preserves/art1 2373.html

http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/

http://www.catskillhikes.com/gunks.html

http://shawangunks.org/

http://data.newsday.com/long-island/data/water/superfund/