River Pool at Beacon

There aren’t many places on the Hudson River where you can trust that your children will easily be within reach, in a shallow environment, AND have a lifegaurd nearby. Enter: The River Pool.
Designed for probably no more than 18 – 20 people, at first glance it looks like a big hot tub or trampoline in the River. In some ways it’s a bit of both. You’ll find it by meandering your way past the parking lot, beyond the sand volleyball courts, and past the basketball court to the aluminum ramp at the north edge of the park overlooking the bridge.
Thankfully, the aluminum ramp means you don’t need to climb sharp rocks or weed through lillypads to get into the water, instead you just walk right into the little rainbow colored plastic pool ring and land on a nylon netting that prevents you from walking on river mud.
On a hot August day, it’s a refreshing way to cool off and enjoy the park. You’d think that would make it busy, but in the prime afternoon heat on a Saturday, there were only 6 people in the pool, with a couple parents on the sidelines.
Just in case you need a bit of privacy before getting in the pool, there are porta potties and even a curtained changing area. So many conveniences, and all without park fees. A gem for families in Beacon and for visitors who want to expand their stay beyond Dia and Main St.
Bonus tip: go on Sunday and make a picnic from vendors at the local farmer’s market on the river dock.

To fully appreciate this experience, try this fun little mind exercise, especially if you are a New York City dweller.
Picture the following:
*20 feet in diameter
*24−30 inches deep
*Open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 – 6 p.m. from early July to Labor Day
*Located at a riverfront park within sight of the nearest Metro-​North train station
*Refreshments = whatever you can get from the vending machines or the «coffee shop» (aka micro convenience store complete with fee ATM) on the platform of said train station
*Bathroom access = 3 Porta Potties the parking lot
*Free of charge
What did you see: (a) a trash pit, (b) a cesspool, or © no results?
Well, in the lovely Hudson Valley town of Beacon, the answer is River Pool; a public delight conceptualized by local resident and famed folk musician Pete Seeger (!) and actualized in a unique environment that can actually pull off this Utopic feat.
On the hot-​as-​balls 4^th of July weekend of 2013, my companion and I finally overcame our denial that it was too goddamn hot to stroll sculpture gardens or hit hiking trails. We had to swim, and luckily, the owner of a shop near the town we were staying tipped us off to River Pool.
Maybe the holiday weekend had an impact on the atttendance, but we arrived to Riverfront Park in Beacon to an idyllic scene mostly devoid of people. First, we walked past a river shorefront that was remarkably marine in nature, with an assortment of ducks, gulls, and cranes perching on rocks and driftwood sticking out of the silty looking water. We came to a finely cured green with a tennis court whose fence held a sign that had an arrow and read: «River Pool.» We followed the arrow and saw a changing station perched on a hill, its curtain blowing in the breeze, flapping against a simple metal frame.
Over the hill, we saw the pool; a cheerful, buoyant rainbow ring tethered to the shore and floating in suddenly open water, with a sprawl of neon green duckweed and the Hamilton Fish Newburgh-​Beacon Bridge beyond it, and Amtrak trains choo-​chooing by on the rail every now and then.
This pool was tiny, with about five kids raising hell in it. It was a bit intimidating, in a weird way. I didn’t know how we’d be received on their turf. Of course, they were probably more scared of us and our impromptu swimwear (aka PANTIES).
I tittered at the sight of a young, tan, and good/​miserable-​looking young male lifeguard sitting in a low lying beach chair, faced decidedly AWAY from the pool. The approach down the skinny metal ramp down to the pool revealed an active lifeguard on the edge of the rainbow ring, curled up like a cashew under a rainbow umbrella and looking only slightly less tortured behind her dark sunglasses.
I stared into the brownish but clean water and saw a grid flickering under it. I shuddered inwardly at the anticipation of stepping onto a metal floor, and at the same time saw a sign somewhere that said, «30 inches deep.» Kids whirled and shrieked, stopping only to kind of stare curiously at these poorly clad GROWN UPS entering the pool.
Anyway, I stepped into the cool river water, and was BOUNCED up by the floor! What a shock! Indeed, the floor was somehow made of an open network of non-​slimy netting as bouncy as a trampoline, deflecting the fallen back to safety. Instantly, my heart swelled and I felt truly like a child. What a beautiful thing it was that kids could swim in open water, truly without fear. I closed my eyes, rested my head on the squeaky clean sides, and sat there, listening to the strains of Marco Polo, complements of the kiddos.
In a moment, the guy lifeguard came down the stairs. Without a word to one another, they changed guard. We’d see many more shifts, observing their two different styles of reproaching kids. The girl was full of firm assertions that went gently ignored, while the guy barked empty threats… until he finally threw out a pair of chubby, goggled boys who were unable to keep their hands to themselves; karate chopping at each other and holding each other down in the water. By then, some parents had arrived onto the scene, and said, self-​righteously, «Good! That’s how they learn.» I had to hold back guffaws of incredulity. What a weird and watery clubhouse this had become.
Right before we left, I became aware of a woman on the OUTSIDE. «Is that allowed?» I gasped.
«Well, we can’t stop you,» she said, but made clear that I couldn’t use the outer edge of the pool as my launching platform. At this, I saw the guy lifeguard finally crack a smile.
Turned out, the lady was securing the netting. She was with the River Pool Organization (
). This pool was a prototype for larger ones in the town and beyond (even NYC:
). But these visions are are large scale and involve filtration systems. This is all very exciting, but methinks real genius would be in keeping it simple, just like this.