Dan Hust | Democrat Eleven paddleboats, seating four people apiece, are available to rent at Morningside Lake. Parks liaison Arnold Seletsky calls them the “Cadillacs” of the paddleboating world due to their design and operation.

Fallsburg's parks offer lots, even for locals

Story by Dan Hust
HURLEYVILLE — July 16, 2013 — Camping, RVing, swimming, hiking, golfing, boating, fishing, picnicking, playing – where can you do this in just one location?
Ask Arnold Seletsky, and he’ll tell you about not one but two locations: Morningside and Mountaindale parks.
Sure, he’s a bit biased, since they’re both Town of Fallsburg parks and he’s the parks liaison on the Town of Fallsburg Board.
But he’s right – these are two all-in-one parks that offer not just visitors but Sullivan County residents a world of activities and opportunities.
Take the just-refurbished pool at Morningside, for example.
“We put $190,000 into the pool,” Seletsky says – and it shows.
New lounge chairs and bright white concrete contrast with the cool blue hues of the two pools: a 1-2-footer for the kids and an up-to-six-footer for teens and adults.
The pool is also one of the first in the county to feature a handicapped-access lift, a motorized chair designed to transport mobility-impaired people into and out of the water.
Just beyond the pool is Morningside Lake’s shimmering 125 acres, where brand new paddleboats and aluminum rowboats cruise alongside geese and ducks. Fishing is permitted, but gasoline motors are not.
Lochmor Golf Course (also town-operated) gently undulates along the western shore, while scattered along the lake’s eastern shore are multiple camping sites, suitable for just pitching a tent for overnight or parking an RV for the season (which can be stored there for the winter).
Between Morningside and Mountaindale, there are 155 sites, with 10 more now under construction in Morningside.
“The idea is to attract bigger RVs,” explains Seletsky, noting that the new sites will feature 50-amp electric hookups.
Bathrooms, showers, playgrounds and athletic fields (basketball, handball, baseball, softball, even football) are close by most sites, while picnic pavilions accommodating up to 200 people are also available.
The latest one was just completed overlooking Morningside Lake and is next door to Morningside Park’s most popular attraction: the playground and fishing/
boating access right off County Route 52.
You don’t even have to drive more than a few yards into the park, and the best of its amenities are right at hand.
Coming soon to that part of Morningside are a dog park and a beach volleyball court.
The main office and facilities maintenance garage, staffed by Parks Manager Henry Lesczynski and crew, is located on a small knoll overlooking the lake.
In addition to offices, the main building features a concession area, game room and restrooms, all popular with the hundreds who come out every July for Francis Currey Day, a community extravaganza in honor of Hurleyville native and Medal of Honor recipient Francis Currey.
You’re likely to find Seletsky and Park Commission members Joan Collins, Robert McKeon and Stuart Wizwer there.
You’re even more likely to find Seletsky at the season-opening and closing BBQs.
“I’m also a camper,” he confirms. “I like the camaraderie, and I have great neighbors. They turn into your family.
“This is the focal point of the town.”
For more information, stop by one of the parks’ offices or call 434-5877.