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Introduction
Tucked away in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains of
upstate New York and only ten miles west of Kingston (or 100
miles north of New York City), the Ashokan Field Campus is
an outdoor/environmental education center owned and operated
by Campus Auxiliary Services of the State University of New
York at New Paltz. Its 372 secluded acres of glistening natural
beauty lie adjacent to the Ashokan Reservoir and the wilderness
areas of the Catskill Forest Preserve and provide the inspirational
backdrop for hands-on educational experiences and group retreats
with themes in all disciplines.
The Esopus Creek plunges over Winchell's Falls and through
Cathedral Gorge, bisecting the Field Campus. Ice Age soils
and 375 million-year-old sedimentary rocks provide a rich
topography now covered with forests, fields, streams, and
ponds. A great variety of natural habitats flourish, and wildlife
abounds.
For thousands of years, native people used the Esopus as
a natural highway through the Catskills. Pioneers in turn
found this valley to be an important connection between the
Hudson and Delaware River valleys. Homesteads appeared on
the land and farming became its chief use. Early craftsmen
discovered the water power of Winchell's Falls and, eventually,
the Industrial Revolution found its way here in the form of
an early pulp mill. Evidence of bluestone, lumber and charcoal
industries, along with the ruins of the old mill, present
a rich assortment of historic resources and provide a unique
doorway to the past.
Although nature has reclaimed much of the Ashokan Field Campus,
Winchell's Inn, the farm, barnyard, and the old covered bridge
have survived the past. Reconstructions such as the 1817 stone
schoolhouse, the 1820 homestead, the trapper's cabin, colonial
craft shops and Lenape village are more recent additions.
The combination of natural and historic resources makes Ashokan
an ideal location for hands-on learning and environmental
education.
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