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Images of America: New York
Mohonk: Mountain House and Preserve
Mohonk is a name of Native American origin first given to a lake high in the Shawangunk Mountains of Ulster County. Mohonk Lake was sculpted eons ago by the crushing weight of advancing glaciers. Nature's handiwork resulted in a crystal blue lake rimmed by stately hemlock trees and sheer conglomerate cliffs. Mohonk Mountain House was established at the lake in 1869 by Quaker twins Albert and Alfred Smiley. They and younger half-brother, Daniel Smiley, created a mountaintop haven for their guests-a 251-room hotel set on acres of woodlands and gardens. Today Daniel Smiley's descendants welcome visitors to the last of the grand Victorian hotels in the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountain region. The Mohonk Preserve was carved from lands of the Mountain House beginning in 1963 and bears witness to the vision of the Smiley family. Its mission is to protect over 6,400 acres of semi-wilderness through its education, research, and land stewardship programs. Today, it is the largest nature preserve supported by members and visitors in New York State.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 3, 2026
A Visit To Mohonk
I recently visited family in New Paltz, New York, about 90 miles from New York City, and had the opportunity to drive through the Shawangunk Mountains just outside the town. It was a beautiful drive, through the mountains and past the lakes and rivers intertwined with many small mountain towns and homes. I was able to supplement the short mountain tour with this short pictorial history "Mohonk: Mountain House and Preserve (2002), part of the Images of America series of local American histories. Robi Josephson, the author is a resident of the area who has worked for both the Mohonk Mountain House and the Mohonk Nature Preserve.
We drove by the Mountain House. The property is gated with access only for guests. It is a large, ornate Victorian Hotel and related complex of some 80 buildings which was thirty years in the building and completed in 1902. Today it is a large, expensive and old-styled getaway in the mountains which has hosted important conferences during its history and continues to do so. The adjacent Mohonk Nature Preserve consists of mountains, trails for hiking and skiing, lakes, cliffs for climbing and a plethora of wildlife. It is a place of beauty and reflection.
In her book, Josephson has gathered and carefully annotated 220 images of Mohonk to tell the story of both the Mountain House and Preserve. The book begins with early days in the Shawangunks prior to 1869, the year the twins Alfred and Alfred Smiley established the Mohonk Mountain House, which still remains with descendants of the Smiley family. Subsequent chapters, in roughly 30 year increments, show the development of the area, both of the Mountain House and other enterprises and in the preservation of the area's natural beauty. Josephson identifies two themes which run through her pictorial history: "the changing ways in which the humans and mountains have sustained each other over the centuries ; and the conservation legacy of the Smiley family, beginning in 1869 and spanning five generations at Mohonk".
The book describes the great effort required for construction in the isolation of the mountains and the activities at the Mohonk Mountain House over the years. But the focus is on the natural beauty of the mountains and lakes and streams. So too, in my trip through the area, I loved the mountains and hills and the lakes together with the small towns that I saw with family on two chilly drives in late November.
My short visit and this brief history both reminded me of the many unique, special places, urban and rural and wild in our beloved country. I was grateful for the opportunity to see Mohonk for myself and to learn a little more about it through this book.
Robin Friedman
I recently visited family in New Paltz, New York, about 90 miles from New York City, and had the opportunity to drive through the Shawangunk Mountains just outside the town. It was a beautiful drive, through the mountains and past the lakes and rivers intertwined with many small mountain towns and homes. I was able to supplement the short mountain tour with this short pictorial history "Mohonk: Mountain House and Preserve (2002), part of the Images of America series of local American histories. Robi Josephson, the author is a resident of the area who has worked for both the Mohonk Mountain House and the Mohonk Nature Preserve.
We drove by the Mountain House. The property is gated with access only for guests. It is a large, ornate Victorian Hotel and related complex of some 80 buildings which was thirty years in the building and completed in 1902. Today it is a large, expensive and old-styled getaway in the mountains which has hosted important conferences during its history and continues to do so. The adjacent Mohonk Nature Preserve consists of mountains, trails for hiking and skiing, lakes, cliffs for climbing and a plethora of wildlife. It is a place of beauty and reflection.
In her book, Josephson has gathered and carefully annotated 220 images of Mohonk to tell the story of both the Mountain House and Preserve. The book begins with early days in the Shawangunks prior to 1869, the year the twins Alfred and Alfred Smiley established the Mohonk Mountain House, which still remains with descendants of the Smiley family. Subsequent chapters, in roughly 30 year increments, show the development of the area, both of the Mountain House and other enterprises and in the preservation of the area's natural beauty. Josephson identifies two themes which run through her pictorial history: "the changing ways in which the humans and mountains have sustained each other over the centuries ; and the conservation legacy of the Smiley family, beginning in 1869 and spanning five generations at Mohonk".
The book describes the great effort required for construction in the isolation of the mountains and the activities at the Mohonk Mountain House over the years. But the focus is on the natural beauty of the mountains and lakes and streams. So too, in my trip through the area, I loved the mountains and hills and the lakes together with the small towns that I saw with family on two chilly drives in late November.
My short visit and this brief history both reminded me of the many unique, special places, urban and rural and wild in our beloved country. I was grateful for the opportunity to see Mohonk for myself and to learn a little more about it through this book.
Robin Friedman
November 13, 2023
I read this while visiting Mohonk! On top of the history being fascinating, I had a heart-squishy moment related to my writing. I used my experience day hiking at Mohonk Mountain House in 2007 to inspire my version of the afterlife for my novel TOUCHING THE SURFACE. Being there for a full weekend was a full circle moment. I even learned new things to inspire future stories. This historical site is incredible and the perfect location for the growth of your soul--whether you are visiting in life or in the afterlife.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews