New York · Hiking

Bear Mountain Trail

Bear Mountain TrailPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
3.7 mi
loop
754 ft
climb
2,186 ft
high point
Loop
route
Aug–Sep
best months

Bear Mountain Trail is a 3.7-mile loop hike in New York, set within Cranberry Lake Campground on land managed by the State Department of Conservation. The trail is rated easy, and the route rises from about 1,560 feet to a high point of 2,186 feet before returning to a lower point near 1,490 feet. The climb is most pronounced around the 1.8-mile mark, where the grade reaches about 32 percent. The total elevation gain is 754 feet, and the trail's shape makes it a loop rather than a one-way route. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 55°F, and the station sits about 676 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. The Campground Trail starts just 0.1 mile away. The Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 1 is about 1.9 miles off, and the Brandy Brook Flow Trail and Hedgehog Pond Trail are each roughly 2.8 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Aug–Sep

    Best time to visit Bear Mountain Trail

    Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      29° / 5°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      31° / 5°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      40° / 13°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      54° / 30°

      12 wet

    5. May

      67° / 41°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      76° / 50°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 55°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      78° / 54°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 46°

      12 wet

    10. Oct

      57° / 36°

      14 wet

    11. Nov

      45° / 25°

      15 wet

    12. Dec

      33° / 14°

      17 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wanakena Rngr School, NY, 5.5 mi away at 1,510 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Campground TrailPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Campground Trail

Next door

0.83-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 141 ft elevation gain.

Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 1Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 1

~3 min drive

3.74-mile out-and-back ski trail in New York with 589 ft gain/loss

Cranberry Lake 50 Loop TrailPhoto: cm195902, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cranberry Lake 50 Loop Trail

~18 min drive

48.74-mile loop trail in New York with 2,431 ft elevation gain.

Adirondack Rail TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Adirondack Rail Trail

~37 min drive

12.82-mile out-and-back rail trail in New York with 1,035 ft elevation gain

Aldrich Pond Wilderness TrailPhoto: Andy Arthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Aldrich Pond Wilderness Trail

~25 min drive

6.92-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,178 ft elevation gain

Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 2Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Peavine Swamp Ski Trail - Loop 2

~5 min drive

4.84-mile out-and-back ski trail in New York with 678 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Long Pond Mountain Trail

~41 min drive

1.44-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 985 ft elevation loss

HIKE

Fishpole Pond Trail

~9 min drive

7.26-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,106 ft elevation gain

Trout Pond TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Trout Pond Trail

~20 min drive

1.21-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 266 ft gain

HIKE

Dog Pond Loop Trail

~10 min drive

8.08-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,453 ft elevation gain and loss.

Route details

Distance
3.7 mi
Climbing
About 754 ft
Summit
2,188 ft
Difficulty
Easy
Time
About 1.5 hours

Questions about this route

How long is the Bear Mountain Trail on Bear Mountain?

About 3.7 mi.

How much elevation gain is on the Bear Mountain Trail?

About 754 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Bear Mountain Trail?

It is rated easy.

How long does the Bear Mountain Trail take?

About 1.5 hours round trip.

Conditions and forecast on Bear Mountain

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors