Fascinating Facts About Nanuet, New York

Nanuet, New York, is a tiny hamlet within the larger town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York. Nanuet enjoys all the good things about living near a big city while retaining its small-town feel.  Learn more here.

Being only 24 miles north of New York City, Nanuet is considered part of the New York metro area. It’s situated north of the Pearl River and west of West Nyack, New York. The New Jersey border is only 2 miles south of Nanuet. Learn more about Nanuet, New York, is an Amazing Place.

Geological History

Nanuet is a treasure trove of geology. The Nanuet area has rocks and minerals from north to Canada due to retreating glaciers. Southern New York holds great interest in geology. There have been fossils of Precambrian Era jellyfish in undeveloped regions of New York.  

The receding glacier also left behind placer ore in the Nauraushaun Brook.  When Europeans arrived, they could pan for gold with great success here.  Besides that, many Paleolithic ruins are on the western side of the Hackensack River.

Native American Burial Mound

Near Nanuet, at the western edge of the Manhattan Woods Golf Club, near Nauraushaun Brook, you can see a Hopewell Indian burial mound that is believed to date back to 325 AD.  Pictures of the mound taken from airplanes show that it was built in the shape of a snake.  

Municipal History

Originally part of the town of Clarkstown, in 1856, the townspeople decided to ask the Munsee tribal chief Nannawitt to choose a name for their little spot. People started calling it Nannawitt’s Meadow and eventually Nanuet.  

In the 1950s, the United States started building its interstate highway system. In the area of Nanuet,  the New York State Thruway was built, along with the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Palisades Interstate Parkway.  Getting around in the Nanuet area became much easier, and the population of the Nanuet area grew quickly. 

Nanuet Today

Nanuet is a quiet bedroom community near New York City and the Manhattan Woods Golf Club. Lake Nanuet is a municipal swimming pool that looks like a naturally occurring lake. The pool is built on a slope, so many gradations of depth exist. 

There are plenty of places for parents to relax while their kids swim or play. There is a tall fountain for kids to play in and a fully-equipped playground.

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