22 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Park, the state transferred to the Commission a 700-acrc 

 tract of land, lying between West Point and Jones 

 Point on the west shore of the Hudson, about forty miles 

 north of New York, which was purchased for a prison 

 site and later abandoned. 



Mrs. E. H. Harriman, who owned vast tracts in the 

 Arden Valley, near Tuxedo, at that time conceived the 

 plan of sharing a part of her Arden estate with the public 

 for the development of a public park. This beneficent 

 idea took the form of a donation to the Palisades Park 

 Commission of 10,000 acres of land and $1,000,000 in 

 cash, which have made possible the opening up of a 

 region of unrivalled beauty to the public for recreational 

 purposes. There have been added to these 10,000 acres, 

 various tracts purchased both from state funds and 



(a) The abandoned prison site was made into a vast 

 playground. This is located at Bear Mountain. 

 Over a half million people visited this section 

 during the summer of 1919. 



(b) Bear Mountain Inn was established with private 

 funds, which supplies refreshments to hundreds 

 of thousands annually. 



(c) Hundreds of boats have been built by the Com- 

 missioners and during 1919 over 400,000 people 

 enjoyed the free boating privileges at Hessian 

 Lake. 



(d) Tennis Courts, running tracks, baseball diamonds 

 and handball courts have been developed on the 

 plateau at the base of Bear Mountain, all for the 

 free use of the public. 



(e) Pavilions have been built which, in addition to 

 serving as a place of rest and recreation, also 

 care for thousands of tons of ice annually, bar- 



"K. P." AT A BOY SCOUT CAMP 



Deeply engrossed in the absorbing task of separating the beloved "Murphy" from his skin, these boys will reap the benefits of self-reliance 

 and vigor which come from camping in the woods. The ideal of the Commission has been to make possible an out-of-doors existence which 

 will mean much to such boys of health, education and pleasure in future years. 



private contributions. Together with the Hook Moun- 

 tains and Blauvelt acquisitions, the Palisades Interstate 

 I'ark embraces an area of over 35,000 acres. (f) 



The chief problem which presented itself in the acqui- 

 sition of this area was how to preserve the natural 

 splendor of the forest, protect its wild life and develop (&) 



its resources so that the public could secure the maximum 

 benefit from such a development. How this was done 

 and what has been accomplished forms a romantic chap- 

 ter in park development in the United States. Briefly / n \ 

 summarized, some of these accomplishments are as 

 follows : 



vested from the lakes, for the summer uses of 

 the Park. 



Over 150 miles of fire trails have been laid out 

 which, in addition to protecting the woodland, 

 serve as a means of encouraging mountain hikes. 

 A seventeen-mile drive, extending from Bear 

 Mountain almost to the town of Tuxedo, has 

 been built. Intersecting with the secondary roads 

 of the Park, the drive makes a road system in the 

 I'ark, which touches every important point. 

 Seven artificial lakes have been made, while two 

 others are in process of making, thus enhancing 

 the value of the Park as a recreational area. 



