James Baird State Park


James Baird State Park is a state park in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The park is located in the northern part of the Town of LaGrange, east of City of Poughkeepsie.
WWW parks.ny.gov/parks/jamesb...

History

The park is named after James Baird, the donor of the land. Baird, who held a Ph.D. in engineering, formed the construction company that erected the Lincoln Memorial and the Folger Shakespeare Library. He donated his land to the state in 1939 for a park.
The park formerly included a large community swimming pool, which was filled in by park management in the 1980s. Today, the bathhouse serves as a restroom and concession building has been demolished. The former pool area is bounded by rows of large elm trees.

Description

James Baird State Park offers picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, recreation programs, hiking and biking, a nature trail, cross-country skiing, and a food concession. A sports complex that offers pickleball, softball, volleyball, basketball, and tennis is also included in the park, in addition to the 18-hole James Baird State Park Golf Course.