Exploring Rockland: Nyack Beach State Park

By Idy Perl

Nyack Beach State Park is a favorite among many Rockland residents who want a view of water and a quiet, beautiful spot to take a hike or have a picnic. 

The 61-acre stretch of land was bought by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1911 from a traprock quarry company, which extracts stones that are used for various construction materials, to protect the land from the effects of quarrying, which was impacting large amounts of land in the Hudson River Palisades at the time. After some restoration work to turn it from a quarry into a park, Nyack Beach Park officially opened in 1915. In 1980 the park was named a National Natural Landmark. 

Nyack Beach has several hikes and pathways, the most famous being the meandering path along the Hudson River that splits around 1.5 miles in to continue toward Rockland Lake and Haverstraw Bay Park. There is another path that takes hikers up through the forest to the large fields at the top of the park that are bordered by gorgeous cliffs, which can also be accessed by car through the road at the entrance of the park. Both those fields and the area to the right of the parking lot near the water have scattered picnic tables, and there are benches all along the walking trail as well. 

Nyack Beach is gorgeous at any time of the day and offers breathtaking sunrises and sunsets over the Hudson River, and a nice view of the Gov M. Mario Cuomo Bridge lighting up at dusk.