The Shawangunk Ridge (also known as the Shawangunk Mountains, or The Gunks) is a ridge of mountains in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.

The spelling is a Dutch approximation of "shongum," and many longtime area residents pronounce it that way.

The Shawangunks contain Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Sam's Point Preserve with more than 100 miles of hiking trails and several climbing areas. There are also many waterfalls in the Shawangunk region, like VerKeerderkill falls and Awosting falls . The Shawngunks is also known for having some of the best rock climbing in the northeast United States.

In 2004, a luxury development plan for buildings has threatened the ridge line, and as a result a grassroots "Save the Ridge" campaign has become extremely popular in the area.

External links

• Shawangunk home page
• http://www.savethegunks.com/

Preserves within the Shawangunks:

• Mohonk Preserve
• Mohonk Mountain Resort
• Sam's Point Dwarf Pine Ridge Preserve
• Minnewaska State Park Preserve