Rockland Lake State Park
Encyclopedia
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. Developed and opened to the public in the early 1960s, the park is a part of the Palisades Interstate Park system.
The park has two Olympic-sized swimming pools and two kiddie pools at two locations, scattered picnic tables and grills, a car-top boat launch and boat rentals, hiking trails with views of the Hudson Valley, six tennis courts and two golf courses. Anglers fish Rockland Lake for bass, perch and norlunge while walkers and joggers use the fitness trail around the lake. During the Winter visitors use designated cross-country ski trails and sledding slopes. There is a three mile paved path for walkers and bikers that circles the Rockland Lake.
The Knickerbocker Ice Company was established at Rockland Lake in 1831 on the eastern bank. Rockland Lake was known to have had the cleanest and purest ice in the area. The stored ice was placed on inclined railroad cars, transported down the mountainside, placed on barges on the Hudson River, and shipped to New York City
. So much ice was shipped that Rockland Lake became known as the "Icehouse of New York City". The nearby Knickerbocker Fire House was established 1862. The Knickerbocker Ice Company closed in 1924. In 1926, workers who were demolishing one of the "ice houses" accidentally set fire to the structure's sawdust insulation. The fire spread extremely quickly and destroyed much of the village of Rockland Lake. The old foundation of the ice company remains today, marked by a historical plaque and bench.
There are a few gravel trails that run along the bank of the Hudson, which provide spectacular views of the river, the Tappan Zee Bridge
and Westchester County
one of which connects to Nyack Beach State Park
.
Rockland Lake also has its own Fire Department, Knickbocker Engine Company 1, located at the rear of the park. It is the second oldest fire department in Rockland County History and is still in operation today.
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...
, in the hamlet of Congers
Congers, New York
Congers is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Valley Cottage; east of New City, across Lake DeForest, south of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. It lies 19 miles north of New York City's Bronx boundary...
, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown
Clarkstown, New York
Clarkstown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown; east of the town of Ramapo; South of the town of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total...
in 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...
. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W. Developed and opened to the public in the early 1960s, the park is a part of the Palisades Interstate Park system.
The park has two Olympic-sized swimming pools and two kiddie pools at two locations, scattered picnic tables and grills, a car-top boat launch and boat rentals, hiking trails with views of the Hudson Valley, six tennis courts and two golf courses. Anglers fish Rockland Lake for bass, perch and norlunge while walkers and joggers use the fitness trail around the lake. During the Winter visitors use designated cross-country ski trails and sledding slopes. There is a three mile paved path for walkers and bikers that circles the Rockland Lake.
The Knickerbocker Ice Company was established at Rockland Lake in 1831 on the eastern bank. Rockland Lake was known to have had the cleanest and purest ice in the area. The stored ice was placed on inclined railroad cars, transported down the mountainside, placed on barges on the Hudson River, and shipped to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. So much ice was shipped that Rockland Lake became known as the "Icehouse of New York City". The nearby Knickerbocker Fire House was established 1862. The Knickerbocker Ice Company closed in 1924. In 1926, workers who were demolishing one of the "ice houses" accidentally set fire to the structure's sawdust insulation. The fire spread extremely quickly and destroyed much of the village of Rockland Lake. The old foundation of the ice company remains today, marked by a historical plaque and bench.
There are a few gravel trails that run along the bank of the Hudson, which provide spectacular views of the river, the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....
and Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
one of which connects to Nyack Beach State Park
Nyack Beach State Park
Nyack Beach State Park is a state park in Upper Nyack, Rockland County, New York. It consists of a small parking lot and of riverfront pathway, the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway. It is known for its physical proximity to the Hudson River on one side of the pathway...
.
Rockland Lake also has its own Fire Department, Knickbocker Engine Company 1, located at the rear of the park. It is the second oldest fire department in Rockland County History and is still in operation today.