Mohonk Day Trippin'

If you want to experience Mohonk House - one of the gems of the Hudson Valley - you don't have to spend an outrageous sum of money on a hotel room. You can do a day trip! At the main gate, you can get a day pass (note: you have to pay parking in addition to the pass). Because day parking is at the main gate (and it's a couple of miles to the main house), Mohonk provides a shuttle bus that will drop you off at the Picnic Lodge (pictured below).The Picnic Lodge is the main point of entry for day trippers and is the only location for day trippers to purchase meals. Day trippers are not allowed inside the main house, although you can access the trails around the property. Below is the kitchen area of the Picnic Lodge.As the name suggests, you can picnic at the Picnic Lodge. There are comfy rocking chairs on the front porch (the same rocking chairs that you see all along the lakefront side of the main house).

You can also use the picnic tables on the side porch of the Picnic Lodge. Here's a good secret for day trippers. You can have an even better experience at Mohonk by planning a meal at the main dining room.

Day meals are allowed for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. For an upfront-paid fee, you get your meal plus access to the guest parking lot at the main house, and you are allowed to visit the first floor of the main house - including the cool gift store. Meals can be pricey, so I suggest going in for breakfast - that also gives you the whole day to wander around.

Contact numbers for Mohonk (to ask about day passes and/or to make day meal reservations) are here.