Croton Point Park

A rallying point since the 1970s for cleaning up the Hudson River, Croton Point Park stands as testimony to the success of those efforts. The 508-acre park was found to have the oldest oyster shell middens on the North Atlantic Coast. In the 17th Century, Indians of the Kitchawank tribe of the Wappinger Confederacy occupied a large fortified village on the high flat at the neck of Croton Point, which they called Navish. The fortress was one of the most ancient and formidable ones south of the Hudson Highlands. The park offers picnicking, hiking, fishing, a car-top boat launch (April-October), ballfields, a nature center and discovery trail, beach, tent and trailer camping, and even wine cellars to explore. There’s an $8 parking fee; there are weekly rates for camping or cabins.

June 20-21 brings the Clearwater Festival, supporting the Great Hudson River Revival, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Sloop Clearwater, Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday and the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the Hudson River.

Details

Croton Point Park is in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., accessible from Route 9, to the Croton Point Avenue exit; follow signs. For more information, call 914-862-5290. For information on the Clearwater Festival, visit www.clearwater.org.