The core of Bristol Beach State Park occupies land formerly used as a brickyard during the 19th century. It was acquired by the town of Saugerties by deed; the town eventually transferred ownership to New York State.[5] In 1967, the then-53-acre (21 ha) property was transferred from the New York State Conservation Department to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The park was expanded in the 1990s to protect adjacent parcels that were being considered for development.[2]
In 2013, the town of Saugerties proposed re-acquiring the park to promote its development, which they felt was being under-utilized by the state.[5]
Description
Bristol Beach State Park covers 242 acres (0.98 km2)[1] adjacent to the Hudson River and is largely undeveloped, with the exception of a small parking lot. Although there are no formal trails, a landing on the river is a popular spot for launching kayaks and fishing.[6] The northern portion of the park, known as Eve's Point, does include some basic amenities such as a gazebo and portable toilets.[7]
Despite its name, the park does not include a developed beach and swimming is not permitted.[6] Steep banks, undesirable substrate, and shallow off-shore water depths were noted as barriers preventing future development of a beach at the property.[7]
^ abc"Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook(PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 671. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
