TOWN OF WARWICK, NY The Open Space Institute (OSI) and Town of Warwick have announced the protection of nearly 320 acres along the New York-New Jersey border, yielding benefits for outdoor recreation and wildlife in the heart of a federally designated conservation focus area. 

Purchased by OSI for $3.4 million in early August from Warwick Conference Center, Inc., the 316-acre property will ultimately be conveyed to the Town of Warwick. The Town plans to create a new public park on the property with existing trails opening to the public and additional infrastructure created to make the park a welcoming place for residents and visitors to connect with nature. During OSI’s ownership, the property will remain closed to the public until a parking area is established.

The site’s location makes it ideal for outdoor recreation, according to OSI: it lies nearly adjacent to Wawayanda State Park in New Jersey and less than a mile from the Appalachian Trail, offering possibilities to link the site’s existing trails to those found at Wawayanda and beyond—connecting local and state parks and creating new opportunities for exploration across state lines.

“Orange County is a special place to everyone who is lucky enough to experience it,” said Matt Decker, OSI Land Project Manager. “OSI is grateful to the Town of Warwick and the Warwick Conference Center for this effort to bring people closer to nature and demonstrate what can be achieved when we work together.”

“Land preservation and open space are fundamental to Warwick’s identity and to the quality of life we work so hard to protect,” said Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer. “Preserving these lands is about more than protecting beautiful landscapes—it is about safeguarding our rural character, protecting natural resources, and ensuring residents have meaningful access to the outdoors. As our community continues to grow, these investments become even more important. We are grateful to the Open Space Institute for sharing our vision and helping us transform this remarkable property into a public asset that will provide opportunities for hiking, recreation, and a connection to nature for generations to come. This is the kind of lasting investment that will help ensure Warwick remains the special place we know and love.”

"The Board of the Warwick Conference Center was pleased to partner with the Town of Warwick and OSI to conserve this land,” says Roger Vander Plaat, member of the Warwick Conference Center board and chair of the committee which managed the sale. "As a Christian camp and conference center, this beautiful place has hosted thousands of people over its 65 years, many whose lives have been changed by Christ’s love. Funds from this transfer will provide much-needed resources to reinvest in the remaining campus for future programs." Warwick Conference Center, Inc., retained the buildings and 140 acres of the property. The buildings, including Mulder Chapel, will not be part of the future town park and will not be open to the public.

The property sits squarely within the Highlands Conservation area, a federally designated region spanning 3.4 million acres across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Thanks to its diverse landforms and microclimates offering essential refuge for plants and wildlife in a warming world, the region—part of the larger Appalachian Mountain Region, the nation’s longest intact north-south migration corridor—is a focal point for habitat and clean water restoration and conservation efforts, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now protected forever, the tract will be a key link in the Highlands chain of conserved lands.

About the Open Space Institute

The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. The Warwick Conference Center project builds on OSI’s long history in the region, including the creation of Sterling Forest State Park—at the time, the largest addition to New York’s state park system in a century—and the creation, expansion, and continued improvement of Schunnemunk State Park. Across Orange County, OSI and its partners have conserved more than 27,000 acres, advancing a shared regional vision of connected public parks and trails for nature lovers of all ages and abilities.

Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather. For more information, visit: openspaceinstitute.org