County Parks & Dog Runs
Reserve a Park
Welcome to the Rockland County Park System. To reserve a park or park facility, please check our reservation calendar to make sure that the dates you wish to book are available, then print and complete our Park Reservation form and return it with your payment to the Rockland County Department of Environmental Resources.
Reservations are first come, first served. Full payment is due in order to reserve a facility.
General Information
Since 1965, the Rockland County Park System has grown to a network of 30, comprising 3,179 acres. The goal has been to provide county residents ready access to local parks without having to endure traffic congestion or drive long distances to enjoy nature's beauty. Park acquisitions have been attained through County funds matched with federal and state grants along with land donations, tax delinquency and partnerships with Land Trusts and other municipalities.
Our parks, now conservatively worth some $230,000,000, are situated on or near mountainous ridges that preserve our skylines as forever green and uncluttered by high-rise. They provide a variety of both active and passive recreation along with preserving parts of our county's history. Recent acquisitions of the last remaining active farms have preserved part of Rockland's past and continue to produce locally grown farm fresh produce. The parks provide excellent nature trails where one may, if you look carefully, encounter a variety of animals such as a red-tailed hawk, pileated woodpecker, barred owl, white-tailed deer, red fox or a wild turkey. There are scenic vantage points at South Mountain, Buttermilk Falls, Mountainview Nature Park, Gurnee Park and Amphitheater, Kakiat and Clausland Mountain. There you will witness the beautiful vistas stretched out for all to see.
Dog Runs
Two of our county parks offer residents an enclosed area for their dogs to run off-leash. These enclosed areas are called "Dog Runs". They provide a community setting in which people can gather and socialize and where they can observe the interaction of groups of dogs at play.
Dog runs not only allow owners and their dogs to spend time together, but also offer dogs a space for play and companionship with other dogs. Dogs must be supervised by their "humans" at all times.
All Parks
Dater Mountain Park
Amenities:- Hiking
- Parks
Directions
Route 17 to Seven Lakes Drive. Make a left on Johnsontown Road. Parking is at end of Johnsontown Rd. Enter Kakiat Trail located off of Johnsontown Road.
Description
350 Acres - The Park, which is located in the New York/New Jersey Highlands, is heavily wooded with steep inclines and rocky slopes and consists of a number of mountaintops and valleys, crossed by several small streams. Orange and Rockland transmission line traverses the Park. A view of the Village of Tuxedo, The New York State Thruway, and Orange County may be seen from the high elevations, some rising 940 feet above sea level. The Park contains eight federally designated wetlands.
History
Dater Mountain Nature Park has many local family histories. The Munsee Indians once inhabited the property. It is the westerly part of the Spence Patent. Dater crossing brought the locality into contact with Route 17 and Tuxedo. The area was extensively logged in the later 1700's and into the 1800's; trees were burned in pits to produce charcoal for the smelting of iron ore. Many of these pits can be found throughout the property. The land was acquired in two phases. In 1981, 150 acres was obtained through tax delinquency. Phase 2 included the acquisition 235.5 acres of land in 2004 as part of Rockland County's Open Space Acquisition Program.
Present Use
Hiking, Nature and Geologic Study
- Rest Rooms: No
- Handicapped Accessible: No
Future Plans
Construct a parking area off Johnsontown Road and create a trail system connecting trail to State Park.
Wildlife
Endangered Northern Cricket Frog and the Allegheny Woodrat, Timber Rattlesnake. Common to the area are White-tailed Deer, Red and Gray Fox, Woodchuck, Porcupine, Raccoon, Weasels, Mink, Squirrel, Chipmunk, and Opossum. There are more than 41 species of birds including a large number of Hawks and Turkey Vultures.
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