In the 1950s, a Chinese American Army veteran turned a New York mountain into a ski resort; in 2026, its 440 acres were bought for $3.3 million to join a state park

Mt Cathalia rises above downtown Ellenvill (Picture: Chonogram magazine)

In the 1950s, Chinese American Army veteran Joseph Tso bought a 440-acre mountain property in Ellenville, New York, renamed it Mt Cathalia and developed a hotel and ski resort there. The property is now set to become part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve. According to Open Space Institute, the property was bought for $3.3 million and will connect two previously separated sections of the park.Mt Cathalia, also known as Mt Meenagha is the largest remaining undeveloped, privately owned parcel adjoining Minnewaska. According to Chonogram Magazine, OSI bought it from Morgan Barrington Financial Services and plans to transfer the land to New York State for inclusion in the park’s Sam’s Point Area.The property lies between Minnewaska’s North and South Gully areas, near the Ellenville Ice Caves and its addition will connect sections of protected land that were previously unlinked. The preserve would also grow to more than 24,000 acres once the transfer is completed.

The place’s Chinese American history

The mountain’s history is one reason the acquisition has drawn attention beyond its conservation value. In the 1950s, Joseph Tso, a Chinese American attorney, businessman and US Army veteran, purchased the property and renamed it Mt. Cathalia, meaning ‘a little bit of China’.Tso then established a hotel and ski area on the mountain. According to OSI, Mt. Cathalia became the country’s only Chinese American-owned and operated ski resort and hotel.The resort welcomed Chinese Americans and other minority visitors who were excluded from many resorts during that period.According to Tso’s children, Cecilia and Stan Tso, the property continues to have deep meaning for their family. “Mt. Cathalia means so much to our family. We are hoping that OSI’s efforts will fulfil our parents’ dream of sharing Mt. Cathalia with everyone,” they said.

The 440-acre property sits between the North and South Gully areas of Minnewaska. (Open state institute photo)

Connecting protected areas

The 440-acre property sits between the North and South Gully areas of Minnewaska. Its acquisition will create a link between the two sections near the Ellenville Ice Caves.Erik Kulleseid, president and CEO of OSI, says, “Mt Cathalia is an extraordinary landscape on every level- environmentally, recreationally, and historically”. He describes the purchase as another step towards creating “a corridor of permanently conserved and connected land along the entire Shawangunk Ridge.”OSI has been involved in conservation work in the Shawangunks since 1974. The organisation says it has protected more than 40,000 acres in the region and helped add 14,000 acres to Minnewaska, more than doubling the park’s size.Its work has also included restoring nearly 18 miles of Minnewaska’s historic carriage roads and raising $3 million for the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, which opened in 2020.

Ski runs become meadows

The property’s former ski runs have now become meadows surrounded by mature chestnut oak and pine forests. Mt Cathalia contains Shawangunk conglomerate outcrops and gullies lined with hemlock trees. OSI estimates that nearly the entire property has above-average habitat resilience. It says the mountain’s different elevations and microclimates could provide wildlife refuge as the climate changes.The land is also part of the Sandburg Creek watershed. North Gully serves as an emergency drinking-water source for Ellenville, while water from both North and South Gully eventually flows towards the Hudson River.According to OSI’s analysis, the property’s forests and soils store an estimated 132,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.Ellenville Mayor Evan Trent says the acquisition protects an important part of the village’s viewshed as well as one of the largest tracts in its watershed. He also hopes the mountain will eventually become a public recreational space.For now, Mt. Cathalia remains closed to visitors. The immediate plan is to complete the transfer and prepare the property for its future as part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve.