Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that a $25 million rehabilitation project will start this year at the 115-year-old Bear Mountain State Park in Rockland and Orange counties in the Hudson Valley. The project will create a new accessible playground, expand picnic areas, and add public restrooms, while updating crucial infrastructure.
“Bear Mountain has been a cherished destination for families and visitors for over a century,” Governor Hochul said. “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.”
In the coming weeks, work will begin around the iconic Bear Mountain Inn, with plans to include:
- Creating a new destination playground set into the slope of Bear Mountain with multi-leveled play areas connected by a continuous ADA-accessible path, rock scrambles, and slides up to 70 feet in length. A wide variety of play elements and structures representing the rich 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 park 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 naturalized 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.
New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “Bear Mountain has long been a vital resource for people in the metro New York City area and the lower Hudson Valley to get outside and enjoy healthy recreation. Thanks to the support for capital funding from Governor Hochul, these improvements will help expand capacity for one of our flagship parks that is being visited by more people every year. This project will create more space for visitors to spread out and enjoy Bear Mountain like never before.”
Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said, “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. 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.”
State Senator Pete Harckham said, “This major state investment in Bear Mountain State Park’s revitalization, now underway, is an acknowledgment of how important maintaining and updating park’s infrastructure is to its future. Governor Hochul, New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation and my legislative colleague deserve thanks for fully appreciating the importance of this timeless natural treasure and gateway to the Great Outdoors.”
Assemblymember Chris Eachus said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul for her commitment to encouraging outdoor recreation. From Harriman State Park to Storm King State Park to Bear Mountain State Park, I’m proud that the 99th Assembly District offers some of the best scenic recreational areas in New York. I am especially excited for the upcoming $25 million rehabilitation project at Bear Mountain State Park, which will ensure the park remains a family-friendly, picturesque destination for visitors of all ages for years to come.”
Located on the western shoreline of the Hudson River about 40 miles north of New York City, the 5,205-acre flagship 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 recreational season. While the park will remain open during construction, some capacity restrictions will be in place.
The work reflects Governor Hochul’s commitment to outdoor recreation. The Fiscal Year 2026 Enacted Budget includes $200 million for State Parks to invest in and aid the ongoing transformation of New York’s flagship parks and support critical infrastructure projects throughout the park system. The Governor’s new Unplug and Play initiative also earmarks $100 million for construction and renovation of community centers through the Build Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS), $67.5 million for the Places for Learning, Activity and Youth Socialization (NY PLAYS) initiative helping New York communities construct new playgrounds and renovate existing playgrounds; and an additional $90 million for the continuation of the Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative.
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 State Park 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.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual parks, historic sites, recreational trails, and boat launches, which were visited by 79.4 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Formed in 1900, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) is the nation’s first bi-state partnership established to protect and conserve natural lands. PIPC operates Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey and the Palisades Region of New York State Parks. Its early work helped inspire the emerging fields of environmental stewardship and education, pioneered the goal of exposing children to nature through its group campgrounds, and served as a model for the early growth of the national park system.
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