Bear Mountain (Hudson Highlands)
Encyclopedia
Bear Mountain is one of the best-known peaks of New York
's Hudson Highlands
. Located mostly in Orange County
's Town of Highlands
, it lends its name to a nearby bridge
and the state park
that contains it.
Its summit, accessible by a paved
road, has several roadside viewpoints, a picnic
area and observatory
, the Perkins Memorial Tower. It is crossed by several hiking
trails as well, including the oldest section of the Appalachian Trail
. The AT across Bear Mountain is currently being rebuilt and realigned by the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
to minimize erosion and improve accessibility and sustainability.
The steep eastern face of the mountain overlooks the Hudson River. The eastern side of the mountain consists of a pile of massive boulders, often the size of houses, that culminate in a 50-foot (15 m) cliff face at approximately the 1000 feet (304.8 m) level. A direct scramble from the shore of Hessian Lake to Perkins Memorial Drive on the summit requires a gain of about 1000 feet (304.8 m) in roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km) http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.31665&lon=-73.99559&datum=nad83&layer=DRG. From the summit, one can see as far as Manhattan Island.
, developed in the summer of 1921, two weeks after he visited a Boy Scout
camp at Hessian Lake on the eastern edge of Bear Mountain. It is possible the illness, whether polio or Guillain-Barré syndrome
, was related to exposure at the camp.
Babe Ruth
negotiated his contracts with the Yankees in the Bear Mountain Inn
in the 1920s.
Bear Mountain was once the premier ski jumping site in the United States. Because of its notoriety as a ski jumping location, Bear Mountain was considered as a possible site for the 1932 Winter Olympics
, which were held in Lake Placid
, New York
. The ski jump run has not been used since 1990, and its stone steps built into the eastern side of the mountain are now crumbling.
During World War II
, the Brooklyn Dodgers held their spring training here.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
. Located mostly in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
's Town of Highlands
Highlands, New York
Highlands is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 12,484 at the 2000 census.The Town of Highlands is on the eastern border of the county....
, it lends its name to a nearby bridge
Bear Mountain Bridge
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6 across the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties...
and the state park
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is located on the west side of the Hudson River in Orange and Rockland counties of New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledding and ice skating...
that contains it.
Its summit, accessible by a paved
Pavement (material)
Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...
road, has several roadside viewpoints, a picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
area and observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
, the Perkins Memorial Tower. It is crossed by several hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails as well, including the oldest section of the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
. The AT across Bear Mountain is currently being rebuilt and realigned by the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
The New York – New Jersey Trail Conference is a federation of approximately 10,000 individual members and about 100 member organizations...
to minimize erosion and improve accessibility and sustainability.
The steep eastern face of the mountain overlooks the Hudson River. The eastern side of the mountain consists of a pile of massive boulders, often the size of houses, that culminate in a 50-foot (15 m) cliff face at approximately the 1000 feet (304.8 m) level. A direct scramble from the shore of Hessian Lake to Perkins Memorial Drive on the summit requires a gain of about 1000 feet (304.8 m) in roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km) http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.31665&lon=-73.99559&datum=nad83&layer=DRG. From the summit, one can see as far as Manhattan Island.
Historic events
Franklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illnessFranklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illness
Franklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illness began in 1921 at age 39, when Roosevelt got a fever after exercising heavily at a vacation in Canada. While his bout with illness was well known during his terms as President of the United States, the extent of his paralysis was kept from public view. After...
, developed in the summer of 1921, two weeks after he visited a Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
camp at Hessian Lake on the eastern edge of Bear Mountain. It is possible the illness, whether polio or Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain–Barré syndrome , sometimes called Landry's paralysis, is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , a disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and hands and migrating towards the trunk, is the most typical symptom...
, was related to exposure at the camp.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
negotiated his contracts with the Yankees in the Bear Mountain Inn
Bear Mountain Inn
The Bear Mountain Inn is a 1915 hotel and restaurant owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and located on Route 9W at the northern end of Seven Lakes Drive, just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge in Rockland County, New York. It is presently named Bear Mountain Inn & Conference Center...
in the 1920s.
Bear Mountain was once the premier ski jumping site in the United States. Because of its notoriety as a ski jumping location, Bear Mountain was considered as a possible site for the 1932 Winter Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
, which were held in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The ski jump run has not been used since 1990, and its stone steps built into the eastern side of the mountain are now crumbling.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Brooklyn Dodgers held their spring training here.
External links
- http://www.nynjtc.org/park/bear-mountain
- http://www.nynjtc.org/park/harriman-bear-mountain-state-park