Gunks for Memorial Day

My girlfriend and I are thinking of coming to New York to visit some friends who live twenty minutes from the Gunks, but we're not settled on a date. We were thinking of Memorial Day weekend but we weren't sure about the crowds. How bad are the crowds on Memorial Day weekend versus the weekend before that? Thanks in advance.

If youve never been to the gunks you have no idea. But imagine a giant climbing gym with almost 500 climbs and you have to wait in line for every one 5.9 and under. Dont forget to keep an eye out for falling noobs, biners, cams, nuts, water bottles and other random items.

Yeah it'll be a shit show Memorial Day weekend for sure. In fact it's pretty much a shit show every weekend. Take that and add a third day and its shitshowitiveness multiplies exponentially. Go during the week if you can.

The only noticeably busier holiday at the cliff is Columbus Day. Typical three days weekends locals leave or visit family for cookouts and such. Meanwhile, out of towners come, canceling each other out.

There is a huge difference in dayhiker/mountainbiker/runner traffic. This congests the parking lots. Prepare for stress, especially if you're not used to it. This feeling rapidly dissipates when belaying on the GT Ledge, looking out over the valley, and watching vultures fly by at eye level.

DL

Hike to Milbrook or the end of the Nears and things are much better.

But parking will be an issue, and the crowds will be pretty wild on the closer, classic stuff.

Sam Stephens wrote:My girlfriend and I are thinking of coming to New York to visit some friends who live twenty minutes from the Gunks, but we're not settled on a date. We were thinking of Memorial Day weekend but we weren't sure about the crowds. How bad are the crowds on Memorial Day weekend versus the weekend before that? Thanks in advance.

A normal weekend is usually more busy than a holiday weekend. A lot of people travel for long weekends when the kids are out of school. I've been to the Gunks during holiday weekends a few time and generally was surprised by lack of crowd. Also, the Nears and Milbrook are usually pretty dead if you don't mind the walk.

Is this your first visit? If so, I would strongly urge you not visit on Memorial Day weekend. The crowds could potentially mar your experience and consequently your impression of the area. The place is without question pretty frigging awesome. However, with the crowds come posturing, posing, barking/screaming of belay commands, whooping, and route congestion. Routes rated hard 10 and up are usually unoccupied even on busy weekends, but many are difficult to protect and tend to be very serious leads.

On another note, identifying climbs and access trails for the climbs from the carriage road is not a trivial exercise for the first time visitor (especially with leaves on the trees). It takes awhile to get to know the place and is more enjoyable to figure it out without gaggles of noobs, posuers, and tourists crawling over every inch of the crag.

Geeze. its not that serious. Im at the gunks mostly every other weekend at least during the rock season. Does it get crowded? Sure. Every major crag does. If your in the area you should still come and experience it if youve never been! Who cares about waiting 20 minutes to get on a classic climb (although sometimes you will have to wait longer, or find something else.) Its totally worth it. Its a great crag with great climbs and great people. The people are half the fun. Hang out with everyone waiting and your bound to make a handful of new friends. Or go for a walk and find something a little less crowded, although they will typically be the harder climbs. And hard gunks....is pretty hard.

divnamite wrote: A normal weekend is usually more busy than a holiday weekend. A lot of people travel for long weekends when the kids are out of school. I've been to the Gunks during holiday weekends a few time and generally was surprised by lack of crowd. Also, the Nears and Milbrook are usually pretty dead if you don't mind the walk.

This has been my experience. I went last Memorial Day dreading the crowds, but to my surprise it felt relatively quite.

Perhaps it was an anomaly, not sure, but one of my partners, a long time gunks veteran, says it is common due to what the above quote cites.

The busiest I've ever seen it though was in fact on a holiday weekend - though a Canadian one where it seemed like half of Canada made the drive down. Forgot which one.

You'll have fun either way. Great place.

alpinejeff is right! whatever that canadian holiday is! Thats the absolute busiest weekend in the gunks every single year! Its an invasion!

Columbus Day in the United States, and Thanksgiving Day in Canada, are both on the second Monday in October. The New Paltz Film Festival is on Saturday evening that same weekend, or at least it was last year. So that weekend is usually the busiest weekend in the gunks each year.

Ksween wrote:If youve never been to the gunks you have no idea. But imagine a giant climbing gym with almost 500 climbs and you have to wait in line for every one 5.9 and under. Dont forget to keep an eye out for falling noobs, biners, cams, nuts, water bottles and other random items.

Hey Kevin...I have to call BS on this and similar comments. You can walk along the bottom of the cliff on the most crowded weekends and jump on a climb without waiting in line. You may not get on the three star classic but you can always get on a fun quality climb. I've walked along the bottom and found climbs like Arrow open on crowded weekends. Walk way down in the 480-490 range of climbs and there won't be anyone there. Lots of climbers tend to congregate close to the Uberfall.

I wouldnt worry about the crowds of people, worry about the crowds of black flys that weekend.

Otherwise there usually isnt an obnoxious amount of people, just walk further down the carriage road and you should have no problem finding quality routes. Also the "nears" on the opposite side of the road tends to be much less busy, especially the further down you walk.

I believe walking further down the Nears involves trespassing. Better to walk around the top and then down on the marked trail at the end of the Nears.

From what i understand its only trespassing for hunters and such? Those are the only signs posted in that one section. Doesnt say anything about hiking through but im not sure. Never heard it wasnt ok to just walk at the base.

As far as I know it was completely closed and hasn't been reopened. That's the way it was posted back when it closed in 2009 and that's the way it was announced online. I believe this closure is also posted on the Mohonk Preserve website and the Access Fund website.

Check out one of the smaller areas at the Gunks and climb at them. Or hike to Millbrook. If single pitch/bouldering is your thing you can explore the "other" areas and have no issue.

Matt Davis wrote:As far as I know it was completely closed and hasn't been reopened. That's the way it was posted back when it closed in 2009 and that's the way it was announced online. I believe this closure is also posted on the Mohonk Preserve website and the Access Fund website.

We are only talking about the area past what is covered in the guidebook right?

Nope. It's smack dab in the middle of the Nears.

Matt Davis wrote:Nope. It's smack dab in the middle of the Nears.

Ah ok yea thats the area I was thinking of.

The nears closure starts at the climb eenie meenie and extends approx 200 feet south.Please don't tresspass.