Diversity Of Scenery At Kennedy Dells Park

Kennedy Dells County Park draws walkers, hikers, exercise enthusiasts and pet lovers to its acres of serenity. The passive park along North Main Street and Phillips Hill Road in New City features paved and dirt walking paths, a small water cascade on Crum Creek, dog park and pavilion among its other features. The park does have three soccer fields, which are maintained by another entity.

“We try to stay away from the active recreation,” said R. Allan Beers, environmental coordinator with the county’s Environmental Resources Department. “That’s the towns’ purview.”

Visitors can select routes that keep them within the confines of the 179-acre park and no sign of the nearby community. Or they can stroll along paths that border houses and the Paramount Country Club. People meandering along Crum Creek will see the remains of a stone bridge that once led to a teahouse.

“It’s one of the most popular parks we have,” he said. “Kennedy Dells and Kakiat are just about equal (in popularity). 

Haverstraw Bay County Park is Rockland’s most popular.

Kennedy-Dells also offers residents a Parcourse Fitness Trail with numerous stations, a horse corral, nature study, open areas for soccer and cross-country skiing, picnic tables. The county’s four park rangers provide security and do trail work, lead guided tours and give lectures. There are on site picnic tables and restrooms that are handicapped accessible.

Beers said the trail system will not be expanded and that areas with low usage become habitats for wild animals. White-tailed Deer, red foxes, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, woodchucks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred and Screech owls, Pileated Woodpeckers, Crows, Thrushes, Warblers, Vireo, Pigeons, Doves, Canada Geese, Woodcocks and Mallard Ducks make their homes in the park.

The park contains Hemlock, White Pine, Beech, Maple, Black and Red Oak, White Ash, and Black Locust trees. Two acres are set aside for the Eleanor Burlingham Memorial Nursery, which Beers helped plant in 1983 as a park ranger. 

“She was a well known conservationist in Rockland County,” said Beers, adding she advocated for saving parkland.

Movie producer Adolph Zukor owned the property in the early 1900s, which led to New City’s once being called “the Hollywood of the east.” Rockland purchased 80 acres for the park in 1969 and acquired 97 more in 1975. For about 30 years until 2000, a portion of the parkland was farmed for corn. 

On a recent spring weekday afternoon, a county resident said she counted 25 people as she walked her dog through the park.  Beers said there has been a steady increase in the number of people taking advantage of the county’s parks in recent years and he hopes more will discover them.

“The park are there for them to use,” he said. “We encourage the residents to find out what they have in their backyards.”