Bear Mountain State Park to get $25 million upgrade

A $25 million rehabilitation project will start this year at the 115-year-old Bear Mountain State Park to create a new accessible playground, expand picnic areas and add public restrooms while updating infrastructure.

Located on the western shoreline of the Hudson River in Rockland and Orange counties, the 5,205-acre park is one of the oldest in the State Parks system. More than 2.3 million visitors came to Bear Mountain last year, an increase of more than 25 percent during the last decade.

Construction will start after Labor Day 2025 with completion expected during the summer 2027 recreation season. While the park will remain open during construction, some capacity restrictions will be in place, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's Office, which announced the project.

In the coming weeks, work will begin around Bear Mountain Inn, including:

• Creating a new playground set into the slope of Bear Mountain with multi-leveled play areas connected by an ADA-accessible path, rock scrambles, and slides up to 70 feet long. A variety of play elements and structures representing the history of the park and native plantings provide an immersive play environment for children of all ages and abilities.
• Expansion of paved picnic areas along the western side of main lawn and south end of Hessian Lake to increase capacity while reducing erosion of landscape and impacts to existing trees.
• Landscape enhancements, including protection of existing mature shade trees and planting of new shade trees, native shrubs, perennials and meadows.
• Construction of a new high-capacity public restroom and gathering plaza.
• "Daylighting" an existing stormwater drainage pipe and creation of a stormwater management basin to reduce sedimentation of Hessian Lake.
• Modernizing electrical infrastructure and improving stormwater management.
• Completing needed structural repairs to existing facilities.

Once completed, the project will have doubled the number of picnic areas and increased the number of bathroom fixtures by 20.

“Bear Mountain has been a cherished destination for families and visitors for over a century,” Hochul stated. “This $25 million investment ensures the park’s facilities not only meet the needs of today but will serve generations to come. By expanding access, upgrading infrastructure and enhancing recreation opportunities, we’re making it easier for everyone to get offline, get outside and enjoy time together in one of New York’s most beloved state parks.”

Rendering shows an aerial perspective of Bear Mountain project. Photo: New York State Parks & Historic Sites

Bear Mountain State Park features more than 50 miles of hiking trails, including the original section of the Appalachian Trail. It also includes lake and Hudson River fishing access, a swimming pool, and Trailside Museums and Zoo. 

An outdoor rink is open to ice skaters from late October through mid-March. The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands, and Harriman State Park. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November, weather permitting. 

The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain 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.

“More than 115 years after the Palisades Commission and Mary Averell Harriman fought off a proposed prison and advocated for the creation of a park, Bear Mountain still serves as a gateway to nature and recreation for millions of visitors from the metropolitan area," stated Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird. "We are grateful to Governor Hochul and our colleagues at New York State Parks for taking action to fund much-needed improvements that will ensure Bear Mountain continues to welcome the public for generations to come.”

Robert Brum is a freelance journalist who writes about the Hudson Valley. Contact him and read his work at robertbrum.com.