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

This section is a short day hike between the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Graymoor Friary near the Palisades Interstate Parkway.  The Graymoor Monastery, established around 1900 by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, first began its tradition of hospitality in 1972 when a weary thru-hiker was unexpectedly granted an overnight stay. This gesture evolved into the legendary “Graymoor Experience,” where for decades hikers were welcomed into modest, private cells in the Old Friary. While the era of indoor lodging and community meals ended in the mid-1990s due to the massive surge in trail traffic, the Friars did not abandon their mission of service. Instead, they adapted their hospitality to meet the needs of the modern hiking community by designating a specific area on their expansive “Holy Mountain” campus for travelers.

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.