About

Friends of the Shawangunks (FOS), along with our land trust, The Shawangunk Conservancy, is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to protecting the Shawangunk Ridge from adverse environmental impacts.

Since 1963, when the first FOS group was formed to successfully oppose the construction of a national parkway that would run along the Kittatinny-Shawangunk ridge, from the Delaware River to the Hudson, FOS has worked tirelessly to preserve the Shawangunks. 

In the early 1970’s, FOS played a vital role in the establishment of Minnewaska State Park Preserve and rose to the challenge in 1979 to help stop a proposal by Marriott to purchase 375 acres on the ridge to build a 400-room resort with an 18-hole golf course. With threats to “the Gunks” on the rise, FOS was established as a 501(c)3 non-profit to preserve the land for future generations to cherish and enjoy. 

Today, FOS is furthering its important mission by working closely with other local environmental groups, monitoring development proposals, and purchasing small parcels to protect the visual beauty and ecological integrity of the Shawangunk Ridge.

Friends of the Shawangunks (FOS), along with our land trust, The Shawangunk Conservancy, is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to protecting the Shawangunk Ridge from adverse environmental impacts.

Since 1963, when the first FOS group was formed to successfully oppose the construction of a national parkway that would run along the Kittatinny-Shawangunk ridge, from the Delaware River to the Hudson, FOS has worked tirelessly to preserve the Shawangunks. 

In the early 1970’s, FOS played a vital role in the establishment of Minnewaska State Park Preserve and rose to the challenge in 1979 to help stop a proposal by Marriott to purchase 375 acres on the ridge to build a 400-room resort with an 18-hole golf course. With threats to “the Gunks” on the rise, FOS was established as a 501(c)3 non-profit to preserve the land for future generations to cherish and enjoy. 

Today, FOS is furthering its important mission by working closely with other local environmental groups, monitoring development proposals, and purchasing small parcels to protect the visual beauty and ecological integrity of the Shawangunk Ridge.