Nyack Beach State Park
Encyclopedia
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in Upper Nyack, Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. It consists of a small parking lot and 61 acres (24.7 ha) of riverfront pathway, the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway. It is known for its physical proximity to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
on one side of the pathway and the looming cliffs of the Palisades rising 700 feet (213.4 m) above on the other side. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in April 1980 for its portion of the Palisades Sill
Palisades Sill
The Palisades Sill is a Triassic, 200 Ma diabase intrusion. It extends through portions of New York and New Jersey. It is most noteworthy for The Palisades, the cliffs that rise steeply above the western bank of the Hudson River...
and nearby Hook Mountain.
Recreation
The park offers picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, and cross-country skiing along the pathway. The path is flat and handicapped accessible. The pathway runs for 2 miles (3.2 km) along the river towards Rockland Lake State ParkRockland Lake State Park
Rockland Lake State Park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River, in the hamlet of Congers, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W...
. As the name implies, the park originally included a swimming beach which has been closed for many years due to pollution in the Hudson. There is a possibility the beach will be reopened for swimming due to the improved condition of the river.
Wildlife
HawkHawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s nest in the cliff and are easily viewed from the pathway.. In 1994 there was a harbor seal
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
at the park, and in 1995 a harbor seal spent much of August in the vicinity of the park. There are also fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s and dinosaur footprints in the rocks along the pathway.