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Elevation: 351 ft 107 m
GPS: 41.65146, -74.20173
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By: Ron Olsen on Feb 18, 2006 · Updates
Admins: Morgan Patterson, M Santisi, chris vultaggio

Description Suggest change

The Gunks (short for Shawangunks) is one of the premier climbing areas in the country. Located near New Paltz, NY, the Gunks is about 85 miles from the NYC metropolitan area, making it a popular weekend destination. The rock is quartz conglomerate, solid rock with horizontal rather than vertical cracks. Climbing at the Gunks is characterized by roofs, jugs, traverses, big air, and sometimes "sporty" pro. The Gunks is famous for great one-to-three-pitch climbs of all levels of difficulty. You'll find some of the best easy and moderate trad climbs in the country at the Gunks. There are a few bolted climbs at the Gunks, but no sport climbs.

The ratings at the Gunks are stiff; beware of a climb with a "+" at the end of its rating. Climbs like Thin Slabs / Thin Slabs Direct (5.7+), Something Interesting (5.7+), Modern Times (5.8+), Broken Sling (5.8+), Le Teton (5.9+), and Coexistence (5.10+) will seem like sandbags to many climbers. Climbing overhanging rock, even with jugs, requires endurance and commitment. Most climbers new to the Gunks drop down a few grades in their first leads to get a feel for the rock, the ratings, and to learn how to place pro in the horizontal cracks.

The best time to climb at the Gunks is during the fall: September and October are the prime climbing season. Mid-October brings the fall colors to the area, and climbers will have to vie with "leaf peepers" for restaurants and places to stay in New Paltz. Climbing in the spring is also popular, but tends to be wetter and more buggy. Summer is hot and humid (don't miss the swimming hole), and winter offers a few climbable days.

The Gunks is one of the oldest climbing areas in the country. Fritz Wiessner first climbed at the Gunks in 1935, and he and Hans Kraus put up many classic routes in the 1940s. High Exposure, established in 1941, remains one of the most exposed and exciting 5.6 routes any climber will ever do, and should be on every visiting climber's tick list.

Most of the Gunks is part of the Mohonk Preserve, a land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting the northern Shawangunk Ridge. Climbers must purchase a $20 (as of 2018) day pass to climb at the Gunks, or else buy an annual pass ($115 as of 2022). Stop at the Visitor's Center, on Rt. 44/55 just below the cliffs, for more information or to get your pass. Passes are also often available on weekends from rangers at the steel bridge, the West Trapps lot, or at Lower Coxing, among others. If you get a day pass, keep your wristband, as the $20 cost can be credited toward the cost of an annual pass.

The Cliffs Suggest change

The main cliffs at the Gunks are The Trapps and The Near Trapps. The Trapps is several miles long, and ranges in height from 30' to over 250'. A convenient gravel carriage road traverses under the cliff for its entire length, and designated access trails climb from the carriage road through the talus to the cliff. Access to most climbs at the Trapps involves hiking along the carriage road for 5 minutes to a half hour, followed by a short hike up to the rock. Some of the climbs on the left end of the Trapps start right off the carriage road.

The Nears is also a popular destination, with climbs ranging in height from 30' to 200'. While not as extensive as The Trapps, the Nears offers many excellent routes with short approaches. The near (north) end is most popular, but there are good climbs farther down the cliff as well.

Millbrook is more remote and offers adventurous climbing for those wanting to get off the beaten path. This area is frequented more by Gunks locals than first-time visiting climbers. The approach is roughly an hour along pleasant rambling trails, and Westward Ha! is worth the walk!

Sky Top has many classic routes, and was closed for over ten years by the landowner (the Mohonk Mountain House, an exclusive and expensive resort). As of April 2007 climbing is LEGAL at Sky Top once again - IF, and only if, you are there as a client of their only approved guide service, Alpine Endeavors.

Peterskill, in Minnewaska State Park, is another popular Gunks climbing destination, offering single-pitch climbs, top-roping, and bouldering. Follow directions to The Trapps and continue on Rt. 44/55 for about a mile past the steel bridge to get to the park entrance. As it is a State Park, a Mohonk Preserve pass won't work here; a separate day use fee is charged, and separate annual passes are available.

Other Gunks climbing areas, such as Lost City and Bonticou, are under-documented. Climbing here is by word of mouth; go with a Gunks local or ask for information at Rock & Snow, the local climbing shop in New Paltz.

Climbing Gear

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Due to the abundance of horizontal cracks and the limited number of vertical cracks, most Gunks routes have "PG" protection: adequate but not great, although many gear ratings were applied before small cams were invented.

Fixed pro is sometimes available, but many of the pins are "old and rusted and shouldn't be trusted".

A "Standard Rack" for the Gunks:

Single rack to a blue camalot.  Doubles in smaller and finger sizes.  Rack of nuts.  Brass is often helpful.

The amount of gear that you carry will depend on the climb, your experience, ability, and familiarity with the route and with the Gunks. If you're new to the Gunks, err on the side of taking a little more gear rather than a little less.

Many popular routes have bolted rap stations, but sometimes trees are used for rap anchors. Bring some webbing along in case you need to beef up a sling anchor on a tree.

Two-way radios can be useful for communicating past the big roofs often encountered on Gunks climbs. High Exposure, Disneyland, and especially The Ceiling are routes where radios can be much more effective than shouting.

Visit Rock & Snow, the local climbing shop, at 44 Main St. in New Paltz, for all your gear and beta needs.

Fixed Anchors in the Gunks

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Starting in 1999, bolted anchors started to appear in select locations along the cliffs. Placement of these anchors is approved by a 14-member bolting sub-committee composed of Gunks Climbers' Coalition members, volunteers, area climbing guides, and Mohonk Preserve rangers and staff. Installation and inspection of bolted anchors are carried out by Petzl and Access Fund-trained members of the bolting sub-committee.

The dual goals of these anchors are safety, and protection of the fragile cliff ecosystem. Whenever possible, anchors are placed to make it easier for climbers to go straight to the bolted anchor instead of using a tree, walking on a ledge with a tree, or an erosion or runoff gully. Please follow best practices, by avoiding the use of trees as anchors or walking up gullies!

If you have questions or feedback about these anchors, start by contacting the Gunks Climbers' Coalition direction directly, on social media or on the tweet machine.

Guidebooks

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Published by Wolverine in early 2020, a new full-color guidebook is available: Gunks Climbing, by Andy Salo, Christian Fracchia, and Eric Ratkowski. This book covers the Trapps to the Slime Wall and the Near Trapps to the end of the Workout Wall. It features route descriptions and photographs produced in sync with the Gunks App, as well as extensive historical articles and orientation maps.

The most comprehensive print guide books to the Gunks are the The Climber's Guide to the Shawangunks: The Trapps and The Climber's Guide to the Shawangunks: The Near Trapps and Millbrook; from Dick Williams.

For mobile devices, get the Gunks App - both iPhone and Android versions are available. Guides to the Trapps, Nears, Peterskill, Trapps Bouldering and Peterskill Bouldering are each offered. This app offers GPS navigation and high-res cliff images.

A Rock Climber's Guide to the Peter's Kill Climbing Area by Mike Rawdon and Marty Molitorist is available at Rock and Snow.  A mobile version is available through the Gunks App.

Other guides include The Gunks Select, a best-of selection covering the Trapps, Nears and Skytop by Dick Williams, Vulgarian Press, 1996 (out of print); The Gunks Guide, Third Edition, Todd Swain, Falcon Press, 1995.

Getting There

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By Plane

The out-of-state climber may want to fly into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), La Guardia Airport (LGA), or Stewart International Airport (SWF), rent a car, and drive to New Paltz.

Newark Liberty to New Paltz: 97 miles, 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Directions from Newark Liberty Airport to New Paltz Hostel

La Guardia to New Paltz: 87 miles, 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Directions from La Guardia Airport to New Paltz Hostel

Stewart International Airport is the closest commercial airport to the Gunks. The airport is a quiet regional hub; you rarely have to wait in line, and you can arrive at the airport less than an hour before your flight. Connections to and from here may be limited, however.

Stewart International to New Paltz: 22 miles, 28 minutes.
Directions from Stewart International Airport to New Paltz Hostel

More on arranging transportation: Getting around

By Car

To get to New Paltz: take the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) to exit 18 (New Paltz/Poughkeepsie). Pass the toll booth and go to the first traffic light. Turn left at the light onto Rt. 299 West. Follow 299 several miles into New Paltz, where it becomes Main St.

To get to the Gunks from New Paltz: continue on Rt. 299 for 7 miles until it intersects with Rt. 44/55 (The Brauhaus, Bistro and EMS are at this intersection). Turn right and continue about 1.5 miles up the hill to reach the Mohonk Preserve Visitor's Center. Stop here for maps, information, and to buy daily or annual passes (you can also get passes from the rangers on the carriage road). The Warwarsing parking area, which provides convenient access for climbs on the right side of the Trapps, lies just beyond the Visitor's Center. The West Trapps parking area, used to access the left side of the Trapps and the Near Trapps, lies up the hill, beyond the big hairpin turn, just past a steel bridge. NB: On beautiful weekends, parking lots fill early.

By Bus

Trailways has a bus terminal in New Paltz, right next to the New Paltz Hostel, but it's most convenient to have a car to get to the cliffs.
139 Main St.
New Paltz, NY 12561
800-776-7548

Where to Stay

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Also see Rock & Snow Places to Stay

HOSTELS and MOTELS

New Paltz Hostel is located near downtown and right next to the bus station. A variety of accommodations is available for $30/person/night. Free internet access and a shared kitchen are part of the amenities. Reservations recommended for weekends. Off-street parking is available.
145 Main Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
845-255-6676

America's Best Value Inn;rcode=sim2016, just west of I-87 at the New Paltz exit, is newly renovated.
7 Terwilliger Ln.
New Paltz, NY 12561
845-255-8865

Rodeway Inn and Suites;hotel=NY331: People seem to like the suites, but it has gotten mixed reviews.
601 Main Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
845-883-7373

Econo Lodge;hotel=NY156 gets bad reviews from tripadvisor.com
530 Main St.
New Paltz, NY 12561
Local - 845-255-6200
Toll free - 800-424-4777

Bed and Breakfasts are available if you want a more 'romantic' getaway, or just space to lounge around in. B&Bs start around $1xx +/night (call around) per couple for lodging and breakfast. Because the Culinary Institute is nearby, most B&B breakfasts are quite a feast! Given that even the econo-lodges are $80/night and up without food, B&Bs can be a reasonable option, especially for cooler days when the sun sets early. Here are a couple I can recommend: Audrey's in Gardiner, Captain Schoonmaker's in High Falls, Inn at Orchard Heights in New Paltz, Maple Stone Inn in Gardiner, Moondance Ridge in New Paltz, and The 1812 House in Rosendale.

Mohonk Mountain House is great if you've just won the millionaire lottery.

CAMPING
The American Alpine Club Gunks Campground opened in the spring of 2015, and will be open from spring through late fall. It is located on Route 299 just a half-mile before Rt 44/55, in Gardiner. Book reservations online here. A campground host lives on-site. Camping costs $24/night/campsite for AAC and Mohonk Preserve members; $38/night for non-members. There are limits of 4 people per campsite and 2 tents per campsite. There are 50 tent sites, with parking for one vehicle per site. No RVs or large vehicles are allowed. Amenities include: pay showers, covered pavilion, fire ring, drinking water.

NY State DEC Multi-Use Area closed in May 2016. 

Trapps Camp (aka Camp Slime) is now closed. Long live Camp Slime.

Yogi Bear's is an RV-style family campground in Gardiner, at 50 Bevier Rd.

Creek View in Rosendale, ~7 miles from New Paltz, has flat, grassy tent sites with picnic tables, showers, and there is plenty of hot water for dishes. The owner, Bill, makes it a point to enforce quiet hours (11pm to 7am). Other privately owned campgrounds are charging 3x what Bill charges. He also has full hookups for those with RVs or just wanting some electricity. His monthly rate is the best in the area, by far.

The Hemlock Ridge MUA is about 19 miles (1/2 hr.) from the Trapps.

About the same distance and driving time in the other direction is the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest MUA.

Where to Eat

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New Paltz is a college town (the State University of New York has a campus here), with many excellent bars and restaurants. Many local chefs are graduates of the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, so expect to eat well here!

Near the cliff:

Mountain Market at the junction of Rt. 299 and Rt. 44/55: stock up on Gatorade or bars on your way up to the cliff. The new owners kept a lot of the same sandwich items and added some of their own. The large parking lot and porch mean it's still a very popular meet-up spot for climbers in the morning.

Mountain Brauhaus, corner of Route 299 & Route 44-55: authentic German food and beer;  you can sit out on the porch overlooking the cliff.

In town:

The Bakery, 13A North Front St.: another great breakfast place, and to load up on carbs for the day.

Main Street Bistro, 59 Main St.: have a breakfast special that is $2 for a sizeable breakfast. For lunch, don't miss the soup & slab.

Mudd Puddle on Water Street has coffee roasted on the premises and a variety of plates.

Bacchus is the original climber's haunt, with 14 beers on tap and hundreds more in the bottle. The food is all excellent, and the menu varies widely between bar fare like nachos, to tuna tartare.

P&G's, 91 Main St.: excellent pub food and beer.

Main Course, 175 Main St.: eclectic gourmet fare and many ready-to-eat options.

Bangkok Cafe - also Thai, on Main Street.

Karma Road, on Main St. All-vegan cafe and deli. Opens earlier than most places (8am), so a useful place to grab coffee / smoothie / sandwich on the way to climbing in the morning. Good food, obviously vegetarian-friendly, and seating indoors and out (so you don't have to smell each other).

Crazy Bowlz on Main Street is an Asian Fusion/Tex Mex restaurant with good bowls.

Garvan's is a high-quality upscale restaurant in the Huguenot Village, so a bit away from the maddening crowds.

The Cheese Plate, Water Street Market, offers all natural, local ice cream, cheese plates, grilled cheese and cheese sandwiches, which can be packed for a trip to the mountains.

Ice Cream options:

Huguenot Creamery, 78 Main St. (next to Anatoli's),

Outside of New Paltz:

Rough Cut Brewing is over the ridge in Kerhonkson, and is well worth the 10 minutes it takes to get there.

In Rosendale: Garden House (tasty artisan pizza & middle eastern food).

In Highland: Gunks Haus (German, nice view).

Other Resources

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Rock & Snow for lots of good info. The Gunks Climbers' Coalition is the local climber advocacy group.

1,275 Total Climbs

Route Finder - Best Climbs for YOU!

Location: The Gunks Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at The Gunks

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
 583
Gelsa
Trad 3 pitches
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
 1,057
Horseman
Trad
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 1,884
High Exposure
Trad 2 pitches
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 829
The Ceiling
Trad 3 pitches
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 931
Madame Grunnebaum's Wulst
Trad 3 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 581
Strictly From Nowhere
Trad 2 pitches
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 620
Limelight
Trad 2 pitches
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 663
Something Interesting
Trad 2 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 694
Arrow
Trad 2 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
 656
Cascading Crystal Kaleidoscope (…
Trad 3 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 760
Son of Easy O
Trad 2 pitches
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 453
Modern Times
Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 497
Directissima
Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 672
Bonnie's Roof
Trad 2 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 667
Ants' Line
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Gelsa Near Trapps > a. Beginning of cliff…
 583
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Trad 3 pitches
Horseman Trapps > a1. The Uberfall - left
 1,057
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a Trad
High Exposure Trapps > i. High E
 1,884
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad 2 pitches
The Ceiling Trapps > d. Strictly - The Cei…
 829
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad 3 pitches
Madame Grunnebaum's Wulst Trapps > f. The Guides' Wall (…
 931
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad 3 pitches
Strictly From Nowhere Trapps > d. Strictly - The Cei…
 581
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 2 pitches
Limelight Trapps > h. The Arrow Wall - CCK
 620
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 2 pitches
Something Interesting Trapps > e. The Mac Wall (Some…
 663
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad 2 pitches
Arrow Trapps > h. The Arrow Wall - CCK
 694
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 2 pitches
Cascading Crystal Kaleidosc… Trapps > h. The Arrow Wall - CCK
 656
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 Trad 3 pitches
Son of Easy O Trapps > c. Frog's Head - the…
 760
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 2 pitches
Modern Times Trapps > h. The Arrow Wall - CCK
 453
5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 2 pitches
Directissima Trapps > i. High E
 497
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches
Bonnie's Roof Trapps > i. High E
 672
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad 2 pitches
Ants' Line Trapps > i. High E
 667
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad
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