Heckscher State Park
The Heckscher State Park is a state park on the coast of the Great South Bay near East Islip in Suffolk County , New York , United States. It is located on the southern side of Long Island and covers an area of approximately 5.94 square kilometers. The park is maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation .
history
In the 19th century, the area of today's Heckscher State Park belonged to the estate of George C. Taylor and J. Neal Plum. East Islip founder William Nicoll had a house here. The park was later bought by the State of New York, largely through a donation of approximately $ 262,000 from Hamburg- born wealthy businessman August Heckscher . Robert Moses , city planner and President of the Long Island State Park Commission, began planning the park in 1924, but it took five years to complete, hampered by strong resistance. The park was opened in 1929 by the Governor of the US state of New York, Alfred E. Smith .
Between 1972 and 2008 there was an annual performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in the park. This series of concerts was part of the so-called Concerts in the Parks events organized by the Islip Arts Council . In 2009 the concert was canceled due to financial problems and in 2010 and 2011 the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra played at the event.
leisure offers
Over a million guests visit the paid park annually, which is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until sunset. It can be reached via the Sunrise Highway and the Heckscher State Parkway . The park can be reached by public transport via the Long Island Railroad Station Great River , about two kilometers away . The park offers a few kilometers of beach on Great South Bay, the bay between Long Island and Fire Island and Nicoll Bay. There are also extensive marshland, forest and meadow areas in the park. Over 30 kilometers of hiking and cycling trails as well as parking spaces, various picnic areas with three pavilions, playgrounds, a campsite with 69 spaces, a bathing establishment, a boat ramp and restaurants are also available. In 2011, due to a lack of funds from New York State, the park's swimming pool and campsite closed.
The Long Island Greenbelt Trail connects Heckscher State Park with Sunken Meadow State Park on Long Island Sound near Kings Park over a nearly 50-kilometer path .
fauna
Numerous animal species are native to the park. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation has compiled a list for bird watching of the approximately 280 different bird species that are found in the park . Because of the high populations of white-tailed deer , the park is also known as the home of the white-tailed deer .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Description of the Heckscher State Park ( memento of the original from January 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ NY-NJ-CT Botany Online, Heckscher State Park History
- ↑ Islip Arts Council ( Memento of the original from March 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A Love of Music Inspires a Crusade, New York Times article, April 26, 1998
- ^ Heckscher State Parkway
- ^ New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation: Heckscher State Park
- ↑ Swimming pool and campsite closed due to lack of money, article from May 25, 2011 CBS New York
- ↑ Checklist of the birds in Heckscher State Park (pdf; 201 kB)
Coordinates: 40 ° 42 ′ 27 " N , 73 ° 9 ′ 40" W.