Nyack Beach State Park boasts 61 acres of riverfront along the Hudson in Rockland County. The most popular activities are picnicking, hiking, bicycling and fishing. Launching kayaks or windsurfers from the beach is permitted. Trails are open for cross-country skiing in winter.

Pets must be on a leash not to exceed 6 feet in length.  Pets are not allowed in the Upper Plateau area.

Nyack Beach State Park

Rockland lake State Park's lake is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River. The park offers a new water complex featuring a huge 25,000 square foot zero entrance swimming pool with diving boards, a spray ground and two large water slides. A playground for children 12 and under has been added to the picnic area in parking lot 2. The park also has picnic areas with tables and a few grills, a car top boat launch dock, hiking trails with breath-taking views of the Hudson Valley, six tennis courts and two 18-hole golf course's. Anglers with a valid NYS fishing license can fish for bass perch and carp. Walkers, joggers, roller bladers and bicyclists can enjoy the 3.2-mile non-motorized use paved trail around the lake.

Pets are not permitted from May to September 30th. From October 1 to April 30th pets are permitted in the park but not on any of the paved walkways including the 3.2 mile Bike Path around the lake. Pets must be on a leash not to exceed 6' in length.

Rockland Lake State Park

Blauvelt State Park is 590 acres of forested green space in Rockland County. Hiking trails provide the only access and afford spectacular views of the Hudson Valley.

Note: Park is undeveloped -- there are no toilets and there is limited parking.

Dogs only, must be on a leash not more than 6 feet. Not allowed in buildings or bathing areas.

Blauvelt State Park

Rockefeller State Park Preserve offers quiet countryside walks of all lengths through forested hills and valleys surrounding sunlit pastoral fields. Thirty miles north of New York City, the property is the former Pocantico Hills and Rockwood Hall country estates of John D. Rockefeller family and William Rockefeller. Since 1983, the Rockefeller Family has generously donated over 1771 acres to the State of New York to safeguard these lands for present and future generations. Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the Preserve is open to the public year-round, sunrise to sunset.

The trails of the Preserve are crushed stone carriage roads laid out by John D. Rockefeller Sr. and Jr. in the first half of the 20th century. Designed to complement the landscape, the 45 miles of scenic carriage roads are wide and easy to walk. Popular for walking, riding, jogging, and carriage driving, combinations of trails lead through varied landscapes and past natural and historical features, such as Swan Lake, the Pocantico River with its wood and stone bridges, gurgling streams, colonial stone walls and rock outcroppings. Trail maps of the carriage roads are available at the Preserve Office.

The Preserve is primarily hardwood forest dominated by huge oak, tulip poplar, maple, and beech trees. The forests, fields, streams, and wetlands support a high diversity of native species of resident and migratory birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish and aquatic species, some of which are in decline and now uncommon in Westchester County. With 202 recorded species of birds and its Important Bird Area designation by the National Audubon Society, the Preserve is a must-visit area for birders. Over 100 species of native wild bees frequent spring and summer wildflowers. In the fall, Monarch butterflies stop to feed and lay eggs during their southward migration. An on-going environmental stewardship is underway to favor native biological diversity.

Rockwood Hall is a distinct bucolic section of the Preserve with commanding views of the Hudson River and Palisade Cliffs. Between 1886 and 1922, William Rockefeller's estate was 1000 acres with a 202-room mansion, a working farm, and a landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, father of American landscape design. While the house and buildings are now gone, massive rock walls around the former house site and extensive grassy fields with magnificent specimen trees harken back to the heyday of the estate during the gilded age.

While in the preserve, stop in the Preserve's Gallery by the entrance where rotating exhibits feature contemporary art and natural history exhibits. In the entrance courtyard between the Gallery and Preserve office is the Tree Peony Garden.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve

High Tor State Park, a day-use facility for picnicking, swimming and hiking, affords spectacular views of the Hudson River. The Long Path passes through the park just before the trail heads inland to the Catskills.

Buses are not allowed. Passenger vans with a seat capacity of 15 people or less are accepted

No Pets Allowed

High Tor State Park

Tallman Mountain State Park comprises wooded country on the easterly slope of the Palisades uplands overlooking the Hudson and Piermont Marsh, which lies between the river and the slope. The marsh is part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The park operates as a day-use area, offering a running track, tennis courts, playfield, cross country skiing, a walking trail, hiking and picnic areas.

Dogs only, must be on a leash not more than 6 feet. Not allowed in building, camping, picnic or bathing areas or on walkways.

Tallman Mountain State Park

During the 1830s New York City was in dire need of a fresh water supply to combat the steady rise of disease and to fight numerous fires that often engulfed large tracts of businesses and homes. After numerous proposals and an abandoned plan two years into its production, construction of an unprecedented magnitude began in 1837 under the expertise of John Bloomfield Jervis. The proposed plan called for a 41-mile aqueduct and dam to be built in order to run water from the Croton River to New York City. Three to four thousand workers, mostly Irish immigrants earning up to $1.00 per day, completed the masonry marvel in just five years. In 1842 water flowed into above-ground reservoirs located at the present sites of the New York Public Library and the Great Lawn of Central Park. Throngs of people attended the formal celebration held on October 14th and celebrated with "Croton cocktails" - a mix of Croton water and lemonade.

This 19th-century architectural achievement cost New York City approximately 13 million dollars and was believed able to provide New Yorkers with fresh water for centuries to come. The population spiraled upward at a dizzying rate, however, and the Croton Aqueduct, which was capable of carrying 100 million gallons per day, could no longer meet New York City's needs by the early 1880s. Construction of the New Croton Aqueduct began in 1885 and water began to flow by 1890. Although no longer the sole supplier of fresh water, the Old Croton Aqueduct continued to provide water to New York City until 1965.
In 1968, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation purchased 26.2 miles of the original 41-mile aqueduct from New York City. Presently, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park is a linear park which runs from Van Cortlandt Park at the Bronx County/City of Yonkers border to the Croton Dam in Cortlandt. In 1987 a section was reopened to supply the Town of Ossining and in 1992 the Old Croton Aqueduct was awarded National Historic Landmark Status. The scenic path over the underground aqueduct winds through urban centers and small communities. It passes near numerous historic sites, preserves, a museum highlighting the construction of the Aqueduct, and many homes. The Aqueduct's grassy ceiling provides abundant recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. While primarily for walking and running, parts of the trail are suitable for horseback riding, biking (except during "mud season"), bird watching, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. 

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Nyack, NY

Nyack Beach State Park Description

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