Community News

Friends of Mexico Point Park was awarded a $30,592 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program to build a wheelchair accessible trail from the parking lot to the lakeshore.

The Friends of Mexico Point Park will have to raise an additional $3,990 in matching funds, for a total of $34,582 for the total project budget.

The grant is one of 27 awards totaling $900,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites, trails and public lands. The grants will be matched with private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.

Friends groups—nonprofit organizations often made up entirely of volunteers—are essential to the stewardship and promotion of our state park system. These dedicated groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants are administered by Parks & Trails New York, a statewide non-profit organization, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.

Parks & trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin said, "With more and more people discovering the outdoors, and visitation to our parks, trails, and public lands soaring, the need for strong public/public partnerships has never been greater. The Park and Trail Partnership Grants help bolster the role of Friends groups in these vital partnerships."

Many people enjoy Mexico Point Park for its swimming, picnic areas and view of the lake, but have no idea of its rich history and natural wonders. The new trail will not only be more accessible to people in wheelchairs but will also provide attractive educational signage about the Point’s role in the Revolutionary War and about the luxury hotel that flourished on the point in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A new kiosk will include a large map of the park and additional signage will provide information about the plants and animals that thrive at the park.

Diane Chepko-Sade, President of Friends of Mexico Point Park said, The handicap accessible trail will enhance the park's attractiveness to elderly people and those with disabilities as well as younger people and those with greater mobility. The trail will also make it easier for young families with strollers and people pulling wheeled picnic boxes. The new signage will also make the park a great destination for school groups and will engage the public's interest by providing information about the history and nature at the park.

Friends of Mexico Point Park, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 and dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of Mexico Point State Park, Spy Island historical site, and Casey’s Cottage. We are grateful for any donations, large or small from the community to help us make up our portion of the funding needed to make this project possible.

To view a list of all Round 7 awardees, please visit: https://www.ptny.org/our-work/support/park-trail-partnership-program/awardees

More information on Park and Trail Partnership Grants can be found at www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583.