Bear Mountain State Park is sprawled over 5,067-acres situated in rugged mountains.  The park offers lots of activities to be enjoyed by all ages year round. In the summer, the park offers trails for walking, biking, and hiking. There are over 50 official trails covering 235 miles (378 km). The difficulty and elevation of the trails vary greatly.  Boat rentals are also available on the magnificent Hessian Lake. The large picnic area beside the lake accommodates many people.  The Bear Mountain Inn offers excellent sleeping accommodations.

The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. The Manhattan skyline can be seen from the top of the mountain when the weather is clear.

The Trailside Zoo located in the Bear Mountain State Park can be enjoyed during both summer and winter months. The zoo began as a bear den in 1926 and is currently the home of a wide variety of local injured or rehabilitating animals, including bears, otters, deer, bald eagles, and owls. The Reptile and Amphibian House has many species of fish, turtles, snakes and frogs. There is no charge for enjoying this mini zoo.

Beautiful scenic views of the Hudson River and Bear Mountain Bridge can be seen from an overlook area in the Trailside Zoo.

A beautiful indoor Merry-Go-Round on grounds features hand painted scenes of the park and 42 hand carved seats of native animals including black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit and more. The merry-go-round is located indoors and can therefore be enjoyed even in inclement weather.

During the winter months there is an outdoor ice rink open from late October through mid-March. The hills near the rink are great for sledding.

Posted: July 26, 2017

Information, prices and hours posted here are current as of the posted or updated date. It is advisable to call ahead or check online to confirm hours and prices.