Roaming through Rockland: Contemplating from Piermont Pier

by Steve Kelman

The scenic Hudson River Piermont village is a virtual paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Two of its picturesque gems, the kilometer-long Piermont Pier and the 4000-year-old Piermont Marsh, offer visitors a variety of activities throughout the year.

Both locations offer plenty of opportunities for bird watching, photography, walking, hiking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

Bald Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Mockingbird, Kingfisher, Cardinals, Common Blackbird, Red-tailed Hawk, Crows, Great Blue Herons, Egrets and cormorants are among the birds and waterfowl seen off the pier and throughout the marsh. I have observed bald eagles, a snowy owl and even seals on the river while walking on the pier over the years.

Christie, a resident who lives on Paradise Avenue, a road that adjoins the entrance to the pier, said she had “a great appreciation for this area,” especially for its tranquility. “My family and I moved here a dozen years ago from New York and were delighted to wake up to the sound of birds rather than the sound of sirens, vehicle horns and other city noises. “she said. “I feel blessed to live where I live. “

Also located on Paradise Avenue is the Sneeden House, circa 1800. It was the home of John Sneeden Jr., who belonged to a prominent shipbuilding family at the time. The Sneeden house is now a private residence.

And a little further along the causeway, there is a small community known as the Bogertown with ten houses dating from the 19^e century, circa 1824.

The kilometer long Piermont Pier offers panoramic views of the Hudson River, Piermont Marsh, Mario Cuomo Bridge, Westchester County, Tarrytown Waterfront, and Hook Mountain in Nyack. The walkway is level and on the roadway.

The Piermont Pier was built in 1839 to connect New York commerce to points in the west. The pier served as the railway terminus of the Eire Railroad. About 100 years later, during World War II, the pier would serve as a boarding point for half a million GIs who fought in the European theater of war. Nicknamed “Last Stop USA”, it was for many soldiers who served, just that.

A Last Stop USA Memorial is located near the traffic light on Piermont Road, just before entering the village town center business district.

Every Memorial Day weekend for a 24-hour period, groups of Vietnam Veterans light a lookout fire at the end of the pier. These fires are also occurring in other areas along the river. They “symbolically light the way home for those soldiers who have died in all wars and conflicts in the United States.”

One way to experience the 1,000-acre swamp is by kayak or canoe. There are several places to launch, including right at the start of the walking trail at Tallman Mountain. Kayakers and canoeists can be seen putting their boats in Parelli Park, also located in the village.

A walk along this same multi-use path in Tallman Mountain State Park is another way to enjoy the marsh and its wildlife. As you head south towards the pool, the marshes with their prolific phragmites or common reed will be on your left and the mountain that bears the name of the state park and its diabase rock, common along the ridge. palisades, you are on the right. Breathtaking panoramic views of the marsh can be seen from the top of the state park assessable by a park road. A small portion of the popular hiking trail, the Long road, with its aquatic flames, follows the beginning of the footbridge but turns quickly upwards while climbing the small mountain. The path is accessible from Avenue Ferdon in the village.

Another place to take in the scenery is a place along Paradise Avenue known as, View. Here (in non-flooding conditions) one can sit on a small bench and admire the prolific Phragmites, Sparkill Creek and “Mount”, 171 foot tall Tallman Mountain. The storyboards near the bench provide a background for the plants and animals of the swamp. It is a wonderful place for photography and wildlife viewing.

And, fun fact: the area encompassing the swamp and adjacent Sparkill Creek is known as Sparkill Gap, and it’s the only “sea level break in Palisades Ridge from Jersey City, NJ to Haverstraw,” NY “.

And then there’s this: In 1987, the swamp was named “Important Coastal Habitat for Fish and Wildlife” by the New York State Department (NYDOS). The designation was given “in recognition of vulnerable wildlife species, its regional importance for human use and an unusual concentration of wildlife and fish species in the region.”

The Piermont marshes is part of the National Hudson River Estuary Research Reserve System (NERRS) and is managed by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.) .

Together, the Piermont Marshes and Piermont Pier provide a perfect daytime getaway.

Roaming through Rockland covers outdoor destinations for walking, biking or hiking in Rockland County.
Sponsored by the Rockland County Tourism.