Stony Brook became a summer tourist spot in the late 19th century, following the construction of a railroad in 1883. The resort fell into decline by the 1920s. New York state resurrected the area by buying the land and establishing the state park in 1928.
Stony Brook was enhanced in the 1930s by improvements constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. The footprint of these government programs is evident throughout the park in the form of hiking paths, bridges, picnic areas, and buildings.
Park description and facilities
The signature attraction of the park is the eponymous brook, which is an example of small, post-glacial streams in the Finger Lakes area. The small creeks and brooks in this area cut through the Great Lakes-area escarpments following retreat of the ice age glaciers, creating deep, narrow gorges, with many waterfalls, which are uncommonly accessible.
Initially 250 acres (1.0 km2), the park is now 568 acres (2.30 km2).[1] It offers two stream-fed swimming pools, picnic tables and pavilions, a playground, a nature trail, hiking, fishing and bow-hunting (deer), a campground with tent and trailer sites, and cross-country skiing. The park has an upper and lower entrance, connected only by Route 36 and trails.
^ abc"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. 674. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
