5 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Mohonk's 'Gazebos'

Mohonk Mountain House might be the most famous destination in Ulster County, and is known across the Hudson Valley as not only a high-end resort, but a beautiful sanctuary for nature-lovers with some of the best views in the entire country.

One of the most well-known features of Mohonk, besides their Sky Top Tower, are their iconic gazebos (that aren't actually gazebos, more on that later). These impressive feats of engineering are hiding a few secrets... some that even lifelong locals might not know.

Mohonk's iconic summerhouses are hiding more than a few fun secrets (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Mohonk Fact #1: They Aren't Gazebos

First of all, these gazebos aren't gazebos at all. Mohonk refers to these beautiful structures as "summerhouses"... and for good reason. Rustic foreman Terry Myers, who is responsible for the creation and upkeep of the summerhouses, explained that while gazebos are made from plank wood, summerhouses are artfully created with tree branches.

There's a lot to learn about these impressive structures at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Mohonk Fact #2" Summerhouses Are Numbered

Observant visitors to Mohonk will notice number placards on each summerhouse. While the placard numbers are in the thousands, there aren't nearly that many structures. Myers shared that in the 1990s, Mohonk shifted to add the digit 1 in front of each summerhouse for record-keeping purposes. This means that summerhouse 1055, for example, is actually number 55 (above).

Mohonk builds "summerhouses", not gazebos, as these structures are mostly created using tree branches instead of processed wood (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Mohonk Fact #3: How Durable Are Summerhouses?

Myers estimated that a Mohonk summerhouse can last roughly 25 years before needing to be replaced, depending on location. Well-sheltered summerhouses will last longer, Myers says, while cliffside or other over-exposed locations (like the summerhouse above) will lead to a shorter lifespan.

Mohonk Fact #4: Mohonk Has Its Own Wood Mill

When Mohonk says their summerhouses are custom-built, they mean it. Mohonk has its own mill on premises, which means they can produce the roofs and floors for the summerhouses themselves. The rest of the structure, as mentioned above, is created with tree branches.

Mohonk Fact #5: There's a Map of Each Summerhouse

Hudson Valley residents interested in seeing more of the summerhouses can actually complete a pretty impressive project: visiting every single summerhouse on property. The map above shows the location of each one, although visiting the estimated 120 summerhouses might take more than a daytrip.

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Bonus fact: there used to be 157 summerhouses, a number that current summerhouse builders would love to see again. Check out more from the world-famous Mohonk nature preserve below.