Hook Mountain State Park

Hook Mountain State Park is a 676-acre (2.74 km2) undeveloped state park located in Rockland County, New York.[2] The park includes a portion of the Hudson River Palisades on the western shore of the Hudson River,[3] and is part of the Palisades Interstate Park system.[4] Hook Mountain State Park is functionally part of a continuous complex of parks that also includes Rockland Lake State Park, Nyack Beach State Park, and Haverstraw Beach State Park.[3]

Hook Mountain State Park
View of the Hudson River from Hook Mountain State Park in November 2015.
Hook Mountain State Park is located in New York
Hook Mountain State Park
Location of Hook Mountain State Park within New York State
TypeState park (undeveloped)
LocationRockland County, New York
Nearest cityUpper Nyack, New York
Coordinates41°07′22″N 73°55′09″W
Area676 acres (2.74 km2)
Created1911 (1911)
Operated by
Visitors36,806 (in 2014)[1]
OpenAll year
Designated1980

A central feature of the park is Hook Mountain, a 689-foot (210 m) summit[5] overlooking Rockland Lake and the Hudson River.[4]

History
View of Hook Mountain from the Hudson River in November 2015
View from the summit of Hook Mountain in November 2017

Hook Mountain was known to Dutch settlers of the region as Verdrietige Hook,[6] meaning "Tedious Point", which may have been a reference to how long the mountain remained in view while sailing past it along the Hudson River,[7] or for the troublesome winds that sailors encountered near the point.[3][8] Hook Mountain has also been known in the past as Diedrick Hook.[7]

Like other areas of the Hudson River Palisades, the landscape now included in Hook Mountain State Park was threatened by quarrying in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To ensure the land's protection, the property was acquired to be a part of the Palisades Interstate Park in 1911.[3]

Portions of Hook Mountain State Park and nearby Nyack Beach State Park were designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1980 for their portion of the Palisades Sill.[9]

Hook Mountain was designated by the New York Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area in 1997,[10] due to its importance as a feeding area for migratory songbirds and hawks. It has been utilized annually as a hawk monitoring station since 1971.[11] The park is currently designated as a "Bird Conservation Area" by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.[12]

In May 2015, the Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine announced that they were considering allowing their 38-acre (0.15 km2) property to become a part of Hook Mountain State Park. The order's property, which is adjacent to the southern portion of the park, could be sold to The Trust for Public Land, who would then transfer the property to New York State.[13]

Park description

Hook Mountain State Park is undeveloped, and primarily offers space for passive recreation such as hiking and bird-watching. The Long Path makes its way through the park and passes over Hook Mountain's summit.[8]

Although the park is undeveloped, it is functionally part of a larger complex of parks that share continuous borders, including Rockland Lake State Park, Nyack Beach State Park, and Haverstraw Beach State Park, which contain dedicated recreational facilities.[12]

See also

References
  1. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  2. "Hook Mountain State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  3. "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. 5. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. "Hook Mountain State Park, NY". Palisades Parks Conservancy. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  5. "Hook Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  6. Vasiliev, Ren (2004). From Abbotts to Zurich: New York State Placenames. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. p. 163. ISBN 0815607989. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  7. Adams, Arthur G. (1996). The Hudson River Guidebook (2nd ed.). New York: Fordham University Press. p. 139. ISBN 0823216799. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  8. "Hook Mountain State Park". New York–New Jersey Trail Conference. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  9. "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved April 15, 2019. Year designated: 1980
  10. "Hook Mountain State Park". Rockland Audubon Society. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  11. "Hook Mountain IBA". Audubon New York. Archived from the original on March 4, 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  12. "Rockland Lake State Park Bird Conservation Areas". Parks.ny.gov. NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  13. Wilson, David McKay (May 8, 2015). "Religious order seeks to preserve 'sacred ground' near Hook Mountain". The Journal News. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
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