Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain

Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain. . This road was formerly Main Street in the Hamlet of Rockland Lake.

In the early 17th Century the Dutch named the local cliffs Verdrietige Hoek, or "Tedious Point," which referred to the area surrounding the natural ridge of the Palisades and Hook Mountain, the most prominent landmark.

The far-reaching commercial history of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain began in the early 18th Century when John Slaughter settled the riverfront. A hotel and ferry landing was located within the natural ravine of the Palisades just north of Hook Mountain.

Various industries utilized the abundance of natural resources in the area. The pristine waters of Rockland Lake provided the Knickerbocker Ice Company, founded in 1855, a perfect venue for harvesting its world famous ice. Rock was extensively quarried from the cliffs overlooking the Hudson River for use in the growing metropolis of New York City.

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission halted rock quarrying at Hook Mountain by 1917. The construction plateaus left behind became picnicking and recreation venues attracting throngs of people from NYC by steamboat and train. The invention of refrigeration led to the collapse of the ice industry in 1924 and the Lake became a popular resort area.

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission acquired much of the property surrounding the Lake in 1958 and opened Rockland Lake State Park in 1965.