Skoufis asks Palisades Interstate Park Commission to reopen Lake Sebago

Editor's note: State Sen. James Skoufis sent the following letter to Jim Hall, superintendent of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission:

I write in regards to the beach at Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park. This beach was for years one of the most popular swimming spots in the Hudson Valley but it has been closed since it was damaged by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

At a time when the beaches at Lake Tiorati and Lake Welch are routinely filled to capacity on summer weekends, the need to re-open Lake Sebago Beach has never been clearer.

In 2019, more than 400,000 visitors used the beaches at Lake Tiorati and Lake Welch, an influx that caused Lake Tiorati beach to close by midday on most weekends during the summer season.

While I recognize that the years of neglect have taken their toll on the infrastructure at Lake Sebago Beach, I urge the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to make it a priority to re-open this beloved amenity to the public.

Working together to secure resources from state government for this purpose, I am confident that we can soon restore this piece of Harriman State Park to its former glory.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

James Skoufis

State Senator