Iona Island is a island of the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

in the town of Stony Point, New York, on its west bank. The island is located approximately south of the

Bear Mountain Bridge The Bear Mountain Bridge, ceremonially named the Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a toll suspension bridge in New York State. It carries US 6 and US 202 across the Hudson River between Bear Mountain State Park in Orange Co ...

and is separated from the Hudson's western shore by mudflats and freshwater

tidal marsh A tidal marsh (also known as a type of "tidal wetland") is a marsh found along rivers, coasts and estuaries which floods and drains by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean. Tidal marshes are commonly zoned into lower marshes ( ...

es. It is part of Bear Mountain State Park, although it is occasionally listed separately as Iona Island State Park. From 1899 to 1947 the island was used as the Naval Ammunition Depot Iona Island. The island and its adjacent marsh were designated a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in May 1974, and it is part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. It serves mainly as a

bird sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

, particularly known as a winter nesting place for bald eagles.

Geography

Iona Island is transected by active

River Subdivision (CSX Transportation) The River Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The line runs from the North Bergen Yard in Hudson County, New Jersey north to Ravena, New York, along the alignment of the West ...

railroad tracks A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...

, but is accessible to the public only by a causeway connecting it to

U.S. Route 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...

in Bear Mountain State Park, near Doodletown. It is maintained by the

Palisades Interstate Park Commission The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a Na ...

. The southeastern part of the island, once cut off by marshes, is known as Round Island. It was attached to the south end of bedrock Iona Island with fill in the early 20th century. The hill on the western side, south of the causeway, was also once treated as separate, and referred to as Courtland Island. Snake Hole Creek originates in the low marshes towards the center of the island and flows southwesterly, then turning to the southeast and finally east in a long crescent to reach the Hudson. It separates the marshes of Salisbury Meadow, on the west side, from Ring Meadow, on the east side.

History

Native Americans spent the summers fishing from the island's shores, and named the island ''Wa-na-ka-wagh-kin'', which has been translated as meaning "good land". Artifacts excavated on Iona Island are on display at the Bear Mountain Trailside Museum and Zoo. In 1683, members of the Van Cortlandt family purchased the land from the natives. It was originally known as Salisbury Island, and later as Weyant's Island (for the local Weyant or Weiant family). The island has also been known as Beveridge's Island. It was occupied by British troops during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. In 1847, it was bought by John Beveridge for Dr. E. W. Grant, his son-in-law, who renamed it Iona Island and planted it with Iona grapes and fruit trees. Grant supplied the Union army with produce during the Civil War. In 1868, his creditors foreclosed on the island. The island was purchased by a group of investors, and a summer resort was developed on the island. Grant's mansion home became a hotel, and the investors gradually added an amusement park with a carousel, Ferris wheel, dance floor, pavilion, and picnic grounds. It also had a dock to accommodate steamboats which brought pleasure-seekers up from New York City and New Jersey. The construction of the

West Shore Railroad The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River opposite New York City, north to Albany, New York, and then west to Buffalo. It was organized as a competitor ...

across the island in 1882 made it even more accessible to tourists. In 1899, the island was bought by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

for use as a naval ammunition depot, becoming one of the largest ammunition facilities in the nation, at that time. On November 4, 1903 an explosion at the site killed six workers, and blew out windows across the river in Peekskill, three miles away. The explosion occurred while men were drawing the explosive charges from a consignment of old shells recently arrived from the battleship . The depot supplied much of the munitions for both World War I and II, and remained in service until 1947. Approximately five of the original 164 arsenal buildings remain, which the park now uses for storage. Following World War II until the early 70s, the famous "mothball fleet" of decommissioned warships were moored near the island at

Tomkins Cove Tomkins Cove is a hamlet in the Town of Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Stony Point; east of Harriman State Park; south of Doodletown and west of the Hudson River. It is located north-northwest of New Yo ...

. The island was bought by the

in 1965. In 1974 it was named a

by the National Park Service. As an active wildlife sanctuary, Iona Island is open to the public via a causeway off Route 9W. The island and its wildlife may be viewed from overlooks on nearby Route 6, as well as from overlooks within Bear Mountain State Park. Although public canoeing and kayaking is prohibited in the marsh itself, free guided canoeing programs to the marsh are offered during the summer. However, the waterway around the marsh are affected by tides and hence are "navigable-in-law" by the public.

Wildlife

The island was the subject of a

bioblitz A BioBlitz, also written without capitals as bioblitz, is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists and volunteers conduct an intensive f ...

List of identified bird species

References

{{authority control Islands of Rockland County, New York Bear Mountain State Park Islands of the Hudson River National Natural Landmarks in New York (state) River islands of New York (state) Uninhabited islands of New York (state) Islands of New York (state)

Geography

History

Wildlife

List of identified bird species

See also

References