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4.4 miles | 1,165 ft gain | Difficulty: Moderate | Rating ★★★★

Bear Mountain. THE New York City hike. And we felt like we were there, right along side every one of them, especially on the way down. Somehow in my 14 years as a New Yorker, and nearly 2 decades of living next door in New Jersey, I never visited Bear Mountain. Not for a hike, not for the carousel or zoo, not even for the annual Oktoberfest.

With it’s stunning views of the Hudson and proximity to the city, it’s easy to see why this mountain is a favorite. Plus, if you’re super lazy, you don’t even have to hike. Just drive right up to the top, get out and claim that “just hiked a mountain” selfie. I swear there must have been at least 400 people up there. We didn’t stay long, given the crowds.

Starting from the South Entrance parking lot, we walked north along the ice rink and large field, soon joining the bank of Hessian Lake, then entering the woods to loop counterclockwise. Going up wasn’t too bad. Most of assent was fairly moderate with a few steep rock slides to conquer. Conveniently, each of the hard climbs instantly rewarded you with a great view to maintain motivation.

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Once at the top, we wandered along a gravel path, likely to make the trail more accessible to those who drove most of the way. The summit of Bear Mountain itself was probably the least impressive part of the hike. A bit hidden by trees, we summited to see the remains of an old fire tower, erected in 1923, but then taken down only 7 years later when the nearby Perkins Memorial Tower was built.

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The tower itself was beautiful and had Sean confirming, “that’s a good door. I wish I had a door like that.” Just beyond the tower, we reached the cliffs with the view, along with everyone else who fled the city for the day.

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The way down was not nearly as fun, and extremely crowded. Instead of rock slides, we faced stairs, and a lot of them. An “easier” approach, we learned that many people opted to take this trail as an out and back. The traffic was insane. While I’m not sure I’ll be headed back on the weekend anytime soon, hopefully I can escape for a fall weekday to take advantage of what I’m sure will be stunning foliage.