Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park
4.5
11:00 - 15:00
Monday
11:00 - 15:00
Tuesday
11:00 - 15:00
Wednesday
11:00 - 15:00
Thursday
11:00 - 15:00
Friday
11:00 - 17:00
Saturday
11:00 - 17:00
Sunday
11:00 - 17:00
About
Escape New York City’s hectic pace on a day trip to this beautiful park, where you can picnic in the summer, ice skate in the winter, and trek year-round. Stay overnight at a lakeside cabin to explore the hiking trails (over 200 miles!) within the park. Go canoeing or paddle boating in Hessian Lake and see rehabilitated wild animals at the Trailside Zoo. Located less than 50 miles from the Big Apple, Bear Mountain gets jam-packed with New Yorkers on weekends, so visit during the week if you get the chance. Tickets are required to be admitted into the park. – Tripadvisor
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles639 reviews
Excellent
340
Very good
196
Average
58
Poor
23
Terrible
22

Kiera
Montclair, NJ15 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Couples
LOVE the stone cabins here, the insides aren’t the most beautiful things in the world but on principle i love getting to stay in a little stone house in the woods so it’s ok. the lake is beautiful and there’s tons of nice walking/hiking paths to choose from.
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kzoogirlnowboston
Boston, MA20 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Solo
Bear mountain state park and Spa is a must! It's such a beautiful property with several different trails of a variety of difficulties and scenes. There's a spa that is fine but the waiting room is freezing cold,so cold I could not hold my pen. But overall, it was a wonderful day and I would want to go back.
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mat J
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
Loud and noisy bikes and cars ruin a peaceful walk here. I was here in October and was surprised by the many cars and bikes roaring through this area with a total disregard for the many people who come here to enjoy nature, the views, and try to escape the hectic and noisy city. With the exhaust noise traveling miles and echoing through the mountains, these people don't seem to realize or care about the many thousands of people who are unwillingly exposed to noise pollution they create during their trip. Unfortunately, police does not seem to have the capacity to enforce it. Hopefully acoustic noise cameras and heavy fines will one day deter this.
Written 12 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KvV25
Pretoria, South Africa17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
Beautiful area with lots to do - hiking, fishing, paddle boats, etc.
We took our own picnic to enjoy while my husband fished. The walk to the pier was very interesting as well. Unfortunately, the only bears we saw was in an enclosure. There was lots of wildlife though.
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ann Marie O
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
Not worth it. Very badly organized. 30 min wait in line off the freeway to pay the $15 to get in the parking lot as only one booth open, then once you get in there was 30-40 min wait in every line to get a beer then 30-40 min wait to get food as only one person taking money in each line!!! Very easily fixed but no one seemed to be overseeing or managing the event. Waist of a good day out.
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lady
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
Octoberfest in bear mountain by exit 17 is not worth of going if you have family , kids . The only good thing is the beer and music , that’s it , food is not good poor quality food with very little flavor . The sausage tasted like cheap hot dog that’s you get in shop rite , nothing to do besides drinking and listening to the music . Two stations for poor food and the shaved ice truck my kid got all messy after that ( I would not recommend ) no place to clean up after no bathroom s or wash your hands . After spending 30 min there we went to bear mountain loge and park witch is 7 min away and we had more fun over there . So I don’t recommend octoberfest for family s . Nothing to do there besides drinking !
Written 9 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul A
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
The overall setup is very poorly done. To get in from the highway was a 40-minute wait in the car, just on the ramp because they have only one booth collecting money, and allowing credit card payments slowing it down. Once inside the lines for food and beer were again 30-40 minutes long. Water and soda are sold at the same tables that beer is so it is a 40 minute line just to get a bottle of water. The food and beer are good (so is the music), but not worth the waits. Also, despite assurances on the website, there is very little for children of any age to do. Good idea, very poorly executed
Written 9 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sanjeev_Sharma
New Jersey833 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
looking for some boating adventure .. visit the hessian lake for a paddle boat adventure.

you also have picnic ground to chill or if you one of those who like to adventure out go for hike
Written 15 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sabelle Deng
Chatham, NJ112 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
Very good place for friends and family, specially for picnic and hiking! Highly recommended, you will feel the atmosphere even before you park…then you will like the lake and peaceful!
Written 24 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Charmaine wilson-Eze
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Friends
A beautiful park, with canoing, pools, a small zoo, and a lake with canoing, which was not open as we visited in early May. It also has many hiking trails. It was my first hiking trip so we used the white trail. It was not difficult and had many beautiful scenic overlook and rest areas. The peak was phenomenal! So peaceful and humbling!
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BEAR MOUNTAIN STATE PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Mountain State Park