Little Stony Point State Park
Cold Spring, Putnam County, NY.

Directions:

Parking along southbound side of State Route 9D at Fair Street, north of Cold Spring. Enter park by crossing a new (1996) bridge over Metro North/ Amtrak railroad tracks to trails.

.7 of a mile north of the junction of Rt. 301 and Rt. 9D. The parking area is on the left (west) side of Route 9D, .1 of a mile beyond the intersection with Fair Street.

This is a great little park with lots of habitat in a small area. Walk over the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks heading west. You come to a choice. If you went straight (northwest) you would come to a beach area on the Hudson River. There are some side trails, one to a small pond and one or two to the railroad tracks.

If you go south (left turn) you can take a clockwise circular hike going along the edge of the Hudson River with several openings to the water. Along the way is a big gravel field where there are huge mounds of small gravel rocks. Almost as soon as you start the circular walk there is a side trail on the right that takes you to the top of the cliffs where, among the dry open rocky areas, there is a beautiful overview of the area with Storm King, Bannerman's Island, and the village of Cold Springs.

The sign says no swimming but on Sunday, August 12, 2001, there were a couple of families swimming in the Hudson River and making a lot of noise (inevitable with playing in the water apparently).

History:

early 1900's --  the Hudson River Stone Company begins filling in the water at the base of Bull Hill with silt, rubble and stone.  They wanted to use the beach area known as Little Stony Point for their mining operations.

The Hudson River Conservation Society wanted to stop the blasting of Bull Hill.  In researching the subject, they found that the mining company had never obtained permits to fill the river.

by 1940  -- a court decision ordered the company to remove the fill by this date.

1944  --  the company ceased mining.

1967  --  the Georgia Pacific Company purchased Little Stony Point with the intention of building a wallboard factory.

Governor Nelson Rockefeller appointed a group known as the Hudson River Valley Commission.  The group made plans for a park on the eastern side of the river which would have included Little Stoney Point.  They convinced Governor Rockefeller to intervene and help relocate the wallboard factory to Verplanck.

1970 --  Little Stoney Point became part of the Hudson Highlands State Park.
(Source: http://hhr.highlands.com/stoney.htm)

From the northwestern tip of Little Stony Point barges took on cargoes of crushed rock. The industrial activity here did not end until 1966.

Nearby are dregs of an old dock along with rusted mooring rings.

In 1967, aided by a grant from the Jackson Hole Preserve, the New York State acquired the area. (p. 63)

(Source: Clyne, Patricia Edwards. 1997. Hudson Valley Tales and Trails. Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press.)

1994  --  the park is closed because of an unsafe bridge over the railroad tracks.

1996 (July 27)  --  the park was officially reopened. The group gathered for the reopening sang "This Land is Your Land" with Pete Seeger, Vic Schwarz, and about 125 others.

Geology and Trail:

By John Moran, 12/27/98.

A former rock quarry, the area was originally an island, but the channel near shore was filled in by quarry operations. Centerpiece is a massive rock formation, 50 to 60 feet high. From the bridge, a footpath goes straight west, uphill to the top of the formation, with a spectacular viewpoint looking west across the Hudson River to Storm King Mountain, Crow's Nest, and the West Point area. There are also good views north along the east side of the river to nearby Mount Taurus and Breakneck Mountain. Return to the base and follow the flat dirt road counterclockwise around the perimeter of the formation. Various short spurs branch off of the perimeter road:

1. branch leads northeast, back to RR tracks, probable grade crossing before bridge went in.
2. branch north of rock leads to dump area with tree stumps and displaced boulders.
3. branch leads northwest to Hudson River shore, with nice sandy beach in sheltered cove area. Swimming here may be permitted again in near future. Found some neat Skate egg cases, black with sharp horns.
4. branch through flat quarry floor area below west face of rock.
5. path along south side of rock completes circle around formation. Note an accessible tunnel in rock at base of formation, which can be entered directly from path. Wrote letter to Ed Lenick author of mines book. He is aware of tunnel but has not yet seen it, doesn't know its history.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

Trees:
Acer negundo (boxelder maple)
Acer pensylvanica (striped maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carya glabra (pignut hickory)
Carya sp. (hickory)
Celtis occidentalis (American hackberry) -- lots
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry) in fruit
Pinus rigida (pitch pine)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Platanus x hybrida (London plane tree)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Prunus pensylvanica (Pennsylvania cherry)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple tree)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Salix sp. (willow) lance shaped; white under; glands; no stipules
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Amelanchier arborea (shadbush)
Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo)
Aralia hispida (bristly sarsaparilla) in fruit
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Myrica pensylvanica (barberry)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus odoratus (flowering raspberry) 7/19/01 8/12/01waning
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry) with fruit
Staphylea trifoliata (bladdernut) with fruits
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (hairy arrowwood viburnum)
Vaccinium angustifolium (low bush blueberry) with fruit
Vaccinium pallidum (hillside blueberry) with fruit

Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry)
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) 7/19/01
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Mikania scandens (climbing hempweed) 7/19/01 soon
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) 7/19/01
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vincetoxicum nigrum (black swallowwort) 7/19/01
Vitis aestivalis (summer grape)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) 7/19/01
Alisma subcordatum (water plantain) 7/19/01
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Alisma subcordatum (water plantain) 8/12/01
Amaranthus cannabinus (salt marsh water hemp) 8/18/93
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) 8/08/02 soon
Anagalis arvensis (pimpernel) 7/19/01
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Aster divaricatus (white wood aster)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle) 7/19/01 soon
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Chelidonium majus (celandine) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Chenopodium album (pigweed)
Chimaphila maculata (spotted wintergreen)
Cichorium intybus (chicory) 8/12/01
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade) 7/19/01
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Conyza canadensis (horseweed) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Daucus carota (Queen Ann's lace) 8/12/01
Echium vulgare (viper's bugloss) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Erigeron strigosus (lesser daisy fleabane) 8/12/01
Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Euphorbia nutans (upright spurge) 8/12/01
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) 7/19/01
Froelichia gracilis (slender cotton weed) 7/19/01 fruits
Galium mollugo (wild madder) 8/12/01
Galium trifidum (sweet-scented bedstraw) in fruit
Geum canadense (white avens) 7/19/01
Helianthus strumosus (pale-leaved sunflower) 7/19/01 8/12/01
Hieracium sp. (hawkweed) 7/19/01
Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)
Iris sp. (iris)
Lactuca biennis (tall blue lettuce) 8/12/01
Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce)
Lechea tenuifolium (narrow-leaved pinweed)
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort) 7/19/01
Lepidium virginicum (poor man's pepper)
Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese bush clover)
Lespedeza hirta (hairy bush clover)
Ludwigia palustris (marsh purslane)
Lycopus virginicus (Virginia horehound)
Lysimachia ciliata (fringed loosestrife) 7/19/01
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Melilotus officinalis (white sweet clover) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) 7/19/01 8/08/02
Myriophyllum spicatum (water milfoil)
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose) 8/08/02 8/12/01
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) 7/19/01
Paronychia canadensis (forked chickweed)
Peltandra virginica (arrow arum)
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) 7/19/01
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Polygonum hydropiper (water pepper) 8/08/02 8/12/01
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed) 8/08/02 8/12/01
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (narrow-leaved mountain mint) 7/19/01
Rumex acetosella (field sorrel)
Sagittaria latifolia (arrow-head) 8/12/01
Saponaria officinalis (bouncing bet) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Silene vulgaris (bladder campion) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal)
Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) 7/19/01
Solidago gigantea (late goldenrod)
Solidago juncea (early goldenrod) 8/08/02 8/12/01
Solidago odora (sweet goldenrod)
Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod) 7/19/01
Stellaria media (common chickweed)
Subularia aquatica (awlwort)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue) 7/19/01
Trichostema dichotomum (blue curls) 8/08/02 8/12/01
Trifolium pratense (red clover) 7/19/01
Trapa natans (water chestnut)
Tussilago farfara (colts foot)
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Vallisneria americana (water celery)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein) 7/19/01 8/08/02 8/12/01
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) 7/19/01

Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)?
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Cyperus lupulina (flat sedge)?
Cyperus sp. (nut or umbrella sedge)
Scirpus pungens (bulrush)
Scirpus validus (soft stem bulrush)

Grasses:
Bromus tectorum (brome grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Danthonia spicata (poverty grass)?
Deschampsia flexuosa (hair grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottlebrush grass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple love grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue panic grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem grass)
Setaria glauca (yellow foxtail grass)
Tridens flavus (grease grass)

Ferns:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)

Others:
Chara sp. (algae)