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We must confess that until this past Winter, we generally didn’t think much about going to Mohonk in the winter. We’re love hiking and the beach, so we would patiently wait each year for spring to arrive. However, that has all changed now that we experienced our first winter overnight at Mohonk.
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We were delighted to see that it had just snowed the night before we arrived, so we decided to layer up and head outside to enjoy the scenery. It was truly like a sparkling winter wonderland.
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Mohonk is also the perfect place to try winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. It was our first time for both, so we headed to the ski shop to get outfitted and get some helpful tips before heading out. We chose the beginner path around the lake first with the skis and really enjoyed that. It’s a great workout, but not as difficult as I imagine – we highly recommend it!
Next we switched out the skis for snowshoes, and headed thru the house up to Eagle’s Cliff. Even though it was a bit icy, the Crescent Moon snow shoes that the ski shop provided gave us perfect traction and we felt completely confident. Again, it was a great workout, since each shoe weighs nearly 5 lbs, but we hardly noticed because the scenery was spectacular. There is also something so special and meditative about wandering through the snow with no other person in sight, and no other sounds except the birds. If you have the chance, you simply must try it!
INSIDER TIP: If you’re an overnight guest, you can bring the snowshoes to your room so you can go out for an early-morning jaunt the next day. How cool is that? It was super convenient when we took a guided snow shoe tour the next morning and didn’t have to stop at the ski shop beforehand.
We enjoyed spectacular scenery while snow-shoeing on the trails!
If ice skating is more your speed, Mohonk has a gorgeous rink inside a pavilion that features a huge fireplace on one end – perfect to warm up after skating. They offer skating lessons, too, if you’re a newbie. Just be sure to call Mohonk on holidays to make sure public skating is available. (Hint: It’s also a great place to propose!)
Another thing to note is that even in the winter, there are fabulous guided nature hikes. We took one that featured a stroll around the lake while learning about pond and forest ecology, geology, natural and cultural history. It was great, and we got to explore areas that we probably wouldn’t have gone to ourselves. We also found out what a squirrel dining table looks like!
Of course, there is nothing as cozy as a crackling fireplace in the winter, and Mohonk has these in spades.
Read more about our fabulous Romantic Winter Staycation here.
