6 BEST Things to do in New Paltz, New York

New Paltz is a beautiful town located in upstate New York. It is only a little over an hour drive from Manhattan, and there are also bus lines that go through both places. My girlfriend and I were in New Paltz for only 3 days, but we were able to pack our days with awesome activities. This article will cover all of the best things to do in New Paltz, New York.

6 Best Things to do in New Paltz, New York

The best top things to do in New Paltz are Mohonk Lake and Mountain House, Minnewaska State Preserve, Kettleborough Cider House, Huckleberry, McGillicuddy’s, and Antique shops.

Mohonk Lake and Mohonk Mountain House – Best hike and views in New Paltz

Mohonk Mountain House is a luxury hotel that sits on Mohonk Lake. The hotel is beautiful, and closely resembles a ski resort. To get to the lake, you must hike around 1 hours. They only let guests drive through the gate. While the cost to hike to Mohonk Lake is $35, I would still say it’s worth it.

Along the way to the lake and resort, there are some cool look out structures built along the paths which offer great views of the surrounding mountains.

Once you arrive at the lake, you should take a left and walk along the path that takes you up the cliffs. There are multiple great lookout points along the way.

We just hiked to the top of the lake’s cliffs, but there is another trail that leads up to the Sky Top Tower. This is one of the highest points in the county, so you can see for miles. If you want to visit the tower, you should go to Sky Top Road.

I also strongly suggest that you walk through the Mohonk Mountain House garden. It is located right in front of the resort’s entrance, and it is open to guests. There is a variety of colorful flowers and plants, along with wooden structures that you can climb up.

Minnewaska State Preserve- Best waterfall and swimming in New Paltz

Minnewaska State Preserve is about a 10 minute drive from downtown New Paltz. A great feature about the park is that they don’t charge an entrance fee for hikers. At the beginning of the park there is a waterfall called Awosting falls. This is known as the best waterfall in New Paltz.

Unfortunately, there was a drought when we were there (picture on the left). But the picture on the right shows what it looks like in normal times.

Even though there was a drought, Awosting waterfalls was still a scenic spot to enjoy our lunch.

Aside from the waterfall, Minnewaska State Preserve also has some incredible hikes and views. We went along the Hamilton Point Trail, which had great views of the nearby mountains and the lake below.

Minnewaska State Preserve is also the best place to swim near New Paltz. There is a small beach called Minnewaska Lake beach which has a big area where you can swim and lay out in the sun. There is also a life guard on duty. You can learn more about the Preserve here.

Kettleborough Cider House – Best brewery in New Paltz

Kettleborough Cider House is my favorite brewery in New Paltz. They have a wide range of beers to pick from, and their variety flight is very affordable. Not only does the beer taste great, but they have an awesome outdoor area that overlooks the nearby mountains and hills.

There are a bunch of tables set up outside, along with games such as corn hole and connect four. We could have stayed here for hours, but unfortunately a storm came.

Dressel Farms

It is also worth mentioning Dressel Farms, as it is located right next to Kettleborough Cider House. Dressel farms has a small little shop off the main road, and they have a wide range of fresh fruits for sale. They also have some amazing apple cider that I definitely recommend trying.

If you want to try out a brewery a little closer to downtown New Paltz, you should check out Clemson Bros Brewery. While it is also a restaurant, it did have a great choice of beers. The only downside is that there isn’t a large outdoor seating area.

Huckleberry – Best restaurant in New Paltz

While we ate dinner at multiple places, the overall best restaurant in New Paltz is Huckleberry. You know it’s a good restaurant when every single local recommends it. We showed up without a reservation, but there was luckily room in the outdoor seating are.

The outdoor area was beautifully decorated, and there was also a small tiki bar. Aside from the great aesthetics and service, the food itself was incredible. I got a spicy chicken sandwich with truffle fries, and also split some delicious Brussel sprouts. They also had some tasty dark beer on tap.

McGillicuddy’s – Best sports bar in New Paltz

If you are looking for a fun bar in New Paltz, I suggest McGillicuddy’s. It is located in the center of town on Main Street. They had really good bar food, and their drinks weren’t expensive.

It is also a great place to watch sports, as they have plenty of TVs.

Antique shops on Main – Best antiques in New Paltz

While there are many towns upstate that are known for their antiques, New Paltz certainly has some of the best quality and quantity I’ve ever seen. They have a small little village called Antiques on Main, which is located in the center of town near the river.

The little village has multiple antique shops, and also a couple plant shops. We also went to a really good bakery that had good breakfast bagels and coffee.

If you are looking for another cool town upstate with great antique shops, you should check out Cold Spring.

Other things to know when visiting New Paltz

While we couldn’t find a big grocery store near the center of town, we did frequent the 7/11 that was in the middle of town. While they obviously don’t have a large selection, they have all the essentials. We went there to get our hiking snacks, and to also grab some beer.

I think it’s also important to talk about the uber and lyft availability in New Paltz. We were staying at an Airbnb that was about a 5 minute drive north of town. Since we didn’t have a car, we relied solely on ubers and lyfts. While it was hard to find a ride sometimes (had to wait between 5 and 40 minutes), we were always able to find a lyft or uber in New Paltz, so we never got stranded. Locals told us that there are more rides available when the college is in session, but since we were there in the summer the drivers were harder to find.

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