Hiking Bear Mountain in a Downpour

Bear Mountain (New York)

I like going to Bear Mountain in New York State, however, some of the hardest and scariest hikes I’ve done have been in that park. Bear Mountain was one of the first hikes my husband and I did. Somehow, we got lost and hiked over the mountain and to other side and main road. Bear Mountain and Harriman State Park is beautiful. You get a view of the Hudson Highlands, Hudson River, Iona Island, bald eagles, and Hudson Valley. Bear Mountain State Park also hosts cross country races.

In order to get back to our car at Bear Mountain, we either had to take a taxi or spend another 4+ hours hiking in the dark. By some miracle, there was a driver up there. When we discussed options that seemed like a silly one to even pursue.

If you’ve never been to Bear Mountain State Park, there is also a Bear Mountain Inn with park staff, full service, and guest services. This particular time, we started in a mist and by the time we were about halfway in, it was downpouring. Honestly, it wasn’t too bad. I invested in a nice Goretex jacket which kept me dry the entire time.

Here are a few photos from Bear Mountain:

hiking bear mountain new york state — The beach. On a decent day this is swarming with people

At the end, once we got back down to the trailhead

In all, we had a great time at Bear Mountain. It was pouring rain, but it was definitely one to write home (or blog I guess) about. We hiked about 4 steep miles at Bear Mountain that day but with the scrambling, especially when it got wet, it was difficult. Typically the trail to get to the peak isn’t that rigorous.