Iona Island

USA / New York / Fort Montgomery /
 park, island, marsh, closed / former military, bird sanctuary, National Natural Landmark
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Known in colonial times as Salisbury Island.

Formerly Naval Ammunition Depot Iona Island, it was purchased by the US Navy in 1899 and decommissioned in 1947. Only 5 of the original 164 buildings remain. It is now part of the Bear Mountain/Harriman State Park complex. There is a nature center on the island. If you search carefully you will find wild prickly pear cactus growing here, one of the most Northerly sites for these plants.

The island is designated a National Natural Landmark for its importance as a marshland and bird sanctuary.

www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-13.ht...
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iona_Island_Marsh
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   41°18'12"N   73°58'38"W

Comments

  • Its also a great place to watch trains.
  • Iona Island is a 556-acre bedrock island, part of the Hudson River nature reserve in Stony Point, New York. The island, separated from the Hudson's western shore by mudflats and freshwater tidal marshes, is a National Natural Landmark. It serves mainly as a bird sanctuary, particularly known as a winter nesting place for Bald Eagles. It was originally known as Salisbury Island, and later as Weygant's Island (for the local Weygant or Weian family). In 1847, it was bought by John Beveridge for Dr. E. W. Grant, his great son-in-law, who renamed it Iona Island and planted it with Iona grapes and fruit trees. In 1868, his creditors foreclosed on the island. The construction of the West Shore Railroad across the island in 1882 made it accessible to tourists, and an amusement park, hotel, and picnic grounds were built there. It also had a dock to accommodate pleasure steamers on the river. In 1900,
  • From the website: http://www.hrvh.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/larc&CISOPTR=228
This article was last modified 3 years ago