Three open spaces in the Town of Thompson are receiving upgrades, new names and new signage, as well as official designation as a Town Park. Along with the new names, a hand-crafted sign has been installed at each park entrance. In addition, a series of recreation events are planned so residents can experience these three unique parks.

The new names are united by a common theme: the bodies of water at the heart of each area. Because there is now more than one park that the Town operates, the Town of Thompson Park nomenclature didn’t make sense – necessitating the name change to something more descriptive.

  1. The Town Park is now the East Mongaup River Park at 181 Town Park Road in Monticello, highlighting the river that runs through it. It’s open now.
  2. The former Camp JENED is now Lake Ida Park at 53 Adams Road in Rock Hill, named for the approximately 12-acre lake at its center. The park officially opens on October 15th.
  3. The third park is the new Neversink River Access at County Road 173 (Old Route 17) in Bridgeville which provides portage out of the Neversink River along with fishing and beautiful views. The park opens spring 2023.

“Bodies of water provide excellent recreation opportunities, which is why we wanted to base our park names on these assets. For example, the trail at the East Mongaup River Park follows the river which is also a popular spot for picnics and general exploration. The new Neversink River Access Park is a popular spot for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. We’re excited about the upcoming events that our Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting so that everyone can discover – or rediscover – our Town’s open recreation areas,” said Town Supervisor Bill Rieber.

The upcoming events at the Town Parks are all free of charge and include the following: Zumba will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5:30pm through October 11th at the East Mongaup River Park in the upper pavilion. At the same park, there is also a Treats and Trails Halloween event on Saturday, October 22nd from 4-7pm. On October 15th from 10am to noon, local nature expert Bill Cutler will lead an easy guided walk around the Lake Ida Park. Leashed dogs are welcome and there are newly installed doggie stations available. Finally, there will be a fly fishing demonstration held at the Neversink River Access Park, when it officially opens in Spring 2023.

Outdoor recreation is a key focus area for the Town of Thompson, as identified in the 2019 Parks and Recreation Plan. Since then, the Town Parks and Recreation Department has increased the amount of recreation opportunities by hosting events at local parks and enhancing amenities. The latest step in improving outdoor spaces is the Town Park renaming and relaunching project, made possible through funding from Sullivan County Plans and Progress and Sullivan Renaissance. The signs were created in harmony with the existing blue Town of Thompson signage, and were created by Dorene Warner of W Design and hand-crafted by Nicole Camacho of Fine Hand Sign.