Beacon Reservoir, body of water
Beacon Reservoir is a drinking water reservoir in Dutchess County, New York, set in a hollow between Beacon Mountain and Scofield Ridge. It was formed by damming Dry Brook, and mixed forest surrounds the water on all sides, creating a wooded basin well above the surrounding valley.
The reservoir was built in 1922 to supply drinking water to the town of Beacon by blocking the flow of Dry Brook. It has served that purpose for over a century and remains part of the town's water system today.
The name Beacon traces back to the hilltop fires that were lit on Beacon Mountain to signal news during early American history, and that name passed on to the town and then to the reservoir. Walkers who circle the water today still feel that sense of being on a high, open ground with the landscape spreading out below.
A dirt road circles the water and is open to walkers and hikers who want to move through the surrounding forest. Swimming and fishing are not allowed, as the reservoir is still an active part of the town's drinking water supply.
Beacon Reservoir sits higher than any other body of water in Dutchess County, so visitors standing at its edge look out over ridges rather than up at them. That position also means the air around it tends to be noticeably cooler than in the valley below, even on warm days.
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