Chimney Bluffs State Park, a beloved spot for so many years, has a super interesting past! The park’s pamphlet tells us that smugglers used this area as a secret landing spot during Prohibition to sneak liquor across the border from Canada. In 1963, New York State took over the park, which had been a private recreation area for a while.
The park’s bluffs are made from drumlins which are these teardrop-shaped hills of glacial till that glaciers shaped during the last ice age. The wind, rain, snow, and waves have been working their magic, carving out these sharp pinnacles. Even though these pinnacles and cliffs, some of which are as tall as 150 feet (46 meters) above the lake, have been around for ages, they’re always changing and getting worn down by erosion.
