Erosion wasn’t always Crookes Point’s friend. We stand now at Crookes Point. It is a place with a story etched by time and tide.
Crookes Point is at the southern tip of Great Kills Park. Great Kills Park is part of Gateway National Recreation Area’s Staten Island Unit. This natural area attracts both fishermen and bird watchers.
Let’s journey back to 1860. Businessman and pioneering naturalist John J. Crooke bought this land. He made it his home. Crooke built a wooden house at the beach. He named it Crooke’s Point. Back then, a narrow strip of land connected Crooke’s Point to the mainland. This created a natural harbor.
Fast forward to 1916. Waves relentlessly attacked the connecting strip. Erosion severed the link. Crooke’s Point became an island. The harbor was destroyed.
New York City acquired Crooke’s Point and adjacent lands in 1929. They planned a public park. The Great Depression delayed those plans. The park finally opened in 1949.
In the 1940s, the city reconnected Crooke’s Point to Staten Island. They used landfill. Great Kills Harbor was reborn.
Today two roads lead to Crookes Point. Bird watchers often use Crookes Point Road. Fishermen tend to use Harbor Road. But here’s a local tip. You need an annual parking permit to drive onto Crookes Point. Out-of-towners should walk or bike. There’s no fee for that.
From the Great Kills Park swimming beach at Parking Lot G, it’s a half-mile walk to the water at Crookes Point. Most people can walk it in fifteen minutes.
Three short hiking trails crisscross Crookes Point. But the trails are not well traveled. Ticks can be a problem. A park ranger recommends long pants.
For an easy 1.4-mile walk around Crookes Point start at Parking Lot G. Walk along Crookes Point Road to the parking lot. Then take the sandy trail next to the restroom building. This leads out to the point.
The beach might surprise you if you’ve only been to the swimming beach at Great Kills Park. Being so close to New York City, trash washes up quickly. The Great Kills Park swimming beach is raked each morning. Otherwise, it would be just like the rest.
Head right toward the harbor when you reach the water. High tide might make it impassable. You might have to walk through the grassy area near the shore. This increases your risk of picking up ticks.
Fishermen often gather at the harbor’s mouth. The Harbor Road parking lot is nearby. The walk back to Parking Lot G is along Harbor Road.
Hurricane Sandy destroyed these roads in 2012. Everything you see at Crookes Point is relatively new. There’s a grassy picnic area along Harbor Road. Benches offer views of the harbor.
Despite the trash on the beach, a walk around Crookes Point is enjoyable. It takes about an hour at a leisurely pace to complete the loop. So there you have it. A place where nature and history intertwine offering simple pleasures to those who venture here.