A Trip to Bear Mountain State Park

Me and my husband recently took the hour drive (well it is an hour if you don't get lost!) upstate to visit 'Bear Mountain State Park'.  We really enjoy hiking and thought it would be a good opportunity to catch the last of the Autumn leaves.

The entrance to the park is situated in a valley and there are lots of activities on offer besides walking.  There is a carousel and play area for kids as well as a swimming pool, a zoo and an ice rink.  You can also rent boats and bicycles.  It is a really pretty area with a lovely lake you can stroll around if you're not feeling up to a big walk or have young children.

Hessian Lake

On arrival we visited the information centre and were given a very basic leaflet about the hiking trails in the area.  As half of the page was cut off I would recommend printing your own before you go to avoid confusion half way through your walk.
You can get one from http://a1.exhibit-e.com/sites/palisades/img/bm_attractions2.pdf.

We chose a 4 mile walk up to Perkins Tower which was described as 'challenging' but with amazing views of the Hudson River on route.  The walk took us a mile up the mountain and was harder than we thought with steep climbs over rocks.  It was a great workout though and the views were well worth the trip.  We reached the tower, which again provided stunning views of the local area and then we headed back down.

Stunning views over the Hudson River

A view well worth the climb

The walk took us just over 2 1/2 hours and we really enjoyed being out in the countryside. When we arrived back at the recreation area we were starving and went for lunch at the 'Bear Mountain Inn'.  The hotel is currently being refurbished but the shop and restaurant are open to the public.  We had giant burgers and potato wedges which were delicious although quite pricey.

We had a great day out at Bear Mountain and it's a good place to visit if you want a break from the city.  It has lots of activities for children and adults alike and I'm sure it's great fun in the snow!  For more information about the park visit http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/13/details.aspx or http://www.palisadesparksconservancy.org/parks/5/.