A dispensary in New Paltz, NY is no longer a one-stop question. The state's dispensary verification page lists three licensed shops with a New Paltz address as of 2026, one inside the village and two on the edges of town, and two more opened over the summer in Highland, the next hamlet east on Route 299. Adults 21+ with a valid government photo ID can shop any of them. The college town between the Shawangunk Ridge and the Wallkill River handles the rest of the day on its own.
In the village: Big Gas on North Chestnut Street
Big Gas Dispensary, 98 North Chestnut Street, was the first licensed dispensary inside the village of New Paltz, according to the state's Dormitory Authority, which profiled the owners as part of New York's social-equity program. The name is a straight joke on the building. The shop occupies a former Stewart's Shop and gas station, rebuilt for cannabis retail rather than torn down.
Posted hours on the shop's own site run 11 AM to 8 PM Monday through Wednesday, 11 AM to 10 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday. It is the stop that fits a day already built around Main Street and Huguenot Street, because nothing else on the list is as close to the village center.
By the Thruway: Farmers Choice on Old Route 299
Farmers Choice Dispensary, 1 Old Route 299, sits just off Route 299 near the Thruway, which makes it the first licensed shop many drivers reach on the way into town. It is the second location for a company that also runs a store in Fishkill, and the site lists New Paltz hours as 8 AM to 10 PM daily, the longest window in town. The building was purpose-built for retail, so parking is less of a negotiation than it is on Main Street.
Grown nearby: Green Goat on Cherry Hill Road
Green Goat Cannabis Shoppe, 3 Cherry Hill Road, holds a microbusiness license, the New York category that lets one small operator grow, process and sell its own product. The flower comes from Green Goat Gardens, on part of a St. Remy farm that dates to 1762 and, as the name suggests, once kept goats. The owners got word from the state on December 24, 2025 that they could open, and the shop was running four days later.
Flower is the focus. The edibles shelf draws on outside partners, among them Harney Brothers, the cannabis line from the Harney & Sons tea family in Millerton. For a reader who wants to buy from the people who grew it, this is the shop.
Across the town line: Highland
Two licensed shops opened in July 2026 in Highland, the hamlet at the western end of the Walkway Over the Hudson, according to the state register:
- Daydream Dispensary, 600 Route 299, on the same road that links New Paltz to the river.
- Rosie's Botanicals, 3565 Route 9W, on the north-south road along the west bank.
Highland is the logical add-on for anyone coming from Poughkeepsie across the Mid-Hudson Bridge, and it gives New Paltz visitors a second cluster on the same road if a shop in town is busy.
Before the visit
- Verify first. Verify licensed status via the OCM QR code at cannabis.ny.gov. Every licensed shop posts the code in its window, and it takes seconds to scan.
- ID. Adults 21+ only, with a valid government-issued photo ID. Out-of-state licenses work.
- Limits. Up to three ounces of flower and 24 grams of concentrate in possession.
- Edibles. Start low, go slow, and read the serving size on the label before anything else.
- Tax. A 9 percent state and 4 percent local retail cannabis tax applies at the register.
- Hours. Posted hours change with the season and the holidays. Check the shop's own site the day you go.
Historic Huguenot Street
New Paltz was settled in 1678 by French-speaking Huguenot refugees, and the street they built is now a 10-acre National Historic Landmark District of stone houses and more than 300 years of history. It is the reason the village looks the way it does, and the reason to walk a block off Main Street.
Timing matters here. Guided tours and Visitor Center hours move to weekends only in November, and the final tours of the 2026 season run on Sunday, December 13. After that, the Visitor Center and tours are by appointment only until spring. The street itself stays walkable, and the site's free walking-tour app covers the history of each house with archival photos, which makes a December visit workable without a guide.
The rail trail and the ridge
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail runs through New Paltz on the old railbed, part of a route that links Gardiner, New Paltz, Rosendale and Kingston. Flat and wide, it is the easiest way to see the valley floor with the Shawangunk Ridge standing over it, and in late fall the bare trees open the view of the cliffs.
The trail, the village streets and the parks are all public, and New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces. Purchases ride home sealed, and driving impaired is illegal in New York.
The New Paltz hub at /hudson-valley/town/new-paltz collects the town's stories in one place, the full list of licensed shops is on the dispensary map, and what's on this week sits on the events calendar.
FAQ
Is there a dispensary in New Paltz, NY?
Yes. Three licensed shops have a New Paltz address as of 2026: Big Gas Dispensary on North Chestnut Street, Farmers Choice Dispensary on Old Route 299 and Green Goat Cannabis Shoppe on Cherry Hill Road.
Which New Paltz dispensary is in the village?
Big Gas Dispensary at 98 North Chestnut Street, the first licensed dispensary inside the village, in a converted former Stewart's Shop.
Which New Paltz dispensary is open latest?
Farmers Choice lists 8 AM to 10 PM daily. Big Gas lists 10 PM closing Thursday through Saturday. Confirm on each shop's site, since hours change around holidays.
Is there a dispensary in New Paltz that grows its own cannabis?
Green Goat Cannabis Shoppe holds a microbusiness license and sells flower grown at Green Goat Gardens on a St. Remy farm.
Are there dispensaries near New Paltz in Highland?
Yes. Daydream Dispensary at 600 Route 299 and Rosie's Botanicals at 3565 Route 9W both opened in Highland in July 2026.
