Beauty in Your Backyard: High Tor State Park

When it comes to recreation, many Rockland residents immediately look to travel outside town, unaware of the beauty that exists in their own backyard. Set into the lush greens of South Mountain, High Tor State Park is just one of the 20 parks included in The Palisades Parks Conservancy. Encompassing close to 700 acres of protected land and magnificent views of the Hudson River, this expansive space offers picnicking, swimming, and hiking.

According to local legend, the cliffs of High Tor were used to warn off approaching British forces during the Revolutionary War. In the 1930’s there was discussion of quarrying the area’s stone, but Elmer Van Orden, whose family had owned the land for generations, refused to sell the property to the New York Trap Rock Company. In 1943, the Hudson River Conservancy and the Rockland County Conservation Society raised money from local citizens and organizations to buy 23 acres at the top of the land. 

Then, 460 acres of South Mountain were added and in 1967, the state park opened to the public. Throughout its history, the cliffs have motivated various artists, playwrights, and poets - among them, Maxwell Anderson, who wrote the 1937 play, High Tor, which became the basis for a 1956 movie.

High Tor Park Manager Tom Margiotta has been working in the state parks for 38 years and has been with High Tor for 15 of those years. 

“Most people who live here do not know that the park exists,” he says.

In fact, most people who enjoy the calm and quiet of High Tor come from areas in New York City. Local residents who know of the park tend to come during the week when it is less populated, but on the weekends, New York City residents flock to the pool and picnic areas in search of a relaxing weekend getaway. 

“The vast majority [of people] who come here are from the Bronx and Brooklyn and it’s usually families coming up for the day,” says Assistant Head Lifeguard Andrew Nielson, who has been working at High Tor Park for five years. “We get a lot of regulars that are also from Haverstraw and that is pretty much it.”

Visitors go into the park through its entrance at 415 South Mountain Road in New City and travel up a short road to the parking lot. Once there, people may choose to go for a swim, picnic at the tables in the green area outside the pool, or hike up the various trails that web through the park’s protected grounds.

Of the park’s 15 employees, seven are trained lifeguards who man the pool area at all times. The park is open year round and the pool is open from late June to mid- August.  Though it used to be open every day, the park has remained closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for the past three years. This is due to state budget constraints and less funding allocated for employees.

Specific dates and times are below:

Pool is open June 25 - August 14, Wednesday - Sunday

Weekend and Holiday hours: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Weekdays (Closed Monday & Tuesday) 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Swimming fees are $5 for adults and $3 for children.

On occasion, camps such as Primetime for Kids, Rockland ARC, and Rockland Learning Center have brought children to enjoy High Tor’s facilities, but the area is always open to the public as well.

“Sunday is usually the busiest day and, depending on the weather, we could get upwards of around 800 swimmers,” says Nielsen.  “Weekdays, we’ll maybe see 200.”

Whether you’re looking for a scenic hike across historic land or a relaxing dip in the pool, High Tor State Park is a tranquil getaway located right here in Rockland.

“This is a family oriented place,” says Margiotta.  “Our park is quiet, clean, and friendly.”

See more in the video picture stories. For more information visit http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/78/details.aspx or call (845)-634-8074.