Appalachian Trail #3 (Bear Mountain Bridge to Graymoor Friary)

Location: Southeast New York
Trip Starts: Bear Mountain Bridge
Trip Ends: Graymoor Friary
Total Distance: 7 miles
Hike Type: One-Way, Shuttle Hike
Hike Difficulty: Moderate
Trails Used: Appalachian Trail
Trail Traffic: Heavy
Trip Type: Day or Overnight Hike
More Information:

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
799 West Washington Street
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6331

Highlights:

This section is a short day hike between the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Graymoor Friary near the Palisades Interstate Parkway. The Friary opened its doors for over twenty years to long distance hikers, and I stayed with them during my thru-hike in 1994. Graymoor had a dorm style room, hot showers, and an AYCE breakfast and lunch available for a donation to the Friary. It was one of the best stays I had on the Appalachian Trail in the Mid-Atlantic States.

The Trail crosses the Bear Mountain Bridge and climbs to the Graymoor Friary with some decent views of the Hudson River and the Iona Island, particularly from Anthony’s Nose. The nose is actually a rock outcropping at the northern end of the bridge. From here, the A.T continues up to an old carriage road then crosses a blue-blazed side trail after five miles that has more views of both the bridge and the river. The Graymoor Friary is only a few miles north of this scenic overlook past NY 403, but in 1995 the monastery ended its service to long distance hikers.

GPS Coordinates:

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