Tallman Mountain State Park

When

Spring for warblers and wildflowers.

From Tallman SP north toward Piermont Pier (AWW)

Directions

Tappan Zee Bridge to the first exit to Route 9W south.  You will drive past Tallman State Park.  The park is located just south of Piermont Pier. The pier can be seen from the picnic areas on top of Tallman.

Description

Tallman Mountain State Park comprises wooded country on the easterly slope of the Palisades uplands overlooking the Hudson and Piermont Marsh.  The park operates year round as a day-use area, offering a swimming pool, running track, tennis courts, picnic areas and hiking.

In the early 1920's much of the park was owned by the Standard Oil Company, who planned to use 540 acres to make an oil tank "farm." Numerous earthen berms and oil-seepage ditches were constructed. When the PIPC purchase this section of the park in 1942, the seepage basins and ditches were reverted to woodland ponds.  Another 164 acres of the park was  acquired in 1928 from Standard Trap Rock Company of Sparkill with money donated by Commissioners Rockefeller, Perkins, and Harriman. 

Flora

List compiled by Dr. Patrick L. Cooney and Nancy Slowick:

Acer platanoides Norway maple, Acer rubrum red maple, Acer saccharum sugar maple, Actaea alba white baneberry (doll's eyes), Ailanthus altissima tree of heaven, Alliaria petiolata garlic mustard, Anemone quinquefolia (wood anemone), Anthoxanthum odoratum sweet vernal grass, Arisaema triphyllum jack-in-the-pulpit, Athyrium red-stiped northern lady fern, Barbarea vulgaris common wintercress 6/08/97, Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry, Betula lenta (black birch), Carpinus caroliniana musclewood, Carya ovata (shagbark hickory), Carya spp. hickory, Castanea dentata American chestnut, Celastrus orbiculatus Asiatic bittersweet, Cerastium vulgatum mouse-ear chickweed, Claytonia virginiana spring beauty, Clethra alnifolia sweet pepperbush, Collinsonia canadensis horsebalm, Commelina communis Asiatic dayflower, Conopholis americana squawroot, Cornus florida flowering dogwood, Corylus? hazelnut?, Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's breeches), Dryopteris marginalis marginal woodfern, Erythronium americanum trout lily, Eupatroium perfoliatum boneset, Fagus grandifolia American beech, Galium aparine cleavers, Geranium maculatum wild geranium, Gleditsia triacanthos honey locust, Hamamelis virginiana witch hazel, Hieracium cespitosum king devil hawkweed, Hieracium venosum rattlesnake hawkweed, Impatiens capensis jewelweed, Krigia biflora two-flowered cynthia, Ligustrum sp. privet, Lindera benzoin spice bush, Liquidambar styraciflua sweetgum, Liriodendron tulipifera tulip tree, Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle, Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife, Maianthemum canadense Canada mayflower, Nyssa sylvatica tupelo, Onoclea sensibilis sensitive fern, Ornithogallum star of Bethlehem,  Osmorhiza sweet cicely, Osmunda regalis royal fern, Ostrya virginiana eastern hop hornbeam, Paronychia forked chickweed, Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia creeper, Paulownia tomentosa royal paulownia, Phytolacca americana pokeweed, Platanus occidentalis sycamore, Poa annua annual bluegrass, Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass, Polygonatum pubescens hairy true Solomon's seal, Polygonum cespitosum cespitose knotweed, Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern, Populus deltoides (cottonwood), Populus grandidentata big tooth aspen?, Potentilla simplex common cinquefoil, Prunus serotina black cherry, Pyrola round-leaved pyrola, Quercus alba (white oak), Quercus prinus chestnut oak, Quercus rubra red oak, Quercus velutina black oak, Ranunculus abortivus kidney-leaf buttercup, Ranunculus hooked crowfoot, Rhododendron sp. garden rhododendron, Rhus glabra smooth sumac, Rhus typhina staghorn sumac, Robinia pseudoacacia black locust, Rosa multiflora multiflora rose, Rubus alleghaniensis blackberry, Rubus hispidus swamp dewberry, Rubus occidentalis black raspberry, Rubus phoenicolasius wineberry, Sambucus rubra red-berried elderberry, Sassafras albidum sassafras, Scrophularia lanceolata hare figwort, Silene white campion, Smilacina racemosa false Solomon's seal, Solidago caesia blue-stemmed goldenrod, Staphylea trifolia bladdernut, Symplocarpus foetidus skunk cabbage, Thalictrum tall meadowrue, Thelypteris novaeboracensis New York fern, Tilia americana American linden, Toxicodendron radicans poison ivy, Trifolium repens white clover, Tsuga canadensis eastern hemlock, Tussilago farfara coltsfoot, Ulmus rubra slippery elm, Verbascum thapsus common mullein, Veronica officinalis common speedwell, Viburnum acerifolium maple-leaf viburnum, Viburnum prunifolium blackhaw viburnum.

Birds

Green Heron at Tallman SP (AWW)

Typical checklist 5/11/97 compiled by Alan and Della Wells:

Red-wing blackbird, American crow, Baltimore oriole, Magnolia warbler, Northern cardinal, Blue-gray gnatcatcher, Downy woodpecker, Common grackle, Cerulean warbler, Broadwing hawk, White-throated sparrow, Black and white warbler, Northern parula, Blue-headed vireo, Canada goose, Yellow-rumped warbler, Black-throated green warbler, Ovenbird, Blue jay, Tufted titmouse, Black-capped chickadee, Great crested flycatcher, Gray catbird, Red-eyed vireo, White-breasted nuthatch, Mallard, Northern flicker, American redstart, Mourning dove, Red-bellied woodpecker, Song sparrow, Brown-headed cowbird, Barn swallow, Eastern kingbird, American robin, Eastern phoebe, Blackburnian warbler, Veery.