It consists of a small parking lot and a riverfront pathway,[3] the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway.

[6] The Palisades Interstate Park Commission purchased what was to become Nyack Beach State Park in 1911 to provide space for recreation, and to protect the land from the effects of quarrying that were impacting the Hudson River Palisades during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

[7] The park offers picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, and cross-country skiing along the pathway..

[8] The pathway runs for two miles (3.2 km) along the river towards Rockland Lake State Park.

As the name implies, the park originally included a swimming beach which has been closed for many years due to pollution in the Hudson River.