Chimney Bluffs State Park

Chimney Bluffs State Park is a 597-acre (2.42 km2) state park[2] in the town of Huron in Wayne County, New York.[3] The park is situated on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, east of Sodus Bay. From the park's hiking trails, visitors can view the large clay formations at the water's edge for which the park is named.

Chimney Bluffs State Park
View of the bluffs from below in February 2009
Location of Chimney Bluffs State Park within New York State
TypeState park
Location7700 Garner Road
Wolcott, New York[1]
Nearest cityWolcott, New York
Coordinates43°17′N 76°55′W
Area597 acres (2.42 km2)[2]
Created1963 (1963)[3]
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors117,811 (in 2014)[4]
OpenAll year
WebsiteChimney Bluffs State Park

Geology
A portion of the Chimney Bluffs in 2014

The bluffs are formed from eroded drumlins, teardrop-shaped hills of glacial till that were deposited and shaped by glaciers during the most recent ice age. The erosive power of wind, rain, snow, and waves has formed the landscape into sharp pinnacles.[5] Although the pinnacles and cliffs, some of which rise up to 150 feet (46 m) above the lake shore,[6] have existed for thousands of years, they are constantly changing and further eroding.[5] The average erosion of bluffs is one to five feet (0.3 to 1.5 m) per year.

The Lake Ontario shoreline from Sodus Bay to Oswego has many bluffs, of which Chimney Bluffs is the most visited.

Park history and features
A 1907 postcard of Chimney Bluffs

The Chimney Bluffs area has been a landmark for many years. According to the pamphlet given by the park, smugglers used the area as a landing point while transporting liquor from Canada during Prohibition. The area was acquired by the state of New York in 1963[3] after having previously been operated informally as a privately owned recreation area.

It lay undeveloped until 1999 when a parking lot, service building with heated restrooms, picnic areas with grills, and hiking trails throughout the park were added. It is considered a year-round park for hiking and picnicking in the summer. Swimming is prohibited. Winter activities include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; a trailhead for snowmobiling is also located within the park.[1]

Hiking Trails at Chimney Bluffs State Park

The park has approximately four miles (6.4 km) of hiking trails, including a one-mile (1.6 km) trail along the Bluffs between the west and east entrances.

From some vantage points in the park, visitors can see Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station, 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast, as well as the coal smokestacks located in Oswego.

See also

References
  1. "Chimney Bluffs State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  2. "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook (PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 671. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. "Chimney Bluffs State Park, Huron, NY" (PDF). Wayne County Tourism. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  4. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  5. Teeter, Josh (June 16, 2015). "Geology Exposed at Chimney Bluffs State Park". Nature Times. NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  6. Collazo, Julie Schwietert (August 2014). Moon Spotlight: Finger Lakes. Avalon Travel. p. 35. ISBN 9781612387925. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
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