Blauvelt State Park is a undeveloped state park located in the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, near the Hudson River Palisades. The park's land occupies the site of the former Camp Bluefields, a rifle range used to train members of the New York National Guard prior to World War I. The park is located south of Nyack.

History

Prior to becoming Blauvelt State Park, the property was known as Camp Bluefields, a large rifle range used primarily to train members of the New York National Guard. The rifle range occupied of land and was touted in 1910 as being the largest in the country. The range's location was criticized almost immediately, and complaints of stray bullets being encountered in nearby residential areas were registered even before the range's official completion. The rifle range operated from soon after the state's initial purchase of the land in 1909 until its administration was transferred to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1913.

In the years that followed, Camp Bluefields was used as a YWCA summer camp for New York City working women,

Ruins of Camp Bluefield's long-abandoned rifle range, including tunnels that connected down-range targets to the firing line, are also visible within the park.

See also

  • List of New York state parks

References

Further reading

  • New York State Parks: Blauvelt State Park
  • Blauvelt State Park Trail Map
  • New York-New Jersey Trail Council: Blauvelt State Park Trail Details and Info
  • Hudson River Valley Heritage Digital Collections: Photos of Camp Bluefields