Bear Mountain State Park
Encyclopedia
Bear Mountain State Park is located on the west side of the Hudson River
in Orange and Rockland counties of New York. The 5067 acres (20.5 km²) 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 carousel
, pool and skating rink. It is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
.
as well as Dunderberg Mountain
and West Mountain. Fort Montgomery is adjacent to the north edge of the park while Iona Island Bird Sanctuary is on the eastern edge in the Hudson River. The park is a separate entity from the adjacent Harriman State Park which runs along the western edge of the park. It lies within the Northeastern coastal forests
ecoregion
.
During the American Revolution
when control of the Hudson River was viewed by the British as essential to dominating the American territories, the area that was to become the park saw several significant military engagements. In 1777 British troops routed Patriots at Fort Montgomery
. Anthony Wayne
's attack of the British fort at Stony Point
moved colonial troops to the west of Bear Mountain.
In 1908 the State of New York announced plans to relocate Sing Sing Prison to Bear Mountain. Work was begun on the area near Highland Lake (renamed Hessian Lake) and in January 1909, the state purchased the 740 acres (3 km²) Bear Mountain
tract. Conservationist
s, inspired by the work of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission lobbied successfully for the creation of the Highlands of the Hudson Forest Preserve. However, the prison project was continued.
Mary Averell Harriman, whose husband, Union Pacific Railroad
president E. H. Harriman
died in September of that year, offered the state another 10000 acres (40.5 km²) and one million dollars toward the creation of a state park. George W. Perkins, with whom she had been working, raised another $1.5 million from a dozen wealthy contributors including John D. Rockefeller
and J. Pierpont Morgan. New York state appropriated a matching $2.5 million and the state of New Jersey appropriated $500,000 to build the Henry Hudson Drive, (which would be succeeded by the Palisades Interstate Parkway
in 1947).
Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park became a reality the following year when the prison was demolished and a dock built for steamboat
excursion traffic; the following year a new West Shore Railroad station was built near the dock. In 1912, a replica of Henry Hudson
's ship, the Half Moon
was built and moored at the dock. Major William A. Welch
was hired as Chief Engineer, whose work for the park would win him recognition as the father of the state park
movement (and later, the national park movement).
The park opened on July 5, 1913. Steamboats alone brought more than 22,000 passengers to the park that year. Camping at Hessian Lake (and later at Lake Stahahe) was immensely popular; the average stay was eight days and was a favorite for Boy Scouts
. By 1914 it was estimated that more than a million people a year were coming to the park.
In the 1930s the federal government under Franklin D. Roosevelt was developing plans to preserve the environment as part of the Depression
-era public works programs; the Civil Works Administration
and the Works Progress Administration
, spent five years on projects at the park. Pump houses, reservoirs, sewer
systems, vacation lodges, bathrooms, homes for park staff, storage buildings and an administration building were all created through these programs.
The park continued to grow after its creation. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission
purchased nearby Doodletown starting in the 1920s and completed the acquisition with eminent domain
in the 1960s.
and later used extensively in the National Park System. It closed in 2005 for extended renovations. The inn reopened in 2011.
, 40 miles (64.4 km) to the south. The road and tower were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
between 1932 and 1934. It is named after George Wallbridge Perkins, the first president of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission.
. Its name is a reference to the Appalachian Trail
that runs through the complex. The zoo began as a bear den in 1926 and is currently the home of a wide variety of local injured or rehabilitating animals, including bears, otters, deer, bald eagles, and owls. The Reptile and Amphibian House has many species of fish, turtles, snakes and frogs. The Nature Study Museum was formed from the original exhibits created by the American Museum of Natural History
for the Boy Scouts facility in the park in 1921. The Geology Museum covers the Hudson Highlands and other local geology. The History Museum has exhibits about colonial and Native American culture.
began in the park in 1928. On February 11, 1962, 35,120 spectators turned out to watch the New York State Junior Ski Jumping Championship. More jump competitions were held at Bear Mountain than at any other ski jump in the United States; however the ski jumps have not been used since 1990.
The first section of the Appalachian Trail
, taking hikers from Bear Mountain south to the Delaware Water Gap
, opened on October 7, 1923 and served as a pattern for the other sections of the trail developed independently by local and regional organizations and later by the federal government. The Bear Mountain Zoo, through which the Appalachian Trail passes, is the lowest elevation on the 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) trail. There are 6 miles (9.7 km) of the AT located in the park. In 2010, sections of the AT within the park were rebuilt with stone steps to handle the 500,000 annual hikers.
song "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues".
Some believe Kate Smith
wrote her 1931 theme song “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain
” while at the Bear Mountain Inn
. If so, the mountain in question might be Anthony's Nose which lies to the east across the Hudson River. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in Orange and Rockland counties of New York. The 5067 acres (20.5 km²) park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, cross-country running, sledding
Sledding
Sledding , sledging , sleding or tobogganing is a common activity in wintry areas, similar to sliding, but in a prone or seated position requiring a device or vehicle generically known in the US as a sled or in other countries as a sledge or toboggan...
and ice skating. It also includes several facilities such as the Perkins Memorial Tower, the Trailside Museum and Zoo, 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...
, a carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
, pool and skating rink. It is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
.
Geography
The park includes Bear MountainBear Mountain (Hudson Highlands)
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....
as well as Dunderberg Mountain
Dunderberg Mountain
Dunderberg Mountain stands at the so-called southern gate of the Hudson Highlands where the region's namesake Hudson River enters a dramatic gorge...
and West Mountain. Fort Montgomery is adjacent to the north edge of the park while Iona Island Bird Sanctuary is on the eastern edge in the Hudson River. The park is a separate entity from the adjacent Harriman State Park which runs along the western edge of the park. It lies within the Northeastern coastal forests
Northeastern coastal forests
The Northeastern coastal forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the northeastern United States. The ecoregion covers an area of 34,630 sq miles encompassing the Piedmont and coastal plain of seven states, extending from northern Maryland and Delaware through southeast...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
.
History
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
when control of the Hudson River was viewed by the British as essential to dominating the American territories, the area that was to become the park saw several significant military engagements. In 1777 British troops routed Patriots at Fort Montgomery
Fort Montgomery
Fort Montgomery is the name of a fortification built on the Hudson River during the American Revolution. It was one of the first major investments by the Americans in strategic construction projects...
. Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
's attack of the British fort at Stony Point
Battle of Stony Point
The Battle of Stony Point was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on the night of July 15–16, 1779. A select force of Continental Army infantry made a coordinated surprise night attack and stormed a fortified position of the British Army on the Hudson River south of West Point, New...
moved colonial troops to the west of Bear Mountain.
In 1908 the State of New York announced plans to relocate Sing Sing Prison to Bear Mountain. Work was begun on the area near Highland Lake (renamed Hessian Lake) and in January 1909, the state purchased the 740 acres (3 km²) Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain (Hudson Highlands)
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....
tract. Conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
s, inspired by the work of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission lobbied successfully for the creation of the Highlands of the Hudson Forest Preserve. However, the prison project was continued.
Mary Averell Harriman, whose husband, Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
president E. H. Harriman
E. H. Harriman
Edward Henry Harriman was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Harriman was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harriman, an Episcopal clergyman, and Cornelia Neilson...
died in September of that year, offered the state another 10000 acres (40.5 km²) and one million dollars toward the creation of a state park. George W. Perkins, with whom she had been working, raised another $1.5 million from a dozen wealthy contributors including John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
and J. Pierpont Morgan. New York state appropriated a matching $2.5 million and the state of New Jersey appropriated $500,000 to build the Henry Hudson Drive, (which would be succeeded by the Palisades Interstate Parkway
Palisades Interstate Parkway
The Palisades Interstate Parkway is a long limited-access highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The parkway is a major commuter route into New York City from Rockland and Orange counties in New York and Bergen County in New Jersey...
in 1947).
Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park became a reality the following year when the prison was demolished and a dock built for steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
excursion traffic; the following year a new West Shore Railroad station was built near the dock. In 1912, a replica of Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
's ship, the Half Moon
Halve Maen
The Halve Maen was a Dutch East India Company vlieboot which sailed into what is now New York harbor in September 1609. It was commissioned by the Dutch Republic to covertly find an eastern passage to China...
was built and moored at the dock. Major William A. Welch
William A. Welch
Major William Addams Welch was an American engineer and environmentalist who would have a major impact on the state and national park systems of the United States...
was hired as Chief Engineer, whose work for the park would win him recognition as the father of the state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
movement (and later, the national park movement).
The park opened on July 5, 1913. Steamboats alone brought more than 22,000 passengers to the park that year. Camping at Hessian Lake (and later at Lake Stahahe) was immensely popular; the average stay was eight days and was a favorite for Boy Scouts
Scouting in New York
Scouting in New York has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live...
. By 1914 it was estimated that more than a million people a year were coming to the park.
In the 1930s the federal government under Franklin D. Roosevelt was developing plans to preserve the environment as part of the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era public works programs; the Civil Works Administration
Civil Works Administration
The Civil Works Administration was established by the New Deal during the Great Depression to create manual labor jobs for millions of unemployed. The jobs were merely temporary, for the duration of the hard winter. Harry L. Hopkins was put in charge of the organization. President Franklin D...
and the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, spent five years on projects at the park. Pump houses, reservoirs, sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
systems, vacation lodges, bathrooms, homes for park staff, storage buildings and an administration building were all created through these programs.
The park continued to grow after its creation. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
purchased nearby Doodletown starting in the 1920s and completed the acquisition with eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
in the 1960s.
Bear Mountain Inn
Originally completed in 1915, the Bear Mountain Inn is an early example of the rustic lodge style influenced by the Adirondak Great CampsGreat Camps
Great camps refer to the grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks such as Spitfire Lake and Rainbow Lake. The camps were summer homes for the wealthy, where they could relax, host or attend parties, and enjoy the...
and later used extensively in the National Park System. It closed in 2005 for extended renovations. The inn reopened in 2011.
Perkins Memorial Drive
The Perkins Memorial Drive is a scenic road to the summit of Bear Mountain. At the summit, the 40 feet (12.2 m) Perkins Memorial Tower provides a view of four states and the skyline of ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, 40 miles (64.4 km) to the south. The road and tower were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
between 1932 and 1934. It is named after George Wallbridge Perkins, the first president of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission.
Trailside Museums and Zoo
The Trailside Museums and Zoo are located at the former site of Fort ClintonFort Clinton
Fort Clinton was an American Revolutionary War fortification in present-day Highlands, Orange County, New York. It was a companion to Fort Montgomery. Its garrison of 300 was smaller than that of Fort Montgomery, but Fort Clinton was built on a ridge at the mouth of the Popolopen Gorge, overlooking...
. Its name is a reference to 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...
that runs through the complex. The zoo began as a bear den in 1926 and is currently the home of a wide variety of local injured or rehabilitating animals, including bears, otters, deer, bald eagles, and owls. The Reptile and Amphibian House has many species of fish, turtles, snakes and frogs. The Nature Study Museum was formed from the original exhibits created by the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
for the Boy Scouts facility in the park in 1921. The Geology Museum covers the Hudson Highlands and other local geology. The History Museum has exhibits about colonial and Native American culture.
Ski Jumping
Ski jumpingSki jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
began in the park in 1928. On February 11, 1962, 35,120 spectators turned out to watch the New York State Junior Ski Jumping Championship. More jump competitions were held at Bear Mountain than at any other ski jump in the United States; however the ski jumps have not been used since 1990.
Hiking
There are over 50 official trails covering 235 miles (378.2 km) of trails. They cover a wide range of difficulty and elevation changes.The first 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...
, taking hikers from Bear Mountain south to the Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
, opened on October 7, 1923 and served as a pattern for the other sections of the trail developed independently by local and regional organizations and later by the federal government. The Bear Mountain Zoo, through which the Appalachian Trail passes, is the lowest elevation on the 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) trail. There are 6 miles (9.7 km) of the AT located in the park. In 2010, sections of the AT within the park were rebuilt with stone steps to handle the 500,000 annual hikers.
Cross Country Running
Bear Mountain also regularly hosts cross country running events during the fall season. High school cross country teams compete on the 3 miles (4.8 km) course, which mostly consists of paved walkways. Bear Mountain is the location for the County's Championship race.Speed Hiking Record
On July 15, 2011, Avrahom Lewinson set the record for finishing the Mountain Trail in a record time of 29:30, beating his previous record of 30:36. The record attempt can be seen in the log book in Perkins Tower.In popular culture
The park is referenced in the Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues".
Some believe Kate Smith
Kate Smith
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
wrote her 1931 theme song “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain
When the Moon Comes over the Mountain
"When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" is a popular song, published in 1931, and credited as written by Howard Johnson, Harry M. Woods, and Kate Smith...
” while at 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...
. If so, the mountain in question might be Anthony's Nose which lies to the east across the Hudson River. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaQA-hHDIg4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Palisades+Interstate+Park&lr=
External links
- Bear Mountain State Park
- Palisades Park Conservancy
- Trailside Museums and Zoo
- HarrimanHiker.com - With Many Hikes and Photos of the Area
- Bear Mountain Inn
- Bear Mountain State Park Railroad photos (November 12, 2005)
- Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks Trail Details and Info