Visiting a state park or a beach on July 4 is a little bit like going skiing on Martin Luther King Day. You should expect crowds. Harriman State Park gets very busy on a normal summer weekend. People from New York City, New Jersey and surrounding areas come in droves to picnic and swim at the lakes. July 4 weekend is a whole ‘nother level.
Harriman’s summer crowds are not known for being rule followers but when Independence Day rolls around standards go completely out the window. People swim in lakes without beaches, they park on roads, driveways and lawns and all kinds of places where they aren’t supposed to be. It becomes a real problem for the people that are responsible for the Park.
