Amsterdam Beach State Park facts for kids

Amsterdam Beach State Park is a large, undeveloped park in New York. It sits right on the Atlantic Ocean in the Town of East Hampton. You can find it just east of Montauk. This park is also sometimes called the Amsterdam Beach Preserve. It covers about 199 acres (0.8 square kilometers) of land.

Park History: How It Became a Park

The area where Amsterdam Beach State Park is located was once known as the "Montauk Moorlands." Before it became a park, this land was owned by private people.

Buying the Land for the Park

In 2005, a big part of the land was bought to create the park. This first purchase was about 122 acres (0.49 square kilometers). It cost $16.5 million in total. Many groups helped pay for it:

• The Town of East Hampton paid $6 million.
• Suffolk County paid $5.5 million.
• New York State paid $4 million.
• A federal grant added $1 million.

At that time, this property was one of the largest areas of undeveloped land in Montauk. It was important to protect it.

Growing the Park

In 2008, an additional 77 acres (0.31 square kilometers) of land next to the park were bought. This made the park much larger. Now, the park is almost 200 acres (0.81 square kilometers) in size.

New York State, the Town of East Hampton, and Suffolk County all own parts of the park together.

What Makes Amsterdam Beach State Park Special?

Amsterdam Beach State Park is located between Shadmoor State Park and the Nature Conservancy's Andy Warhol Preserve. The park is mostly undeveloped. This means it is kept as natural as possible. The goal is to protect its value as a home for plants and animals.

Nature and Wildlife

The park has about 1,288 feet (393 meters) of oceanfront. It also has several ponds and large areas of wetlands. Wetlands are places where the land is covered by water, like marshes. About 54 acres (0.22 square kilometers) of the park are wetlands.

You can find many types of woody plants here. These include shadbush, highbush blueberry, black cherry, and arrowwood. Several kinds of holly plants also grow in the park.

The park is home to several animal species that are rare in the region. These include:

• Northern harriers (a type of bird)
• Spotted turtles
• Cooper's hawks (another type of bird)

Many shorebirds and migratory birds use the park too. These birds follow the Atlantic Flyway, which is a major path for birds flying south for winter. You might also see amphibians like the protected blue-spotted salamander at Amsterdam Beach.

Exploring the Park

A network of trails was finished in the park in 2011. These trails allow visitors to explore the natural beauty of Amsterdam Beach State Park. They are a great way to see the different plants and animals that live there.