Rockland Lake State Park
| Rockland Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
 Location of Rockland Lake State Park in New York State
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| Type | State park |
| Location | 299 Rockland Lake Road Valley Cottage, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°08′06″N 73°55′23″W / 41.135°N 73.923°WCoordinates: 41°08′06″N 73°55′23″W / 41.135°N 73.923°W |
| Area | 1,133 acres (4.59 km2) |
| Created | 1958 |
| Operated by | |
| Visitors | 629,173 (in 2014) |
| Website | Rockland Lake State Park |
Rockland Lake State Park is a 1,133-acre (4.59 km2) state park located in the hamlets of Congers and Valley Cottage in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River. Included within the park is the 256-acre (1.04 km2) Rockland Lake.
Development of the park as part of the Palisades Interstate Park system began in 1958. Rockland Lake State Park is functionally part of a continuous complex of parks that also includes Hook Mountain State Park, Nyack Beach State Park, and Haverstraw Beach State Park.
Rockland Lake was known as "Quashpeake Pond" to the region's Native American population, prior to the lake being given its current name, which refers to the county in which it is situated. The adjacent hamlet of Rockland Lake was originally known as "Slaughter's Landing" before its name was changed to match the lake.
Prior to the establishment of the park, Rockland Lake served as an important supplier of ice to New York City after the Knickerbocker Ice Company was established on the lake's northeastern bank in 1831. Rockland Lake eventually became known as the "Icehouse of New York City", with a reputation for having the cleanest and purest ice in the area.
During the 1850s, the Knickerbocker Ice Company operated a dozen steamboats, 75 ice barges, and employed 3,000 people. Ice harvests typically began in January, and blocks of ice were stored in large icehouses before being shipped to customers during warmer weather. The icehouses, insulated with sawdust, could store up to 50,000 tons of ice.
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