Hempstead Lake State Park is a state park located in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The park is located in West Hempstead and is one of three state parks within the Town of Hempstead. There is a quick-access entrance at exit 18 from the Southern State Parkway. The park contains the largest freshwater lake in Nassau County.
Recreation The park includes 18 tennis courts, pickleball and basketball courts, children's playgrounds, a softball field, bridle trails, hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, an observation deck, and a historic hand-carved carousel. Hempstead Lake, McDonald Pond and South Pond are open for fishing, and Hempstead Lake has facilities for launching kayaks, canoes and other permitted cartop boats.
History
The central feature of this park is Hempstead Lake, first proposed in 1870 to supply water to Brooklyn, New York. The Mill River,Hidden waters of NYC: Mill River, Hempstead also known as Hempstead Creek was dammed to form the 167-acreNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation "Hempstead Lake, Hempstead Lake State Park Fishing Information" http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24167.html reservoir. Following the annexation of Brooklyn by New York City in 1898, the reservoir's use as a source of water declined.
In 1925, the route of Southern State Parkway was laid through the reservoir's grounds, and the property was designated as a state park. The park's hand-carved carousel, built in 1914 by Mangels and M. C. Illions & Son, was donated to the park by philanthropist August Heckscher in 1931. The highway originally looped around Hempstead Lake's southern shore between exits 18 and 19. In 1947, an earthen dam was laid across the northern third of Lake Hempstead, straightening the route of the parkway across the lake. A decade later, Peninsula Boulevard was extended along the eastern side of the park partially reusing the parkway's old route.Anderson, Steve "Southern State Parkway: historical overview NYC Roads http://www.nycroads.com/roads/southern/
The reconfiguration of Southern State Parkway created two lakes from the reservoir's northern third: Northeast Pond and Northwest Pond.Kadinsky, Sergey "Mill River, Hempstead, NY" Hidden Waters Blog October 16, 2017 https://hiddenwatersblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/hempriv/ Excess water exiting Hempstead Lake continues into McDonald Pond and South Pond before leaving the park.
McDonald Pond, the small pond into which Mill Creek flows after leaving Hempstead Lake was officially dedicated in memory of NYPD Officer Steven McDonald on January 15, 2021.Grant, Nakeem "New signage erected at McDonald Pond" LI Herald January 21, 2021 https://www.liherald.com/stories/new-signage-erected-at-mcdonald-pond,129785
On September 23, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul dedicated the Environmental Education & Resiliency Center at the park, which provides displays on the natural and human history of the park.Bonfiglio, Brianna "Environmental Education Center Opens at Hempstead Lake State Park" Lon Island Press September 24, 2021 https://www.longislandpress.com/2021/09/24/environmental-education-center-opens-at-hempstead-lake-state-park/ The center also monitors the Hempstead Lake Dam and supports storm preparation and response. In June 2023, New York State announced the completion of a $47 million multi-year improvement project at the park. The work included rehabilitation of the Hempstead Lake Dam, improvements to the Northern Ponds to reduce flood risk and pollution, the creation of eight acres of emergent wetlands, new pedestrian bridges and observation areas, and two miles of accessible trails. The project was funded with $35 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and $12 million in State Parks capital funding, and formed part of the broader Living with the Bay resiliency initiative.
"Peaches" / "Jane Doe No. 3"
On June 28, 1997, the dismembered torso of an unidentified young African-American woman was found at Hempstead Lake State Park, in the town of Lakeview, New York. The torso was found in a green plastic Rubbermaid container, which was dumped next to a road along the west side of the lake. Investigators reported that the victim had a tattoo on her left breast of a heart-shaped peach with a bite out of it and two drips falling from its core. In 2025, she was identified as 26-year-old Tanya Jackson.
See also List of New York state parks
References
External links
New York State Parks: Hempstead Lake State Park