New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Palisades Parks Conservancy

Bear Mountain State Park, Appalachian Trail Remain Closed 4 Weeks After Storm

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Bear Mountain State Park Road damaged by July 9 2023 stormBear Mountain State Park is closed due to damage from a heavy rainstorm and flash floods on Sunday, July 9th. The storm’s epicenter landed near West Point, NY, where as much as 9 inches of rain fell in less than six hours – an unprecedented amount that overwhelmed local infrastructure and landscapes.

There was tragic loss of life and destruction in nearby towns, and the floods caused significant damage in nearby Palisades Parks and closed the Appalachian Trail. [Read more…] about Bear Mountain State Park, Appalachian Trail Remain Closed 4 Weeks After Storm

Preview The New Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston on Sunday

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Sojourner Truth State Park 1Decades before she took her fabled name, abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth was born enslaved in Ulster County, NY under the name Isabella.

Covering more than 500 acres and a mile of Hudson River shoreline, the future Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston, NY, was once an industrial site for production of cement, quarry stone, and ice harvesting. Sojourner Truth State Park will be first new State Park since 2019. [Read more…] about Preview The New Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston on Sunday

Carol Ash Elected to Palisades Park Conservancy Board

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Carol_Ash_2013_0Former Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director and New York State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Palisades Parks Conservancy Board of Directors.

During her career in the fields of natural and cultural resources preservation, Carol Ash has served as the first director of the Office of Environmental Policy and Management for the Port Authority of NY and NJ, the NYC Regional Director of the NYS DEC, the PIPC Executive Director, and the NY State Parks Commissioner. [Read more…] about Carol Ash Elected to Palisades Park Conservancy Board

Judge OKs Tower Over Hudson River Palisades

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SavePalisades1In a lawsuit filed by two public interest groups and four individuals, Judge Alexander Carver of the New Jersey Superior Court yesterday upheld the grant of a variance to LG Electronics that would allow it to construct a 143-foot tower atop the Hudson River Palisades, four times higher than the 35-foot height limit respected for decades by all other companies.

The variance, approved by the Borough of Englewood Cliffs in February 2012, authorizes construction of a building that would rise 80 feet above the tree line, ending an unbroken natural sweep of the Palisades north of Fort Lee. Despite this, the court ruled that the Englewood Cliffs Planning Board had not abused its authority in granting the variance that exempted the LG tower. [Read more…] about Judge OKs Tower Over Hudson River Palisades

Palisades Region’s River Parks Master Plan Meeting

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South_end_of_Rockland_Lake_c19090The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Palisades Region and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) will hold a public hearing regarding the preparation of a Draft Master Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Rockland Lake, Hook Mountain, Nyack Beach, and Haverstraw Beach State Parks (The Park Complex). OPRHP and PIPC encourage the public to participate in the planning efforts for The Park Complex and welcome all comments related to the DRAFT MASTER PLAN and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). [Read more…] about Palisades Region’s River Parks Master Plan Meeting

‘Open Storage’ At Washington’s Headquarters

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It was from the Hasbrouck House in Newburgh that General George Washington commanded the final 16 months of the American Revolution. And it was from that house that he set out to quell a mutiny that was brewing amongst his officers. He triumphed in both of those instances. [Read more…] about ‘Open Storage’ At Washington’s Headquarters

Conservancy Seeks Tower of Victory Contributions

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The Palisades Parks Conservancy has announced the launch of a capital campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the Tower of Victory at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, NY.

For 125 years The Tower of Victory has stood as the nation’s only monument to the lasting peace that came after the end of the Revolutionary War.  Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of the President and then Secretary of War, commissioned John Hemingway Duncan, one of the nation’s most renowned architects at that time, to design the massive stone arched structure that hosts bronzes sculpted by William Rudolf O’Donovan, the pre-eminent monumental sculptor of the day. It stands on the property where General Washington created the “Badge of Military Merit” now called the Purple Heart.

“Unfortunately for the Tower, time and weather have not been kind,” a statement to the press says “Without intervention to restore the stone structure, replace the roof, and eliminate water penetration, this piece of the Hudson Valley’s – and the nation’s – history could be lost for good.”

To fully restore the Tower, the Conservancy is hoping to raise $1.5 million dollars. Already, the Conservancy has secured $450,000 through grants and individual donations, but is now seeking the public’s help. You can donate to the campaign by mail or by e-mail.

To donate by mail, print and mail the attached form to the Palisades Parks Conservancy, P.O. Box 427, 3006 Seven Lakes Drive, Bear Mountain, NY 10911.

To donate online, do so at www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/donate. Put the words Tower of Victory in the subject line.

The fundraising campaign is co-chaired by U.S. Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey and PIPC Commissioner Barnabas McHenry.

Palisades Parks Conservancy 10th Annual Benefit

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The Palisades Parks Conservancy will hold its 10th Annual Benefit Reception and Silent Auction at the Bear Mountain Inn on Saturday, September 15th, 2012. The Conservancy will will present Barnabas McHenry with the Palisades Founders Award in recognition of his legacy of dedication and generosity to the parks and historic sites of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.

Barney, long committed to conservation, serves as a Palisades Interstate Park Commissioner, Chair of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Council, and co-chair of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

The Conservancy will also extend its thanks and well wishes to the Honorable Maurice Hinchey, environmental watchdog in the United States Congress and the man behind the Hudson River Greenway and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. For more information or to request an invitation, call 845-786-2701 extension 281 or email smiths@pipc.org.

Palisades Parks Affected by Tropical Storm Irene

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Many state parks and historic sites in the Palisades Region are inaccessible due to damage from Tropical Storm Irene. Parks will reopen as power is restored, debris is removed, floodwaters recede, and public safety can be assured. The list of closings will be updated as conditions changes. Before visiting, visitors should contact the respective park offices for the most up-to-date information on availability of facilities and hours of operation.



* Bear Mountain State Park services are limited due to disruption of water service and the pool will remain closed for the season. The zoo is currently closed.

* Camping at Sebago Cabins, Beaver Pond and group camps at Harriman State Park is unavailable until further notice.

* Sebago Beach at Harriman is closed for the season.

* Lake Welch and Tiorati areas of Harriman are without power and water.

* High Tor State Park is without power.

* Minnewaska State Park Preserve will be open on a limited basis until further notice effective Saturday, September 3, 2011. The Preserve will only be open for hiking, picnicking, and swimming at Lake Minnewaska and climbing at the Peter’s Kill area. Biking and equestrian use will not be permitted. Access is only available for hikers and climbers. All hikers must park in the Awosting Parking Lot and all climbers must park in the Peter’s Kill parking lot. Please adhere to all posted trail closings.

Photo: Storm Damage on Palisades Park Road (Photo by Sean Rose).

Sponsors Sought for Bear Mountain Inn Reopening

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When first opened in 1915, The American Architect declared the Bear Mountain Inn to be one of the “finest examples of rustic Adirondack architecture in America.” Commission President George W. Perkins Sr. described the building as ‘a rugged heap of boulders and huge chestnut logs assembled at the base of Bear Mountain by the hand of man and yet following lines of such natural proportions as to resemble the eternal hills themselves.’



In the last few years, the historic Bear Mountain Inn underwent extensive renovations to restore its original rustic splendor. To help raise additional funds to complete the rehabilitation of the Inn and promote the grand reopening celebration on Friday, November 11, 2011, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and its non profit partner, the Palisades Parks Conservancy invite you to promote your business at this long anticipated event. They expect leaders in environmental protection, philanthropy, government, commerce, education, law, and medicine to attend.

They ask you to join our list of Corporate Sponsors, which you can do by purchasing a table, tickets, or advertising in the dinner journal. All proceeds support the ongoing preservation and restoration of the Palisades Park’s treasures, trails, recreational facilities, open spaces, group camps for children, educational exhibits, and historic sites that benefit the people of New York and New Jersey.

As a corporate sponsor, your business name will be published in the Bear Mountain Inn Reopening Celebration dinner program that is distributed to 450 guests. In addition, your support will be identified in all event related email advertising (distributed to 7000 individuals and media outlets), and the bi-annual print newsletter (distributed to 5000 recipients) throughout 2012. If your sponsorship order is placed prior to September 15, 2011, your name will also be listed on the event invitation as a member of the benefit committee that is mailed to 5000 individuals and emailed to over 7000 individuals and media outlets in the tri-state area. The Palisades Parks Conservancy will publicly acknowledge your tax exempt support.

For information about the event, please call (845) 786-2701 x239 or email info@palisadesparksconservancy.org

Photo: Bear Mountain Inn about 1920.