Senasqua Park

The park today

Senasqua Park occupies riverfront lawns at 2 Elliott Way with open views across the Hudson. Amenities include picnic tables, a bathhouse, benches, a playground and a volleyball court; a large pavilion can be reserved for group picnics by permit. The Croton Sailing School operates from the adjacent waterfront, and the Croton Yacht Club sits just to the north. In summer the park hosts the Recreation Department's Wednesday-evening outdoor movies and Friday-night summer concert series. The village boat basin at the park opens each May (May 9 for the 2026 season) with moorings, on-park boat storage and ramp passes for village residents. In season, entry is limited to village and school-district residents; a gate attendant checks Recreation Photo IDs. The RiverWalk route passes the park: south along the Half Moon Bay esplanade toward Croton Point Avenue, and north over the Elliott Way boardwalk to Croton Landing.

History

"Senasqua" is an indigenous place-name from the Kitchawanc, an Algonquian-speaking band of the Wappinger Confederacy who maintained a fortified settlement at the neck of nearby Croton Point. The name referred to the marsh and meadow separating Croton Point from Croton Neck, and it survives in the written record from a 1682 deed conveying Croton Point to Cornelius Van Bursum. The name was later applied to land just north along the shore, where the village park and Senasqua Road now carry it. In the 19th century the Underhill family, who ran vineyards on Croton Point, bred a hybrid grape named "Senasqua" after the Kitchawank meadow; it first fruited in 1865.

The modern park is the Village of Croton-on-Hudson's staffed riverfront recreation ground and the home of its municipal boat basin, operated by the Recreation Department with seasonal moorings, boat storage and a launch ramp administered by permit. Under the village's waterfront planning of recent decades the park became a node on the public riverfront route: when the adjacent Half Moon Bay condominiums were approved, a shoreline esplanade and a rail-side trail were required to extend public access past the development to Senasqua, and in June 2017 the village completed a 351-foot elevated boardwalk along Elliott Way that gave pedestrians and cyclists a safe, uninterrupted link from Senasqua north to Croton Landing Park. When the village established the park in its current form could not be verified from available sources.

Boat basin

The Recreation Department assigns seasonal moorings by boat length (with village-resident and senior rates), plus boat storage and launch-ramp passes. Applications go to the Recreation Department at 1 Van Wyck Street with mooring-spot preferences and proof of liability insurance. Posted operating rules cap boat speed at 5 mph in the harbor and mooring area and bar boats within 100 feet of any designated swimming area.

Visiting

Hours

Seasonal. The park is staffed in summer with a gate attendant; in recent seasons it has opened daily from late June through Labor Day (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in 2020), then weekends into fall. Picnics must end by 9 p.m. and bathrooms are locked at 7:45 p.m. Confirm the current season with the Recreation Department (914-271-3006).

Fees

No entry fee, but in season access is limited to village and school-district residents with a Recreation Photo ID. Pavilion reservations, boat-basin moorings (priced by boat length, senior discounts), boat storage and launch-ramp passes are paid seasonal permits through the Recreation Department.

Parking

Parking lot at the park, 2 Elliott Way.

Getting there

From Route 9/9A, exit at Croton Point Avenue, head toward the river, then turn north on Elliott Way; the park entrance is at 2 Elliott Way. Walkable from Croton-Harmon station via the RiverWalk route along the Half Moon Bay esplanade.

Rules

Residents-only in season (Recreation Photo ID checked at the gate). Dogs are not permitted — village parks are off-limits to dogs except Black Rock Dog Park and Croton Landing Park. The pavilion requires a permit; picnics must conclude by 9 p.m. Boats are limited to 5 mph in the harbor/mooring area and may not operate within 100 feet of designated swimming areas. Public consumption of alcohol is prohibited by village code except as allowed under Village Manager rules.

Accessibility

Links

• Village Parks, Trails & Open Space (Recreation & Parks)
• Boat Basin Information / Kayak & Canoe Racks
• Specific Policies Governing Use of Senasqua Park Facility (2023 PDF)
• Village Code Ch. 168, Parks and Recreation Areas (eCode360)