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Fun at Bear Mountain

By Lisa Dunleavy October 20, 2016
Last week my boys had three days off from school which is unusual in October.  The break from school gave us a chance to do lots of fun fall things such as pick apples and see The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze but we had one day where we were looking for something to do.  We decided to head to Bear Mountain and I am really glad we did.  I had forgotten how much there is to see and do at Bear Mountain.

Bear Mountain State Park is located off Rte 9W on the west side of the Hudson River in Rockland County. It's a quick and easy 30-40 minute drive from our area. The park features the Trailside Zoo, hiking and biking trails, a lake, an outdoor ice rink and a Merry-Go-Round plus a big field and shaded picnic area.  We decided to hike to the Perkins Memorial Tower at the top of Bear Mountain.  This was a very strenuous hike that I would not recommend for children under 8.  The trail was straight up but featured stairs carved into the rock which made it a little bit easier. The trail, called the Major Welch trail, is about 2.5 miles and when you finally get to the top, the views make it all worthwhile.  You can go inside the Perkins Memorial Tower which has some information on the history of the park.  From the top of the tower, we could see the Manhattan skyline faintly in the distance. We brought a picnic lunch and ate at the top of the mountain then descended back down the trail. 

Adjacent to the parking lot is a large grassy field where my boys and their friend threw a football around while my friend and I recovered from our hike sitting at one of the many picnic tables. The field is a great size for kids to run around and there were many kids flying kites as well playing ball.  Next to the field is the Merry-Go-Round which is open on weekends and holidays from 10 am - 5 p.m. The Trailside Zoo is open year round from 10 am - 4:30 pm and the Ice Rink opens on November 1st. The pool is, of course, closed but you can still rent boats on the lake on weekends through October 30th.  

For more information about Bear Mountain, visit the New York State Parks website.