Long path
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The Gap Has Closed on Long Path Trail

Image Credit: Eric Krieger

OSI supporters in Sullivan County and throughout New York and New Jersey responded enthusiastically earlier this year by raising nearly $13,000 to support the acquisition of a small but strategic 2.32-acre parcel that filled a gap in the Long Path Trail.  

With that community support, OSI finalized the acquisition earlier in October, purchasing the parcel from the Rodriguez family through its land acquisition affiliate, the Open Space Conservancy. The property will be donated to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for management as part of the trail and is open to the public for hiking.  

“The Long Path is absolutely gorgeous in the fall,” said OSI Vice President and General Counsel Bob Anderberg, who engineered the purchase. “If you follow the entire path you will see the diversity of terrain, from sea level to forests to high peaks, that runs through New York State. This stretch in particular features incredible views of the Hudson River Valley and the Catskills.”  

The 347-mile historic trail connects many of New York's parks, preserves, and state forest lands as it winds from the George Washington Bridge to Altamont, just west of Albany. The newly acquired section traverses the crest of the southern Shawangunk Ridge near Route 17 to Route 52. It is a rocky spine of a ridge, with slab rock, pitch pines and blueberry understory.  

Three state forests—the Shawangunk, Roosa Gap and Wurtsboro Ridge state forests—protect this important swath of the Shawangunk Ridge, and the just-acquired parcel links the Roosa Gap and Wurtsboro Ridge forests, finally creating a connection sought by trail management for some time. 

OSI extends its gratitude to everyone in Sullivan County and beyond that supported the protection of this important stretch of the Long Path. Thank you!

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