Bear Mountain Inn

Facility · New York ·

Managed by the National Register of Historic Places

Bear Mountain State Park (State Park) · Open Access

171 ft
Elevation
Bear Mountain Inn

Bear Mountain Inn, built in 1915 and a member of Historic Hotels of America® since 2015 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation® for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across America.

Situated at the base of Bear Mountain and overlooking the shores of Hessian Lake, the historic Bear Mountain Inn, built in 1915, is the centerpiece of a unique park system that stretches from the edge of New York City through the Hudson Valley. As one of the earliest rustic-style lodges built to take advantage of a natural setting, Bear Mountain Inn is a fabulous contemporary of the great National Park lodges. Bear Mountain State Park was born out of the conservation efforts of the Harriman Family in 1908, before ecological conservation was the popular movement it is today. What was soon to be the future site of Sing Sing Prison eventually became the hallowed grounds of The Bear Mountain Inn thanks to the Harriman’s and the youthful Palisades Interstate Park Commission. While development of the prison had begun in 1908, Mr. Edward Henry Harriman chose to donate thousands of acres of his family’s land (to eventually become Harriman State Park), along with $1 million to the PIPC on the condition that the State of New York stop work on the prison and make Bear Mountain into a park. By 1910, the base of Bear Mountain was bustling with activity to create a State Park. Since its first year of operation in 1915, Bear Mountain Inn has been the centerpiece of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. It was originally constructed as an open-air pavilion to facilitate food service. By the winter of 1923 the great stone arches of the Inn (still visible today) were retrofitted with windows and enclosed to make the Inn a year-round attraction.

For more information and to make a reservation, please visit http://www.HistoricHotels.org.

Getting there

Bear Mountain Inn is located just 45 minutes north of New York City and easily available to three different airports, including Randall Airport, Orange County Airport, and Westchester County Airport.

Visit the Historic Hotels of America website to get more information, view special offers or make a reservation.

41.31000, -73.99000 · 41°18'36.0"N 73°59'24.0"W

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Typical weather

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F————————————
Low °F————————————
Precip in3.53.04.24.04.04.44.74.34.74.53.64.4

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 3.6 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

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Member photos

Common questions about Bear Mountain Inn

Can you reserve a site at Bear Mountain Inn?
No. Bear Mountain Inn is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Bear Mountain Inn

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Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.