THE PASCACK VALLEY—In summer 1952, Park Ridge taxi drivers likely were brushing sand from their seats after every run. The company was offering a special promotion: $1 would get your group a ride to either Laurel Lake or the Pascack Pool.
“Mothers, get together with a neighbor and send all the children for a cool swim on hot days,” the company urged in an ad in the Westwood Chronicle.
Located in Montvale and Hillsdale, respectively, Laurel Lake and the Pascack Pool were popular local swimming spots. Their sandy shores and cool waters offered a beach-like retreat right here in the Pascack Valley. Though both are gone today, many locals still remember them fondly. Each had its own distinct character. Let’s take a closer look at these two summertime landmarks—one nestled in the meadows of Montvale, the other humming with activity in the heart of Hillsdale.
LAUREL LAKE
Murray’s Laurel Lake was a 22-acre recreation spot that stretched back from the southwest corner of Summit Avenue and Spring Valley Road in Montvale—behind what’s now Montvale Market. Opened in the 1930s, it welcomed multiple generations for nearly 50 years before being replaced by an office complex in the 1980s.
The land had been part of the Murray family farm since 1897, when Montvale had just 400 residents. In the 1930s, John Murray expanded a shallow pond in a meadow on his property—a watering hole for his cows—so his grandchildren could swim.
Neighbors soon joined in. On hot summer days, visitors would offer Murray 25 cents for a swim, and during the lean years of the Great Depression, he accepted. By the 1940s, the lake was bringing in more money than the farm.
At its peak in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Laurel Lake had 1,500 member families. The swim club featured a beach, wooded picnic grounds, a dance pavilion, refreshment stand, bath houses, lifeguard shack, and first aid station.
In its final summer, 1982, the club had about 600 season members—each paying $150. On Labor Day, Sept. 6, 1982, the lake closed for good. The site was soon redeveloped into an office park.
PASCACK POOL
Closer to the center of the Pascack Valley, warm-weather days often meant lazy afternoons at the Pascack Pool, located at Piermont Avenue and Cedar Lane in Hillsdale.
The pool was a large, man-made lake with a sand bottom and beach surroundings. It featured diving boards, a refreshment stand, a playground, basketball and baseball courts, a jukebox, and acres of picnic grounds. In 1933, a season membership cost just $5.
By 1939, the beach was enlarged to accommodate up to 4,000 people. During World War II, the Pascack Pool became a popular destination for soldiers from nearby military camps, looking to unwind before deployment.
In 1959, businessman Caesar DeFlora purchased the property with big plans. After that first swim season, he began transforming it into the Stonybrook Field Club. By 1962, the revamped site featured a sleek two-story clubhouse with a restaurant, cocktail lounge, and regular live entertainment. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons even played there.
Amenities expanded to include a 50-meter Olympic-size pool—then rare in the area—along with two children’s pools, 350+ cabanas, picnic tables, and rows of colorful chaises and umbrellas.
In 1976, Hillsdale purchased the 20-acre property for $735,000. Today, only 12 acres remain in borough hands. The western section was sold for development, becoming Stonybrook Manor condominiums. The northern portion, once Pascack Pool, was converted into a soccer field.