Shawangunk Grit

Close out your riding season with a ride to remember at Mohonk Preserve! 

Join us for an epic fundraising ride across the Shawangunk Ridge, just 90 miles north of Manhattan. Pick from two distances 50.4 miles (4,030 ft gain) or 23.3 miles (2,580 ft gain). Both courses begin and end at the Ulster County Fairgrounds and once you enter the Preserve at mile two, the course is 99% gravel on our famous network of carriage roads.  

This is not a race; think of it as a super challenging fun ride for a really good cause. Much of the gravel is quite rough and steep. Expect loose rock – especially on the descents. The long course includes some technical single track and a mandatory dismount/bike hike up a steep boulder garden. Bring your gravel, cyclocross, or mountain bike. Class 1 e-bikes are permitted if you can manage the technical sections. No road bikes, please.

You won’t be timed but you will be well-fed. Look for three well-stocked aid stations and a post ride party with food from the locally known Taco Truck at the fairgrounds where you will relax, listen to music and share your course experience. Be sure to carry some food and water, and maybe extra clothes depending on the weather. You’ll be sharing the carriage roads with hikers and climbers, so bike bells are highly recommended. Pack a spare tube, tools, and pump as there’s no mechanical support on course and no sag wagon. Helmets are required.

*Shout out to our friends at the Open Space Institute for granting us access to the River-to-Ridge Trail and to the Mohonk Mountain House who grant us special access to Sky Top and the golf course area for the event day only. Bikes are not allowed on carriage roads near Sky Top so you cannot pre-ride these sections of the course. No exceptions – If we blow this, access to Sky Top and the golf course will not continue. PLEASE DO NOT POST PICS FROM SKY TOP ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

Also, near Spring Farm Trailhead, the private driveway near the Slingerland Pavilion, the Table Rocks Trail, and the Crag Trail on the Preserve are accessible to ride participants during the event only. You cannot pre-ride these sections.

Pricing (no price increase for 2025)
50.4 Mile $150
23.3 Mile $125

Registration fees get you...

Pre-ride bike support on the morning of the event from Bicycle Depot staffBike plateAid stations with, water, Skratch Labs hydration products and snacksFinish line food, music, beverages and beer. A GRIT branded merch item. A chance to win rad raffle prizes from our sponsors.Satisfaction in knowing you're helping to raise money for a great cause!
The Start
Expect a calm and controlled mass start for the 50.4 mile course at 9 am and the 23.3 mile course at 10 am. Riders will line up Goldilocks style: strong riders go to the front of the pack; moderate folks aim for the middle, and those planning a more leisurely pace, head to the back.

A pace car will lead riders for the first two miles of the course along public roads from Ulster Fairgrounds to Mohonk
Preserve property on Gatehouse Road.  Riders must remain in their lane behind the pace car. We mean it, calm and controlled.  

Once you’re off the public road and on the gravel, you can ride at your own pace.

Cutoff Time
Cutoff times for the 2025 ride are TBD. 

Cancellation/Refund Policy:
Registration fees are non-refundable. You may wish to take the optional Registration Protection Plan from Allianz during registration. Shawangunk Grit is a major fundraiser for Mohonk Preserve. When you register, we hold a spot, make commitments to vendors, and deny others entry when the event sells out. Therefore, registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Event deferrals or transfers for any reason, including injury, are not allowed.

Should the event be canceled for a qualifying reason by the event producer such as adverse weather conditions which would make holding the event unsafe, your registration fees will be refunded. 

If you find you can’t participate, we would like to know. Please contact us at [email protected]. All cancellations will be acknowledged via email.

Protection Plan:
Consider taking the registration protection insurance offered by Bike.reg which will reimburse you registration fees if you are unable to participate due to a qualifying reason. This plan is administered by a third party, Allianz.

Be prepared for a challenging, but fun ride! Registration fees raise money for a great cause! 

Your registration fees directly support Mohonk Preserve’s mission to protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy and explore their natural world. With more than 8,000 acres of mountain ridges, forests, fields, streams, ponds and other unique and beautiful places, Mohonk Preserve is the largest member and visitor-supported nature preserve in New York State.  

Course options:
50.4 Mile 
9:00 am Start
Four aid stations at mile 12.5, 25.9, 33 and 42.
Elevation gain: 4,030
23.3 Mile 
10 am Start
Two aid stations at mile 8 and 14.
Elevation gain: 2,580

Advance Packet Pickup:
Friday, October 31, 2025
12 noon - 5 pm
Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center
3197 Route 44 55
Gardiner, NY 12525

Many of you have  been asking about packet pickup. Yes, you can pick up your packets on Saturday prior to the start of the ride. Just leave yourself extra time so you aren't rushed!

Day of Packet Pickup:
Saturday, November 1, 2025
7:30 am - 8:45 am | 50.4 milers
7:30 am - 9:45 am | 23.3 milers
Ulster County Fairgrounds
249 Libertyville Road
New Paltz, NY 12561

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View the great photos taken by the Mohonk Preserve Volunteer Photographers!

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Questions? 
Contact Ride Director, Tom Leader at [email protected]

About Shawangunk Grit: 

The ridge where you’ll be riding is made from bedrock called Shawangunk Conglomerate, also known as Shawangunk Grit. Shawangunk Grit slabs were  used to make millstones around the turn of the century and some of these millstones can still be seen on the land today. A nod to the history of the ridge is found in the Shawangunk Grit logo.  

Cover photo by: Deborah Kral