Fundraiser: The Newburgh To Beacon Swim For The River Pool Is Happening! Registration Open Now

Photo Credit: The River Pool

The River Pool in Beacon, a very special community asset, is made possible in large part by the swimmers, kayak escorts, and volunteers who participate in The Annual Great Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim, taking place on Saturday, July 24th, 2021 (rain date July 25). Registration to be a swimmer is now open.

Advance registration to be a swimmer is required for the swim, where 100 or more swimmers are expected to jump or dive in from Newburgh at approximately 8:50 am. Contributions raised by swimmers are used to maintain and operate the River Pool, which is free to all visitors.

Seasonal costs to set up, maintain and take down the floating river pool average $40,000. Each swimmer raises a minimum $100 of sponsorship donations in addition to the registration fee of $75 for adults and $25 for minors that covers the cost of the fundraising swim.

Volunteer kayak escorts guide the swimmers across the Hudson River to provide a safe environment for registered participants. The organization coordinates with the US Coast Guard and Dutchess and Orange County Sheriffs’ vessels, with additional marine support.

Qualified jet skiers aid in halting river traffic and provide safe passage for the registered swimmers. Mobile Life Support Services and Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps will be available on Newburgh and Beacon shores. Registration for the swim is open at www.riverpool.org.

Learn more about the River Pool’s hours here.

Open...The River Pool In The Hudson River At Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park

It’s happening this year! The colorful, circular “river pool” has been securely installed for summer 2021 off the north shore of Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, in Beacon, NY. Just over the hill in the middle of the park, sits the little floating pool along the shore. The late Pete Seeger, a founding member of the organization, believed that river stewardship begins with being on, near, and in the river. It is part of why this pool is so important (donate here to keep it going).

The pool itself is a shallow circle with a netted bottom. Swimmers are more like sitters and floaters along the side of the pool, as it’s a place to relax and cool off while submerged in the river, eye level with other river-life floating in the water (and fish!).

Side Note: While you can swim in this pool, you cannot swim in Beacon’s reservoirs. The water around the River Pool is tested to make sure it is safe for us. The Reservoir atop Mount Beacon is cleaned and tested to make it safe to drink for us. People who swim in Beacon’s Reservoir make this job harder for Beacon’s Water Department. Please to not come to Beacon with swimming in the Reservoir as a planned destination.

The Mission Of The River Pool

In offering a safe place to swim, the rainbow colored floating River Pool, recently voted one of the top swimming spots in the Hudson Valley by Chronogram magazine, presents just such opportunities (keep in mind, it is very small).

The River Pool’s mission is to provide safe access to the Hudson River; to educate the general public about the importance of continuing to preserve and clean the Hudson River; to promote swimming as a fun, healthful fitness activity in a natural environment.

The existance of the River Pool demonstrates to other communities the viability of floating pools. There could be more! The twofold joy of the pool--allowing its users to enjoy a cool river swim on a hot summer day while carrying forward Pete’s legacy--has been experienced by its wide community of supporters and users: About 13,000 people have swum in the floating pool during the past 14 years.

Pool hours are planned are July-Labor Day, weather permitting. The actual days and times may change, and The River Pool encourages you to check their Facebook page before you go to see if they are open as the weather changes. Lifeguards - who are paid and not part of the volunteer team - are always present when the pool is open. Visitors are advised to check riverpool.org to confirm hours. Volunteers install the pool each June and take it out of the river in September.

The River Pool is funded in large part by the Newburgh to Beacon Swim. Registration is open now!

River Pool at Beacon Inc. is a not-for-profit 501c3. For additional information about the pool, the swim, volunteering on shore, as a kayak escort, other organization volunteer opportunities, and all up-to-date Covid protocols, or to make a donation: go to www.riverpool.org .

The River Pool at Beacon IN The Hudson River Opens for 2018!

The left side of The Beacon River Pool - eye level.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

As you play at Riverfront Park, known since 2014 as Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, you may have experienced the extreme desire to swim in the Hudson River to cool off. Well, now you can - because The River Pool at Beacon is open again this year! Starting in 2007, five years after submitting construction plans to New York State, the pool opened to the public for the first time. The river pool idea was originally proposed by the pool's co-founder, Pete Seeger, according to the pool's History page.

What's a River Pool?

The river pool is netted and shallow, with a net bottom designed by Meta Brunzema Architect P.C., a New York City-based design firm. You could crawl on it, with a child on your back, pretending you are an alligator gliding just under the water surface. Or you could sit or stand in the shallow water, enjoying the breeze off the water and gazing up or down the river, thankful you aren't in the traffic moving (or not moving) on the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge. Or, you could simply sit on the colorful plastic seats and bask in the sun, slipping further into the water as you're ready.

River pools aren't unique to this spot - they have been around since at least 1830, up and down the Hudson River - but they were removed after 1930 due to water pollution. Pete Seeger was a major advocate for cleanup of the Hudson River. Thanks to his efforts as well as many other organizations including Scenic Hudson and Riverkeeper, the river has improved since then, and many groups and people continue to advocate in this direction.

Can Anyone Use the River Pool?

It's a free pool for all, thanks to support from individual donations, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Durst Organization, the Abrons Foundation, the Hudson River Foundation. The pool's organizers actually want to increase its size. They're working with another architecture firm to design a bigger pool, and they're talking with cities and towns to find the right location that offers agreeable environmental considerations.

What's It Like Swimming in the River Pool?

The changing room at The Beacon River Pool.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

So fun. So relaxing. You're IN the river, just sitting there protected from the currents by the anchored netting. The pool is small, so you'll be near others as they dip in and out of the pool. The pool is also very shallow: An adult is up to their waist or thighs. The River Pool is fully staffed by lifeguards, and even has a changing room!

If thunder rolls in and you need to leave the pool and wait 30 thunder-free minutes to go back in, you could always shoot baskets at the park's basketball court, or play on the playgrounds. Or have a picnic on the grass (watch out for alllll of the goose poop).

An additional perk: Riverfront Park is very breezy, so you'll be cooled off quickly down by the river no matter what.

Is Swimming in the Hudson River Safe?

The Hudson River was contaminated by companies who dumped pollutants into it for many years. An ongoing effort to clean up the Hudson River has spanned several decades. As of today, it has reached cleaner levels, but is closely monitored by The River Pool at Beacon. Says a representative from The River Pool this year: "The quality in Beacon Harbor is definitely of concern. Beacon Harbor had a long run of low numbers. We hope this is a temporary situation. That said, the pool is off the north shore of Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. The water is tested every week by the county health department. We would not open if the water was not considered safe for swimming."

Swim For The Pool - From Beacon To Newburgh!

Fundraising continues for the pool with regular donations that you can make at any time, and during the 15th Annual Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim, where you can sponsor a swimmer - or be a swimmer that people sponsor! See the Beacon to Newburgh Swim page for details.

Make a donation here to keep this all going, but don't worry if you can't. It was designed for all to be able to access and experience the Hudson River. See you at the pool!