Bear Mountain rises above the west side of the Hudson River in New York’s Hudson Highlands, its steep eastern face making it a defining landmark and a gateway to the region. Known for unusual summit access, broad views, and rugged lower slopes, it is also deeply connected to the Appalachian Trail, including the trail’s oldest section and its lowest point at the Trailside Museum and Zoo. The mountain has figured in notable 20th-century events, from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1921 visit to Hessian Lake to ski jumping, proposed Olympic use, and Brooklyn Dodgers spring training during World War II. Perkins Memorial Tower crowns its summit.

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