BEAR MOUNTAIN
Bear Mountain State Park
Palisades Parkway
(Route 9W North)
Bear Mountain, NY 10911
(845) 786-2701
Bear Mountain State Park is located in a valley between mountains overlooking the Hudson River. The park has a lodge, lake, swimming pool, and Trailside Museum and Zoo and numerous hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails. There are over 50 official trails covering 235 miles in the Park. The first section of the Appalachian Trail running from Bear Mountain south to the Delaware Water Gap opened here on October 7, 1923 and served as a pattern for the development of other sections of the Trail.
On this hike, I started near the Bear Mountain Inn and walked the Appalachian Trail through the park and to the Bear Mountain Zoo. The Appalachian Trail passes through the Zoo which is the lowest elevation on the entire ~2,200-mile trail. There are outstanding views down to the Hudson River in this area and also from the nearby bridge.
Backpacker Magazine
Outside Magazine- click to see trail photos from this backpacking trip to the Bear Mountain Bridge: November 1, 2022
- click to view a trip report for this hike at Bear Mountain State Park: November 1, 2022 (password required)
- click to view maps of the A.T. in New York: overview map, trail map (one), trail map (two), (password required)
- click for a Bear Mountain State Park map, New York & New Jersey trail map
- click for a hike through the Trailside Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park
- click to review a basic summary of the 2000+ mile Appalachian Trail
- click to view an overview map of the entire Appalachian Trail
- click to view forums and general trail conversation about the Appalachian Trail
- click to get the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker’s Planning Guide
- click to get the Appalachian Trail Data Book
- click to see some other recommended books, videos and games about the Appalachian Trail
- click to post your own hike on the Appalachian Trail and share photos from the trip
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