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46-657: Hudson Highlands State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the U.S. state of New York , located on the east side of the Hudson River . The park runs from Peekskill in Westchester County , through Putnam County , to Beacon in Dutchess County , in the eastern section of the Hudson Highlands . The park's lands, heavily mined, logged and quarried in the past, were assembled over

92-526: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of

138-669: A court to order the fence be torn down. It survived appeal, and became a legal precedent establishing New York's right to enforce the state's Endangered Species Act on private property. The park's plants and animals are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion . Its variety of biomes – ranging from brackish tidal marsh and mudflats along the river's edge to pitch pine-oak-heath rocky summit forest and rocky grasslands at higher elevations – contribute to its biodiversity . The mountain slopes are dominated by oak hickory and chestnut oak forests. Besides rattlesnakes,

184-589: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about

230-688: 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 potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium,

276-494: A popular hiking area. Both summits afford extensive views of the mid-Hudson region , and on clear days New York City is visible from the fire tower. In the past, North Beacon was home to Dutchess [1] ski area, and the remains of three ski trails can still be seen from the north. Additionally there was once the Mount Beacon Incline Railway , which stopped running in 1978 but has since been added to

322-699: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use

368-413: Is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with

414-511: Is allowed: bowhunters make take deer during that season in the late fall, and shotguns may be used during spring turkey season. Some areas near the riverside are accessible by kayak , and there is a state-owned launch for them off the Annsville Circle, where US 9 meets routes 6 and 202, north of Peekskill. Camping and open fires are prohibited, as are vehicles of any kind, and there are no designated campsites or shelters in

460-528: Is something more at stake here than the preservation of the scenery ... There is a wild charm and isolation about the Highlands that will fly forever when the "improvements" begin to come in. As New York began creating its first state parks in the Hudson Valley Region during the 1910s and 20s, it concentrated its efforts on larger tracts it had acquired such as Harriman and Bear Mountain to

506-623: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Beacon Mountain Beacon Reservoir , the city's main water source , is located between North Beacon and neighboring Scofield Ridge , the highest peak in Putnam County . Since much of the land on the mountains and up to the county line is owned by the city to protect the watershed , an extensive system of roads and trails makes it

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552-552: The National Register of Historic Places . Its track can still be seen going up the mountain and can be used to climb it, albeit steeply. At various other times in the past this summit housed a restaurant, a casino and a hotel. The mountains provided a key vantage point over West Point and Hudson River , lending it historic roles in the American Revolution . Signal fires on the mountain gave both it and

598-486: The 1960s, when the State Council of Parks , forerunner of NYSOPRHP, formed the temporary Hudson River Valley Study Committee to develop a comprehensive plan in response to increasing industrial interest in the area, exemplified by Consolidated Edison 's proposal to excavate a large chunk of Storm King Mountain , across from Breakneck, for a hydroelectric plant, which would have involved running power lines across

644-475: The Appalachian Trail which uses white paint blazes. Many take advantage of the ridgetop topography and thinly wooded summits to offer panoramic viewpoints over the river and region. Some of the longer and more frequently-hiked trails in the park are: State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as

690-628: The Bear Mountain Highway and at the Appalachian Trail crossing at South Mountain Pass Road south of Canada Hill. The AT's junction with US 9 and NY 403 allows access from the east. In Garrison it is also possible to use the trails from Manitoga and the Castle Rock Unique Area to reach the park parcels on the ridgetops. The Fishkill Ridge areas and Mount Beacon are commonly climbed from the east either by following

736-496: The Dry Brook trailhead at the end of Pocket Road in the city of Beacon . It is complemented by Storm King State Park across the river. The Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area , owned by the environmental organization Scenic Hudson but managed by NYSOPRHP, bridges the gap between that central tract and the northern tract, a trail-less parcel on Sour Mountain at the Highlands' northern end, reaching almost to Interstate 84 at

782-627: The Fishkill Ridge trail from its northern terminus at Pocket Road in Beacon. From the west, they can be reached from the Wilkinson Memorial Trail on Old Albany Post Road North just south of the county line along US 9. Hikers coming from the south also have the option of taking the train to the trails from as far away as Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan . Metro-North Railroad 's Hudson Line parallels NY 9D and

828-589: The Little Stony Point area along the river, which is separated from the rest of the parcel by the easement for the New York City water supply system 's Catskill Aqueduct , this section contains Bull Hill and Breakneck Ridge, with Breakneck Brook between them, then sprawls into Dutchess County , where it includes Pollepel Island , Sugarloaf Mountain , the south summit of Beacon Mountain and Beacon Reservoir , reaching its northern terminus at

874-623: The abandoned paths and roads from the earlier extractions. One, William T. Howell, catalogued their history and lore. In 1910, he pleaded for the land to be left alone and preserved in near-wilderness condition as summer vacationers started to head north looking for green spaces: There is but one perfect solution as to the preservation of the Highlands, though I know in my heart that it will never be realized. That is, to leave them alone. By that I mean, keep out all foreign influences. That means more than quarries and manufacturies. It means hotels and parking projects, and even ... roads and easy paths. There

920-567: The bottom of the slope. Also in Beacon is the 66-acre (27 ha) Denning Point parcel. This small wooded promontory is located where Fishkill Creek drains into the Hudson. Swedish botanist Pehr Kalm sailed up the Hudson in 1749 and wrote one of the earliest accounts of the eastern Highlands: Eastward a high chain of mountains whose sides were covered with woods up to no more than half their height. The summits, however, were quite barren, for I suppose nothing would grow there on account of

966-486: The cliffs of Anthony's Nose . The Appalachian Trail (AT) also goes through the southeast corner of the park. The park is composed of four separate tracts of land, two of which are contiguous, reflecting its piecemeal acquisition. The southernmost section begins just north of Peekskill , abutting the New York National Guard 's Camp Smith , following the Bear Mountain Highway ( US 6 and 202 ) around

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1012-738: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with

1058-478: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are

1104-499: The east bank of the river, where request stops have been built at Breakneck Ridge and Manitou , south of Garrison along the river. The former is a short distance from the trailhead and parking lot; the latter is at river's edge, requiring a short climb up to the Manitoga and Canada Hill areas. Service to those stations is weekends-only, with northbound trains making stops in the mornings and southbound ones taking returning hikers in

1150-457: The east. Its parcels adjoin others owned by other public agencies and private preserves, some of which are managed by NYSOPRHP as well and are open to the public. Due to its panoramic views of the river and mountains, and easy access by both automobile and rail, it has become a very popular destination for day hikes . The park's best known trail makes a steep, rocky ascent up Breakneck Ridge . Other trails climb neighboring Bull Hill and follow

1196-581: The end of Pocket Road on the west side of Beacon. It can be followed for a mile up misnamed Dry Brook to the reservoir road. At the reservoir good roads continue up to the north summit, and at one corner the yellow-blazed Wilkinson Memorial Trail offers access to the south summit. The Wilkinson Trail can also be followed from its southern terminus at NY 9D south of the city, or its northern end near US 9 in Putnam County. Both routes require more time and distance, however. One may also park and climb up

1242-782: The end of the 1972 fire lookout season. The fire tower was added to the National Historic Lookout Register in December 2005. On June 22, 2013, the Mount Beacon Fire Tower Restoration Committee had a reopening ceremony to celebrate the restored tower. The easiest way up the mountain is a dirt road used by city employees doing maintenance work or inspections of the reservoir. It is, however, closed to public vehicular use and vehicles are regularly ticketed for doing so. The white-blazed Fishkill Ridge Trail leaves from

1288-611: The evening. At other times hikers can use the Cold Spring station , with regularly scheduled trains. The trails of the park are maintained by volunteers from the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference , which also publishes detailed maps. Some follow, in whole or part, old woods roads left over from the quarrying and mining operations; at other times they climb the steep and rocky peaks directly. They are blazed with NYSOPRHP plastic disks, except for

1334-402: The great degree of heat, dryness, and the violence of the wind to which that part was exposed. Kalm landed in the area and wrote the first scientific description of mountain laurel , a plant species still abundant in the area. For most of American history, the Highlands were harvested for their natural resources, particularly mineral. Iron and copper were mined from them. Some of the former

1380-612: The large central parcel of the park along the Dutchess-Putnam county line. In 1974 William Henry Osborn II, a past HRCS president, donated the 1,033-acre (418 ha) preserve that bears his family name to the state. Scenic Hudson acquired the 923-acre (374 ha) Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area in 1992 with assistance from the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands. The north end of

1426-493: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to

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1472-592: The lower slopes of Anthony's Nose . In Putnam County , it serves as the AT's corridor along the north of the mountain and on Canada Hill . In the land above Manitoga , the former estate of industrial designer Russel Wright , the AT interconnects with its trail system and follows the border with another parcel known as the Osborn Preserve, formerly part of Wing & Wing, the estate of 19th-century Illinois Central railroad president William Osborn . The AT leaves

1518-514: The mid-20th century from different purchases by the state, totaling 7,669 acres (31.04 km; 11.98 sq mi) as of 2014. They range from riverside salt marshes to mountain summits, including the highest in the Highlands, the 1,610-foot (490 m) south summit of Beacon Mountain . It is managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) from offices at Fahnestock State Park to

1564-524: The mountain from "Mount Beacon Park" in the City of Beacon. Parking area and trailhead are located at the intersection of Route 9D and Howland Avenue in the City of Beacon, across from Bob's Corner Store. The Park is part of the Scenic Hudson organization . Walk a quarter mile up the trail to see the remains of the old lower Railhead. Then a set of about 200 sturdy steps takes you a ways up the mountain to

1610-533: The nearby city their name. In 1901 the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a monument at the site of the original signal fire near the summit of North Beacon. In 1931, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a 60-foot-tall (18 m) Aermotor LS40 tower on the south summit, which became operational in 1932. Due to the use of aerial detection, the tower was closed at

1656-488: The park also supports some other state-listed threatened species, such as the bald eagle and least bittern . Three of New York's five known eastern fence lizard communities are found in Hudson Highlands State Park, near the northern end of its range . The park is open during daylight hours year-round. It is used mainly for passive recreation, mostly hiking , but also birding . Limited hunting

1702-426: The park became the center of a local controversy in the late 1990s. It is home to a den of Eastern timber rattlesnakes , a New York State threatened species . The state's Department of Environmental Conservation brought suit to stop the snake-proof fences a local quarry operator had put up while it was applying for permission to mine stone from the operation. In 1999 then- Attorney General Eliot Spitzer persuaded

1748-670: The park. Pollepel Island , while accessible by water a short distance from the east bank of the river, is the only area of the park to which access is restricted. It and the ruins of Bannerman's Castle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places , can only be visited by making advance arrangements through NYSOPRHP for a guided tour. The park is most frequently entered from its western side. NY 9D runs near or along its boundaries, particularly between Cold Spring and Breakneck Ridge, and two of its major trailheads are along that section at Little Stony and Breakneck points. The Osborn Preserve and Anthony's Nose sections have trailheads along

1794-492: The property. In 1938 the society made its first significant accomplishment when it persuaded Rosalie Loew Whitney to give the state Conservation Department 177 acres (72 ha) on the northwest face of Breakneck Ridge from the estate of Thomas Nelson, the local landowner from whom Nelsonville took its name. The next year, an appeal to save Anthony's Nose raised enough money to purchase 200 acres (81 ha) of its northern slope. No more major land acquisitions took place until

1840-497: The river and into the eastern Highlands. In 1967 the state acquired the Little Stony Point property to prevent its development. The park finally began to come together towards its present form in the next few years, as the Rockefeller family 's Jackson Hole Preserve foundation gave New York a deed of trust for land purchases in the Hudson Highlands. Approximately 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) were acquired this way, primarily in

1886-537: The southwest and Fahnestock to the east. Much of the present Hudson Highlands State Park was either part of large estates or owned by commercial interests seeking to exploit their mineral resources. An organization called the Hudson River Conservation Society (HRCS) worked to preserve the lands by persuading owners to donate them to the state or include clauses in deeds that forbade or greatly restricting quarrying and mining operations on

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1932-474: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by

1978-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park

2024-513: The state park for a National Park Service -owned corridor here, and the other trails provide access to Sugarloaf Hill , whose 760-foot (230 m) summit looks across the river at the village of Highland Falls and the United States Military Academy at West Point . Here, near Garrison , the southern parcels end. North of the villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville is the central and largest section. Starting at

2070-473: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like

2116-765: Was used to make cannons by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War , and the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring continued making them under the direction of Robert Parrott through the late 19th century. Quarries were also carved out of the slopes, most notably on Breakneck Ridge and Bull Hill. By the beginning of the 20th century, the eastern Highlands had been mostly tapped out as an easy source of minerals and were reforesting . Early hikers began to explore them, following

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