Hempstead Lake State Park

Home
United States
West Hempstead, NY
Hempstead Lake State Park

Go fishing, take a stroll, or register for an environmental education program! https://linktr.ee/hempsteadlakestatepark

History:
In 1925 Robert Moses convinced the City of New York to dedicate 2,200 acres of city water supply areas in Nassau County for state park and parkway purposes in the form of a surface easement. 903 of these acres became Hempstead Lake State Park. After the dedication of these water supply areas, the Park Commission immediately began improvements for parks and parkways. Prior to the acquisiti

on, these lands remained mostly wild and inaccessible. Kenneth Roberts describes these areas in his historical novel of the Revolutionary War as impenetrable, mosquito- infested swamps where loyalists hid from the rebels. In the main picnic area is the only mechanical amusement device found in any of the state parks on Long Island - a children’s carousel. This carousel was built around the turn of the century by M.C.Illions of Coney Island and was donated to State Parks by August Heckscher around 1931. Prior to it being erected at Hempstead Lake, it was a “traveling knock down type”. The wooden horses are hand carved and their tails contain real horse hair. In 1981 the carousel was closed due to lack of funds for proper maintenance. The local village of Rockville Centre approached State Parks with an offer to rehabilitate and operate the carousel in one of the local parks. An initial agreement was made and plans to move the carousel were taken. Local residents in West Hempstead and Lakeview then rallied together and gathered petitions. This public outcry stopped the relocation. Over a period of many months the carousel was rehabilitated. After having stood idle for four years, the sound of children was once again heard from the carousel.

08/01/2026

Have you been following along with our year long gardening series? 👩‍🌾 🫜🪏

Whether you’ve been joining us for class, or are a garden enthusiast, we’d love to see what veggies, fruits, or flowers you’re growing at home!

Share your photo with us by using the 🌿

07/24/2026

August is just around the corner, but summer’s not over yet! ☀️

If you’re looking for fun, low-key ways to get your kids outside, our free August programs are a great way for kids to explore the outdoors while learning something new!

Want to register? Click the link in our bio, or search “Hempstead Lake State Park” on Eventbrite! 🧡

07/19/2026

Taking a stroll through Hempstead Lake State Park today? Stop by McDonald Pond to learn all about turtles with our educators! It’s turtally cool 😎

07/04/2026

From our ambassador turtles Shelly and Clementine to you, Happy 4th everyone! ❤️🤍💙

07/03/2026

Looking forward to spending your holiday weekend outdoors? Us too! ❤️🤍💙

We’re joining in on the holiday fun this weekend with free educational activities for all to enjoy. Be on the lookout for education pop-up activities in Field 1 of the park! 🔍 or stop by the Environmental Education & Resiliency Center to learn about the hands-on nature programming we do all year-long! 🌿
Please note that an $8 vehicle entrance fee is in effect.

Stay safe and stay cool! We’ll

06/27/2026

If you’re visiting the park today, stop by the Field 1 playground to make a pride themed friendship bracelet with one of our educators! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Happy Pride Month Everyone! 🏳️‍🌈

05/30/2026

Good Morning Everyone, unfortunately we have to cancel our public programming for this weekend. If you signed up for one of these events, you will receive a cancellation email from our Eventbrite page. We do apologize for any inconveniences. We hope to see you at one of our public programs in June! You can access our June public program calendar by clicking the link in our bio!

04/29/2026

Today in Tiny Tots class, we built our own little bird nests and sparked even bigger curiosity about the world of birds! 🪺🐣🐥

Interested in nature based classes for your 3-5 year old? Join us every other Wednesday at the Environmental Education & Resiliency Center. Sign up at the link in our bio 🔗

04/21/2026

We’re less than two weeks away from I Love My Park Day!

Join us at Hempstead Lake State Park where we’ll come together as a community to lend a hand at the park!

Together, we’ll plant trees, spruce up our garden beds, and litter pick around the lake.

Register for this event at ptny.org/events/i-love-my-park-day/

🕐: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
📍: Meet at the Environmental Education & Resiliency Center, Field 1 Hempstead Lake State Park

04/19/2026

We’re diving headfirst into Spring with a May full of outdoor fun! 🪴

Fresh air, blooming views, and programming that gets you moving, creating, and connecting!

Don’t miss our I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 2nd, where we’ll be planting trees, cleaning our garden beds, and coming together for a community litter pick, because loving our park means caring for it too! 🌳🪏🌿

Click the link in our bio to register for our May programs, we can’t wait to celebrate the season of Spring with you 🌸🌷🌼

Address

880 Lake Drive
West Hempstead, NY
11552

Telephone

(516) 766-1029

Website

https://parks.ny.gov/parks/hempsteadlake

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hempstead Lake State Park posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Hempstead Lake State Park:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in West Hempstead?