A former industrial quarry with striking turquoise water is about to become one of New York’s most talked-about summer destinations. Beginning Friday, July 17, 2026, Lake Sophia at Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston, Ulster County, officially opens to the public as a lifeguarded swimming facility, marking the first new swimming area added to the New York State Parks system in more than two decades.
What was once an informal and unauthorized swimming spot has been transformed into an accessible public recreation area along the Hudson River shoreline. Beyond its eye-catching cornflower-blue water and limestone cliffs, the site also tells a story that stretches from Indigenous heritage to industrial history and modern conservation.
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Lake Sophia Opening: Official Dates, Hours and Visitor Information
| Details | Information |
| Opening Date | Friday, July 17, 2026 |
| Opening Time | 10 a.m. |
| Daily Hours | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. through Labor Day weekend |
| Location | Sojourner Truth State Park, 100 Sojourner Truth Way, Kingston, NY |
| Admission | Standard New York State Parks admission policies apply |
The swimming facility sits on the park’s western side off Route 32 and has been designed to provide safe public swimming in a region that has long lacked convenient waterfront access.
A Former Quarry Becomes New York’s Newest Swimming Destination
Lake Sophia is part of a larger multi-phase redevelopment of the nearly 500-acre Sojourner Truth State Park, which spans portions of the City of Kingston and the Town of Ulster. The project is supported by funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and other sources as part of an approximately $75.6 million initiative expected to be completed by 2027.
The swimming area has been carefully designed with two separate zones.
The first is a 12,000-square-foot floating “swim crib” with water approximately four feet deep. It includes an in-water access ramp and an ADA-compliant gangway, making it suitable for beginners, families and visitors with accessibility needs.
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Next to it is a deeper free-swim area measuring approximately 15,000 to 16,000 square feet, where water depths reach about 20 feet for experienced swimmers.
The facility can accommodate around 480 swimmers at one time. That limit is based primarily on water quality considerations, including the effects of sunscreen and bug spray, rather than available space. Lifeguards will be on duty, while visitors will also have access to restrooms, showers, a lifeguard station, first aid services, picnic areas, trails, parking and scenic Hudson River views.
The Long Journey From Industrial Brownfield to State Park Landmark
The landscape has evolved through several chapters of history.
Long before industrial development, the area formed part of the Hudson Valley landscape with Indigenous Lenape heritage.
It later became a brickyard before being developed into limestone quarries with associated kilns and cement-production facilities. Those operations created the dramatic quarry landscape that remains visible today. After industry declined, the property sat largely vacant for decades.
A developer later purchased the land with plans for approximately 2,000 housing units but held it for about 15 years without significant development.
In 2019, conservation organization Scenic Hudson acquired the property to preserve it before selling it to New York State in 2022, paving the way for the creation of Sojourner Truth State Park.
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Named after the renowned abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth, who lived in the Hudson Valley, the park celebrates her legacy alongside the area’s geology, industrial history and Indigenous heritage. Lake Sophia itself honors one of Truth’s daughters.
The park’s first phase opened in 2023 with a waterfront trail, community pavilion, paved pathways and access to overlooks including Steep Rocks.
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