Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is a 5,205-acre (21.06 km2) state park located on the west bank of the Hudson River in Rockland and Orange counties, New York. Visitors find it in Highlands. It had 1.9M visitors in 2014.
A state park inside Highlands
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 18°, with about 36" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Highlands
Bear Mountain State Park is inside Highlands, which has 22 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1913
Bear Mountain State Park dates from 1913. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 62–82°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Every month near Bear Mountain is set out below.
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is a 5,205-acre (21.06 km2) state park located on the west bank of the Hudson River in Rockland and Orange counties, New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledding and ice skating. It also includes several facilities such as the Perkins Memorial Tower, the Trailside Museum and Zoo, the Bear Mountain Inn, a merry-go-round, a pool, and a skating rink. It also hosts the Bear Mountain Circle, where the historic Palisades Interstate Parkway and Bear Mountain Bridge meet. It is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, which is overseen by the State of New York.
- Type
- State park
- Established
- 1913
- Area
- 5,205 acres
- Wikipedia readers
- 25K a year
Where to base yourself for Bear Mountain State Park
Lodging nearby is in Highlands (22) and Highland Falls (11).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Bear Mountain | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands | in town | — | 22 6 hotels · 5 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 12,678 | $338K | A+ |
| Highland Falls | 4 mi northeast | 5 min | 11 2 hotels · 4 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 3,631 | $354K | — |
| Fishkill | 15 mi north | 20 min | 25 19 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 campgrounds | 22,937 | $420K | — |
| Philipstown | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 10 4 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 9,910 | $615K | — |
| Haverstraw | 8 mi south | 10 min | 9 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 40,462 | $388K | — |
| Cortlandt | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 8 3 hotels · 1 motel · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 42,413 | $580K | — |
| Stony Point | 4 mi south | 5 min | 6 1 hotel · 1 motel · 4 campgrounds | 15,335 | $526K | A |
| Ramapo | 13 mi southwest | 20 min | 14 8 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 161,564 | $653K | A− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Nearby, too
Places worth adding lie within 42 miles.
Big draw16 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
Big draw37 mi City parkCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw38 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw37 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaYankee Stadium
Big draw42 mi MuseumNational September 11 Memorial & MuseumPhoto credits
United States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Yankee Stadium: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0 · National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
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Know before you visit Bear Mountain
Is Bear Mountain State Park in Highlands?
Yes. It’s inside Highlands, NY.
When is the best time to visit Bear Mountain State Park?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 62–82°.
How many people visit Bear Mountain State Park each year?
1,894,373 in 2014, according to Wikidata.
How far is Bear Mountain State Park from Jersey City and Newark?
About 42 miles south of Jersey City and about 42 miles south of Newark, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Bear Mountain State Park?
New York Stewart (SWF), about 14 miles away. The nearest big hub is LaGuardia (LGA), about 38 miles.
Where should I stay near Bear Mountain State Park?
Highlands (in town, 22 places to stay), Highland Falls (4 mi, 11 places to stay) and Fishkill (15 mi, 25 places to stay).
Notes from people in Highlands
Start the conversation in Highlands’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.