Gardiner and Lake Minnewaska, Images of America

Located halfway between New York City and Albany, the Gardiner and Minnewaska region is a bucolic mountain community, rich in dairy and fruit.Located halfway between New York City and Albany, the Gardiner and Minnewaska region is a bucolic mountain community, rich in dairy and fruit.

The picturesque area also includes the Wallkill Valley lowlands, Lake Minnewaska, and the wonders of the surrounding mountains. Settled some 300 years ago by French Huguenots and Dutch immigrants, the region has supported itself with dairy and fruit farming in the valley, and with millstone cutting and berry picking in the mountains, since its inception. In stunning photographs, Gardiner and Lake Minnewaska portrays the history of this region: the Tuthilltown gristmill, in operation for more than 200 years; the Gardiner boarding houses and Minnewaska mountain hotels; the state park that offers a vast network of hiking trails; and the rise of rock climbing and skydiving in the area.