Nyack Beach State Park

Nyack Beach State Park

A path between the Palisades Sill and the Hudson River at Nyack Beach State Park

Location of Nyack Beach State Park in New York State

Type State park
Location Upper Nyack
Rockland County, New York
Coordinates 41°07′15″N 73°54′40″W / 41.1207°N 73.9112°W / 41.1207; -73.9112Coordinates: 41°07′15″N 73°54′40″W / 41.1207°N 73.9112°W / 41.1207; -73.9112
Area 61 acres (0.25 km2)[1]
Created 1911 (1911)
Operated by
Visitors 169,661 (in 2014)[2]
Website Nyack Beach State Park
Designated 1980

Nyack Beach State Park is a 61-acre (0.25 km2) state park[1] in Upper Nyack, Rockland County, New York. It consists of a small parking lot and a riverfront pathway,[3] the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway. It is known for its physical proximity to the Hudson River on one side of the pathway and the looming cliffs of the Palisades rising 700 feet (210 m) above on the other side.[4]

The park is included within the Palisades Interstate Park system[5] and is functionally part of a continuous complex of parks that also includes Rockland Lake State Park, Hook Mountain State Park, and Haverstraw Beach State Park.[6]

History

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission purchased what was to become Nyack Beach State Park in 1911 to provide space for recreation, and to protect the land from the effects of quarrying that were impacting the Hudson River Palisades during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[6]

Along with a portion of adjacent Hook Mountain State Park, Nyack Beach was declared a National Natural Landmark in April 1980 for its portion of the Palisades Sill.[7]

Park description

The park offers picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, and cross-country skiing along the pathway.[3] The path is flat and handicapped-accessible.[8] The pathway runs for two miles (3.2 km) along the river towards Rockland Lake State Park.

As the name implies, the park originally included a swimming beach which has been closed for many years due to pollution in the Hudson River. In 2005, it was suggested that the beach could be reopened for swimming due to the improved condition of the river.[9]

Wildlife

Hawks and raptors nest in the cliff and are easily viewed from the pathway.[5] In 1994 there was a harbor seal at the park, and in 1995 a harbor seal spent much of August in the vicinity of the park. Fossils and dinosaur footprints have been found in the rocks along the pathway.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook (PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 673. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  2. ↑ "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Nyack Beach State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  4. ↑ Motyka, John (October 2, 1987). "In Nyack, N.Y., Scenic Walks and a Paradise of Victoriana". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Nyack Beach State Park, NY". Palisades Park Conservancy. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Final Master Plan for Rockland Lake, Hook Mountain, Nyack Beach and Haverstraw Beach State Parks" (PDF). Parks.ny.gov. NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. July 10, 2013. p. 6. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Hook Mountain and Nyack Beach State Park". National Natural Landmarks Program. National Park Service. June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nyack Beach State Park". Hudson Valley Network. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  9. ↑ Alexander, William (July 10, 2005). "Go Jump in the River". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ Browne, Malcolm W. (November 2, 1990). "Buried Treasure a Zillion Years Old". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
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