For dog owners the best beaches usually
aren't those that come with boardwalks and weekly rentals. Sometimes
they don't even come with an ocean or a lake. This month's beach
is along a river: Little Stony Point, the best sandy beach on
the majestic Hudson River.
Like most river beaches, the beach at
Little Stony Point doesn't have a name and there are no signs
- you sort of have to know it is there. "There," in
this case, is on the east side of the Hudson, south of I-84,
just north of the village of Cold Spring on Route 9D (across
the river from West Point). Technically this area is the Hudson
Highlands State Park but don't look for signs for that either.
Small parking lots are available at the railroad bridge with
the sign for Little Stony Point leading to the beach but you
may have to park along the two-lane road on a hot summer weekend.
The sand has piled up in a cove on the
northern side of the point that pinches the Hudson River at this
point. The views from the beach are of 1000-foot peaks on both
sides of the river, spiked by train traffic on the shores and
ocean-going vessels on the water - the Hudson has been gouged
to depths of over 100 feet at this point by glaciers. The passing
boats help provide some wave-action for your dog and river beaches
always have plenty of sticks for fetching.
You can confine your visit to just the
beach or the flat trails around Little Stony Point or you can
use the beach as an ideal cooling off spot after a day's hiking
on Bull Hill and the Breakneck Mountains across the road.
There is talk of a designated swimming
beach with supervision at Little Stony Point and dog owners know
what that usually means - restricted access for dogs. But for
now it remains a choice destination for canine swimmers and hikers
when visiting the New York area.
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