Nissequogue River State Park is a
state park located on the banks and bluffs of the
Nissequogue River
The Nissequogue River is an long river flowing from Smithtown, New York into the Long Island Sound. Its average discharge of is the most of any of the freshwater rivers on Long Island. The river, like all other freshwater rivers on the island, i ...
in
Kings Park, New York
Kings Park is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Smithtown, New York, Town of Smithtown, in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. The population wa ...
. The park was opened in 2000, and established on the waterfront portion of the former
Kings Park Psychiatric Center
The Kings Park Psychiatric Center, known by Kings Park locals as "The Psych Center", is a former state-run psychiatric hospital located in Kings Park, New York. It operated from 1885 until 1996, when the State of New York closed the facility, ...
.
The name of the park was originally assigned to what is today the
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve is a state park located in Suffolk County, New York in the United States. The park is near the north shore of Long Island in the town of Smithtown. Prior to its current name, the park was called Nissequogue River S ...
.
[Hagstroms Atlas of Suffolk County, New York (1973)]
History
Nissequogue River State Park was first established in 2000 on a portion of the former
Kings Park Psychiatric Center
The Kings Park Psychiatric Center, known by Kings Park locals as "The Psych Center", is a former state-run psychiatric hospital located in Kings Park, New York. It operated from 1885 until 1996, when the State of New York closed the facility, ...
property, which was closed in 1996. The remainder of the hospital's property remained available to development at that time.
In 2007, an additional of former hospital property were added to Nissequogue River State Park. At the time of the transfer, of the property that included the hospital's former buildings remained to be cleaned up and redeveloped, however plans called for development to be consistent with the surrounding parkland.
On May 17, 2010 New York State closed this park along with 55 other state parks due to budget cuts. However, the state reversed their decision on Nissequogue, and reopened the park on May 28, following passage of an $11 million deal in the state senate.
Demolition of 18 former hospital buildings, as well as the hospital's large smokestack, took place in 2013.
A second round of demolitions was scheduled for 2016.
Park description
Recreational opportunities at the park include soccer, bird watching, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, hiking, biking, and guided tours. The park also includes a marina with seasonal boat slips.
A bird conservation area has been established at the park, with the primary purpose of protecting overwintering locations for waterfowl and migratory birds. The conservation area particularly aims to protect feeding and roosting habitat for wading birds such as
egret
Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
s and
herons.
Several former Kings Park Psychiatric Center buildings remain standing in the park. Among those buildings that have been renovated is the former Veterans Administration Building (Building 125), which serves as the park office.
See also
*
List of New York state parks
References
External links
New York State Parks: Nissequogue River State ParkThe Nissequogue River Park Foundation
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State parks of New York (state)
Long Island Sound
Smithtown, New York
Parks in Suffolk County, New York