This is definitely my favorite pool to come to. I've been coming since I was a child and now I get to bring my own child here. The pool is always clean. They have lifeguards which make it very safe. Plenty of parking which you pay $10 cash for. Entrance to the pool is $5 a person cash or card. Things to note-you can bring blankets, towels, clothes, beach chairs and medications inside the pool area. My son uses an EpiPen and asthma meds and they were allowed in. You cannot bring any food or drinks besides water bottles. You can bring a cooler but no ice. Any other food can be left in the car. I also saw you cannot bring certain goggles for the pool. I will say, they have really improved their menu this year! The chicken tenders and fries were better this year. They added funnel cake and dipping dots, and even have the icy dipping dots which is great for my son who is allergic To dairy. They sell chips and soda bottles, no fountain drinks anymore. You can ask for cups with ice for $1 more. The garlic parm sauce i got for my chicken tenders was sooo good! We spent about $100 on a bunch of food here for 4 but it was well Worth it. Def love how they extended the menu! Plan to return here soon read more

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Took my grandson for a bike ride on a nice day. We had so much fun. It's great for a walk or bike ride in the spring or the fall. In the summer the pool is better. We like to come here in the summer for the water slides. Great for kids. read more

What most of the reviews fail to mention is that parking is free for senior citizens on weekdays, except if there's a national holiday. Just show your drivers license to the attendant and sign in. They don't advertise that, you just have to know. I love Rockland Lake State Park so much. I often walk the 3.2 mile trail around the lake, all beautifully paved and well maintained. They just opened new unisex restrooms on the west side that are beautifully designed. Right by them they have opened a south entrance to the Nature Center, so you can make the full lake circuit using the nature center without having to add to the length of your walk. The Nature Center has wooden walkways over swampy areas where you see lots of turtles, and other wildlife. read more

Came here to spectate a half marathon and the fall vibes here were unmatched. There are some off course trail paths too to wander. Before 8am, the entrance fee is free too! Beautiful park to walk and wander. read more

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PROS: beautiful lake with many paved trails that are all flat level. You can rent a boat for the lake, swim in their pool, or have a picnic in one of many spots. Loads of parking and the park is clean CONS: you must pay $10 to park OVERALL: amazing park to come to for anything outdoor related. Just make sure to bring cash read more

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I've only been here in the offseason so the park is relatively empty in the morning time and the parking is easy. The park is beautiful but the run path is why I come. It's well maintained and even has an official course measure for running time trials. I believe there are 6 lots, and the drive around the park is pretty scenic too, I've seen a decent amount of deer. If you want a nice park to run or walk come for a visit. read more

Great outdoor view and plenty of room to sit and enjoy whatever your favorite activities

I come here every year during the summertime to throw a barbecue with my family at field one and it's so beautiful and so clean I definitely recommend. read more

I've been coming to this pool for a couple years now. The kids love when we come to rockland because of the slides and diving board. We always set up outside the pool area to bbq, drink, eat & etc. The pool is open until 5:30-6pm! We always have a good time here. Great place to come bbq or celebrate a birthday/holiday! read more

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Nice park for bike riding, a walk with a mate, pets or kids. Not crowded at all until you go near the Pool and/or barbecue areas. If you want some quiet time stay away from these areas! If you want the pool-be prepared to arrive early as it gets crowded. (Never been to the pool and although it looked cool-the crowd didn't seem appealing to me) Scenic views and seating/benches everywhere. Clean restrooms as well which is a huge plus as you bike ride and/or walk. The path is only 3 miles long . Good for a walk but not so much for a bike ride. Parking is $10 per vehicle therefore keep that in mind. read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

An amazing state Park in Rockland County, about 40 min drive driving on local road (9w) at 40 mph, no speeding hahaha. Plenty of parking, great for bbq, outdoor activity, and all, all year round. Park fee, of course, around $10 per car. We visited during the first weekend of November, and the park fee is no longer effective after October 25th. With such beautiful weather (unusual for November 8), the park was busy with people riding bikes, roller blading, and grilling the whole day. A great place to walk around the lake. read more

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Very affordable! Family friendly environment. No food allowed at all inside the pool, Italian ice stand is cash only. This park is safe and big enough not to feel over crowded. Crowd management is A1. If you leave to eat and want to come back you must make the line no matter what. Which does keep crowd control pretty well. Two water slides! read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

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beautiful park with playground, lake for boating and fishing, biking path, splash pad with two slides, pool ($3 entry fee) all for $10 parking. lots of areas to bbq with picnic tables. Id definitely recommend. read more

Rockland Lake State Park - playground - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

We came here midday on a Monday for a picnic and casual walk. The drive up from New Jersey was very scenic. The lake is clean and we saw many butterflies and dragonflies by the lake. Several hiking trails, and can lead you to with a view of the Hudson River. Plenty of parking, $8 per vehicle. This is a gravel parking lot, however, some of the gravels are large 1-2" rocks. Can be concerning for tires. read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Scenic walk - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

I love attending birthday bbq's at this park. It has been a yearly event for the kids for as long as I can remember. Predominately latin populated. The vibe is fun in the sun and bachata on the grass. Roomy sections with bbq grills and picnic tables. Arrive early to secure your areas. Long walks around lake. Trails to hike. Lake to fish. Pools to swim. Playgrounds to play. Room for volley ball net. Bring a mountain bike to take a ride. Bathrooms decent. Cemetary to visit. Fill your cooler ;) Concession store available for basic bbq needs. Fee for pool. Fee for parking. Always a good time! read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Winding down... - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

Brought the kids & met a friend with a two year old on a Friday August afternoon not expecting much by we were very pleasantly surprised. There is a newish playground with a large clean restroom near parking lot 2 on the north side of the lake. Kids brought their scooters & there were many paved paths, some with gentle hills to zoom on. New trees & decorative grasses are planted to fill in some of the bare spots. Lots of picnic tables in the shade with the lake in view. We also went to the pool. Very clean, fresh bathrooms, with large locking changing areas in the courtyard. The pool was also large, fresh with a shore like entry for at the shallow end. Lots of staff available at the pool area. We did not check out the snack bar. No outside food is allowed & they check your bags before you pay to get in. Only liquid in clear plastic bottles allowed in. read more

Great place for all ages. Two slides, a very large splash pad for toddlers and a 20,000 sq ft pool. I would come during the week to avoid the crowds on the weekend. read more

Park rangers and park staffs are extremely rude and unprofessional. Very disorganized.

I tried out the pool this week and wanted to check in and give my report. First, I wanted to comment on people blaming city folk for ruining anything. I would like to know how they knew who left what destruction behind and how they knew where they hailed from? \:| CROWD: I can't deny that the pool was a bit overcrowded, but I was able to find spots to hang out and cool off. You definitely can't swim laps though. There was a sign saying that the pool would close once it's at capacity (so call ahead!). But maybe they should lower that number a bit so people aren't tripping over each other so much. It reminded me of how it is at a Vegas hotel pool at peak hours if that means anything to anyone. There were a lot of young kids and teenagers, but they didn't seem to be acting particularly unruly. Some people had radios and that added to the noise levels. POOL: The pool water was pretty warm, due to the high temperatures all week. If it was because of any grossness, well, you run into that danger at any public pool really. PROPERTY: The property around the pool was really lovely. The lake looks like it would be a great walk in the afternoon. You can't bring food into the immediate pool area, but there were picnic areas nearby. One table was barbecuing, but I'm not sure if they brought their own equipment or not. PARKING: Parking was not a problem. $8 to park, but if you go enough you might want to check into the Empire Pass. I went on a Wednesday late afternoon though. The woman who answered the phone earlier in the week said it does get quite crowded on the weekend. So like I said earlier, call ahead if you're thinking of going out of your way to make a visit. SAFETY: I left my valuables (phone/iPod/wallet) in my car. They let you re-enter so long as it didn't go to capacity while you were out, and you're still wearing your wristband. While I was swimming, I left my stuff under my towel and nothing was taken. I think people were more concerned with getting in the pool than walking around in the heat poking around people's belongings. OTHER: There was a kiddie pool and a concession stand nearby, which I didn't check out. It did have a sign saying 'hamburgers' though. There were vending machines outside the pool area that sold water/soda and ice cream. Watch out for the deck- it was like walking on the sun. 4 stars only because I think they should lower the capacity number so people aren't on top of each other. I uploaded photos that you can view in my profile. 2015 UPDATE: The pool is definitely too rowdy. Again I stand by asking them to reconsider how many people they let in at one time. Or at least do not close off an entire section or two just because it's the last hour of swimming. Parking is free after five during the week and I think after six on the weekend. I have kind of given up on the pool after being way too frustrated with it last summer. But I will still take advantage of the beautiful lake walks. read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Photo of the pool from the entrance area and of the lake right nearby the pool at Rockland Lake State Park, Congers, NY. - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

A really cute place right outside if thinking of stepping out from the city for a bit Has a playground so very kid friendly and have a BBQ area or bbqing if needed with a nice view of the lake ;) For family fun! read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

Beautiful park! I did a maternity shoot here and it gave me a lot of nice shots. It was very quite and no parking fee. Will come back! read more

Really nice park for running: it's approximately a three-mile loop around the lake, and there's a poolhouse, bathrooms at regular intervals, barbecue stations, picnic tables, and mutant fish in the small streams feeding off the big lake. I'm serious. They're big and black and they just float there, even when you toss sticks into the water. There's also a Canadian geese problem. Those plump waddlers leave their disgusting poo everywhere and they stare at you condescendingly when you try to shoo them off the walking path. I've discovered over time that flapping your arms and screaming "Ca-CAW" repeatedly does the trick but only when there are no other people around. No entry fee during the off-season. Water looks clean and pristine from far away, but once you get closer, especially in the southern bend, you see a good amount of soda cans and bottles, which is a shame. If you're stuck in the New City/Nyack/Congers area, this is a pretty nice, well-maintained alternative to Beer Mountain. read more

Great park not too far from Northern Jersey! As the name states, it's got a nice size lake which runs along the park. Clean, easy access, lots of parking, clean bathrooms and multiple bbq grills to use. I normally visit lot #2 and stay somewhat close to the entrance of the park. There's a cold water/soda vending machine near restrooms you can access for $2, not too bad. As lots of other State parks do, they also do not allow pets in the park. Nice walking trails along the lake! Not too far off by other lots, you can find swimming pool and other activities as wll. Nice tranquil place not too far from NYC. They used to only accept cash for parking but now there is a parking meter that accepts credit cards only. Parking is $8 all day long. read more

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Pros: (+) Beautiful park (+) Gorgeous view of the water + sunset = spectacular (+) Clean Cons: (-) None. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I came here with some friends ...having a picnic ...eating watermelon ...and cake ...on a gorgeous warm day ...while watching the geese and ducks swim by. Now, that's a perfect warm sunny weeekend. Side note: while going for a walk, I found a random cemetery here from 1831-1878 for Debaun Swartwout. I didn't know who they were but did a quick Google search and turns out there are people who are in search for the ancestry of Debaun / Swartwout and for this particular burial site. So I figured I'd make note of it in case someone may still be searching for this cemetery / burial ground. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NYROCKLA/2007-09/1189601711 read more

I decided to check out Rockland lake this morning for a quick 3 mile run and I was not disappointed. The paved path is exactly 3 miles long and wraps itself all the way around the lake. It is both covered in shade and open to the sun, which was perfect for this chilly fall morning. There are multiple comfort stations along the way, although I can't comment on them, except to say they look clean from the outside. Overall, this was a great place for a morning run. A good number of other runners, as well as stroller moms and dads and bicyclist. Great place for an easy run. read more

If you would like to do a short hike with a decent view, go to the entrance that leads to the golf course. Park at the golf course and find the yellow markings on the tree. Follow the yellow marks and when you start seeing the water, take a left and find the green markers to go up. Nice views and an easy hike! read more

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ROCKLAND LAKE! I used to rollerblade around the three mile path. And run when I was feeling ambitious. In the summer, when I was a child, it was nice to come here on the weekend to ride my bike. In recent years, this park has become crowded. Overrun with people from the city driving up to see a little green. Hmmm... I have a lot of memories here. Whenever I come back to visit my parents (and it's not winter), I come here to just MOVE! You can also take the boats out on the lake, as well. I've never done this, but it looks sort of relaxing. Oh yeah, and in recent years, it's also been overrun by Canadian Geese. Those birds are RUDE! Always honking and trying to scare away the people. Ugh. read more

Large park with scenic lake views. Lots of space for BBQing and section 4-5 has a large swimming pool for only $1-2 per person. FYI: There are no lockers in the pool area and no closed changing rooms either. So let your junk hang free or cover yourself with a towel. There are showers and filthy bathrooms, if you're shy. Parking is not free, I paid about $8 for the day. Kind of a ripoff considering the pool is only $2 and the area is low key and inexpensive. The pool was clean but too crowded and rowdy for me. The drive up from Brooklyn just wasn't worth it. read more

We had a great time here today. Stayed for almost 5 hours by the new playground. No charge for parking today. Has a nice picnic. Bathrooms were pretty clean. No garbage around. We were very happy read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

Rollerblading is good here! one loop around is like 3 miles. Avoid on Sundays in the summer unless u like crowds in parks. and don't don't bring your dog here... NO DOGS ALLOWED. wahhhhhhhhhh. gratuitous amounts of swans, ducks and geese here; they charge $8 to park here after Memorial Day...you can park across the street at the elementary school parking lot for free, just make a left at the light, instead of a right into the lot for the park. weeeeeeeeee..... read more

MY RATING IS BASED ON THE POOL ALONE... so much police presence, only because of the crowd this pool now brings in. There was an argument that almost let to a physical fight on the line, & the horse playing was uncontrollable with older teenage boys that I felt my toddler was unsafe. The bathrooms were disgusting. Lights didn't work, floor seemed to have feces mixed with pool water. I was able to play catch with my oldest on the other side of the field, problem there is that signs everywhere mentioned loud music was prohibited, yet the 2 trucks were battling entertainment systems with ratchet music. My family could not hear me over the cursing hip hop. $8 parking fee, pool line that lasted 30 min in length. Will not be coming back. read more

I only got in the kiddie pool with my children because the big pool looked like "people soup" soccer uniform, underoos, sweatshorts, fatigues, basketball shorts & cut off church pants....ANY ATTIRE is allowed in their pools. for whatever reason nyc pools consider these to be a hazard but anything goes at Rockland Lake State Park. It was pretty hilarious to see people get in the pools fully dressed in street and athletic attire. read more

I loved it I went there with my family in the summer and it was so good we had tons of fun I loved the slides I think ima go there for this summer read more

Super big park... Originally came here to have a picnic but ended up walking the longgggggg trail omg. Although it was long we didn't mind because it was a beautiful today and the water view was eye catching. Very nice and clean park with multiple benches to eat or rest. Love it here! read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Peaceful - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

I go for the 3 mile loop around the lake. Its perfect for running, but the wind off the lake can be brisk during the early spring. Pets are not allowed, but bicyclists are. I wish it were the opposite. Watch out for the duck/geese droppings. Ps. Certain months, days, and hours will require an admission fee of $8. read more

Walked and skated around gee lake. Beautiful afternoon. Clean and airy. Bathrooms if you need then. Path is paved. read more

Rockland Lake State Park - Beautiful fall day. - Parks Near Me - Valley Cottage, New York

Waited for the pool to open. Nobody wearing masks not social distancing. One guy on the line sneezed without a face covering. Kids behind me were drinking ice tea and spitting it out.... yes getting that on me.. The pool looked lovely. The people were animals. read more

This is such a great places for families great walking trails, biking, boating, fishing.. I'm glad to live next to this place! read more

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The 3 mile walk/run/bike/skate, etc. around the lake is one of the best exercise spots in the county. The scenery is beautiful, and you don't have to worry about traffic, etc. There's plenty of parking, but you do have to pay a fee during the summer - weekends starting in the spring. Plenty of wildlife to observe such as turtles, swans, ducks, geese, deer, etc. It's a great place for a picnic too. I've never used the pool, but it's a nice service to the community. Only reason for a 4 is because at certain times of the year, you have to dodge a lot of goose droppings. read more

Not a bad course, challenging for sure...with pretty views. But it is very hilly and difficult to walk. The greens are small and not kept up very well, and the traps are atrocious. The worst thing is the staff in the pro shop. The golf pro Rob is rude and discourteous. I can't imagine anyone wanting to work with him or take lessons from him. Bottom line, there are so many better choices for a round of golf in Rockland County. read more