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Go Back Bear Mountain State ParkBear Mountain - Rockland CountyRockland County |
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Bear Mountain State Park | 845-786-2701 | ||||
Bear Mountain State Park is located on the west side of the Hudson River in both Orange and Rockland counties in New York State. The 5,067-acre (20.51 km2) Bear Mountain State Park, flagship of the Palisades Interstate Park System, is renowned for its natural beauty and rugged mountains and is just 50 miles north of midtown New York City (via Palisades Interstate Pkwy North), in the historic and beautiful Hudson River Valley. Things to Do at Bear Mountain State Park Magnificent landscapes of lakes, ponds, forest, hills, and mountains abound at Bear Mountain. Bear Mountain is heavily forested, offering the natural beauty of sights such as Perkins Memorial Tower.
Of interest to hikers, the historic Appalachian Trail is carried across the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Popolopen Suspension Bridge. Although campgrounds and lodging are available, Bear Mountain Park is primarily a day-use park offering magnificent scenery, photo opportunities, and great hiking for all levels of hikers. The historic Bear Mountain Inn, situated in Bear Mountain Park, overlooks Hessian Lake and provides food and overnight accommodations. Food is also available at several vendors around Hessian Lake and in other areas of the park. Perkins Memorial Tower sits 1,305 feet above the Hudson River, atop Bear Mountain. Perkins Point and Perkins Memorial Tower afford spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. Driving, biking, or hiking along Perkins Memorial Drive offers breathtaking views from many vantage points leading to Perkins Memorial Tower perched at the top of the mountain. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of many picnic spots that are available along Perkins Memorial Drive.
Educational Activities for Kids Educational attractions that are fun for kids include the Trailside Museum and Zoo, and the historic Merry-Go-Round featuring beautifully hand carved seats of native animals. After a ride on the merry-go-round, visit the zoo and see how many native animals you can recognize. Perhaps your children can help name the animals native to Bear Mountain. Kids Attractions at Bear Mountain
The Merry-Go-Round Pavilion at Bear Mountain features hand painted scenes of the park and hand carved seats of native animals including: black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit and more. For more about this historic Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain, visit Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain. Trailside Museum and Zoo There are four museums at Trailside. The Reptile and Amphibian House is home to a variety of turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders and skinks as well as many species of fish. The Nature Study Museum houses specimens originally created by the Museum of Natural History to educate people about animal identification. Visitors can learn about geologic formations of the Hudson Highlands in the Geology Museum and local Native American and early settler culture in the History Museum. Activities and Things to Do at Bear Mountain include: Bird Conservation Areas Biking Trails Boat Rentals * Dockage Fishing (lake and river fishing) * Food vendors at park and restaurants at Bear Mountain Inn * Hiking Trails Nature Trails and Study (descriptive sinage throughout) * Picnicking * Playground Playing Fields * Photography * Pool (very large pool) Recreation programs Swimming
Cross-country Skiing Ice Fishing Ice Skating at Outdoor rink (Late October through mid-March) Snowmobiling Snowshoeing Attractions at Bear Mountain include: Merry-Go-Round Pavilion Museum/Visitors Center * Perkins Memorial Drive & Tower * Scenic landscapes (Photograph opportunities) * Trailside Museums * Zoo and Nature Park * Wheelchair Accessible* Accessible indicates that, to the extent possible, this facility or activity meets the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards. It is strongly recommended that you contact the facility in advance for a full description of facilities.
Location: Bear Mountain - Rockland County |