Click to enlarge photo of Early Fall at the Bear Mountain Bridge.
	The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying US-6 and US-202 across the Hudson River, from Bear Mountain State Park (at the northern tip of Rockland County) to the northwestern corner of Westchester County. The western approach to the bridge actually lies on the border of Orange County and Rockland County.
The Bear Mountain Bridge was completed in 1924; making it the longest suspension bridge in the world. A couple of years later, in 1926, the Benjamin Franklin (Philadelphia-Camden) suspension bridge became the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Click to enlarge photo of the Bear Mountain Bridge Tablet. This Tablet hangs on the wall of the Bear Mountain Bridge Toll Plaza. BEAR MOUNTAIN BRIDGE The first highway bridge to span the Hudson River South of Albany Begun March 24th 1923 - opened Nov. 27th 1924 To all who With thought labor and loyalty have Contributed to the construction of This bridge and highway This tablet is inscribed Total length of bridge = 2257 ft.    Length of suspended span = 1632 ft. Height of towers = 355 ft. Clear height above river = 153 ft. Diameter of cables = 18 ins. Number of wires in each cable = 7252
The roadway of the Bear Mountain Bridge has eight-foot-wide shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge also carries the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail. Crossing the bridge on foot offers magnificent views, wonderful photo opportunities, and an invigorating walk. For equally beautiful views, walk both sides of the bridge. From the walkway of the bridge, face northwest, and you can see 3 more bridges: the Popolopen Suspension Bridge, the Popolopen Creek Suspension Footbridge, and the MTA train tracks. All of these bridges cross Popolopen Creek.
Click to enlarge photo of View of the Hudson River from Bear Mountain Bridge.
	Look ahead, facing north, as the Hudson River moves toward the hamlets of Manitou, a Metro North train stop, and Garrison, also an MTA train stop. Garrison on the water faces West Point. Look east and you will see the mountain known as Anthony's Nose, 900 feet up.
The Appalachian Trail is America's first National Scenic Trail. The trail stretches from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. It was originally conceived as a greenway between these states in the 1920's and has become the most popular trail for day-hikers and thru-hikers alike that want to see the scenic wonders of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Trail is approximately 2160 miles; it is a well-maintained hiking only trail and has shelters conveniently spaced for overnight stays. Popolopen Creek Popolopen Creek is a stream that is mostly fed by Lake Popolopen, Stillwell Lake, and Weyant's Pond. Eventually, the creek drains into the Hudson River. In 2002, New York's Governor George Pataki, dedicated a long suspension foot bridge that spans Popolopen Creek. The footbridge connects the trail between the twin forts of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, carrying the Appalachian Trail on the western side of the Bear Mountain Bridge. Popolopen Creek Suspension Footbridge The Popolopen Creek Footbridge, for pedestrians only, was designed to create an economic and esthetically pleasing river crossing of 140m on the Appalachian Trail in Bear Mountain Park. You can access the bridge on a path near the Bear Mountain Bridge toll booths. However, the Popolopen Creek footbridge is most easily accessed through Fort Montgomery. Just park your car at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center off 9W, north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, and walk down to Popolopen Creek.
The American Revolution in the Hudson River Valley Fort Montgomery is just north of Popolopen Creek in Bear Mountain State Park. Fort Montgomery and its sister fort, Fort Clinton, were the scenes of fierce American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands. On October 6, 1777, the British captured both Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery. Read excerpts from several moving accounts of the American Revolution and the battles that captured Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton. Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 1/2 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.

Ice Activities and Attractions
Birthday Parties
Ice Rental
Skate Rentals

Ice Skating
Figure Skating in the center of the rink
Public Skating

Ice Hockey
Hockey Club

Press blue button for session hours and fees, holiday hours, skate rentals, private rental, birthday parties, hockey club, figure skating and more about ice skating at the Bear Mountain Ice Rink. Call (845) 786-2701 ext. 266 for more about ice skating at the Bear Mountain Ice Rink.

Hessian Lake at Bear Mountain Park offers activities such as: fishing, paddle boat and rowboat rentals, and picnicking at Hessian Lake. For more activities and attractions go to Bear Mountain State Park.

Bear Mountain State Park is situated in rugged mountains rising from the west bank of the Hudson River. The park features a large play field, shaded picnic groves, a dock on the Hudson for mooring small craft, lake and river fishing access, a swimming pool, a zoo and nature, hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails, and ski-jumps. An outdoor rink is open to ice skaters from late October through mid-March. The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park.

Things To Do
Boat Rentals
Fishing
Hiking around the lake
Nature Trail
Picnic Tables
Playground
Playing Field(s)
Pool

Winter Activities
Cross-country Skiing
Ice Skating

Today's Trailside Museums and Zoo occupy 40-acres on a bluff 250 feet over the Hudson River. The trails, including the first section of the Appalachian Trail, are among the oldest in the country; they link the various homes of Samantha, the eagle, and other birds of prey, the bear den, as well as habitats for beavers, a river otter, foxes, coyotes, and more.

Children enjoy the various presentations of indigenous wildlife, geology and herpetology. On display are Native American artifacts, models of Revolutionary War battles fought on-site, and an exhibit of the origins of the Boy Scouts, and four Museum buildings. See the bald eagle, black bear, owl, river otter and more animals local to Bear Mountain.

The Trailside Museum and Wildlife Center also highlight the history of the area. Learn about the importance of Bear Mountain in the American Revolutionary War. Visit historic 1777 & 1779 Trails that retrace the routes taken by the British army during the American War of Independence. Visit Fort Montgomery, a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River and learn about the Battle of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton.

Young children, older children, and adults all enjoy visiting each of the Museum buildings that house different exhibits. Visit the Local Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish Museum, the Geology Museum, History Museum and Nature Study Museum.

The Esty & Hellie Stowell Trailhead provides access to Storm King Mountain, where Scenic Hudson got its start in the fight to Save the Land that Matters Most.

Esty & Hellie Stowell Trailhead offers 11.2 miles of trails on 1,900-acres and provides access to Storm King State Park with hiking and great views of the Hudson River and Hudson Highlands.

Stowell Trailhead offers hikers a new way to access the spectacular summit of Storm King Mountain. Hikers heading uphill from the Esty and Hellie Stowell Trailhead soon enter Storm King State Park, with miles of trails affording magnificent Hudson Highlands vistas that Scenic Hudson has been protecting since 1963. Storm King Mountain was the stage for the epic fight to stop the development of a massive pump storage hydroelectric facility that gave birth to Scenic Hudson's campaign to Save the Land That Matters Most.

Directions
From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge: 4.5 miles south on Rt. 9W, right on Rt. 218. Trailhead is 1.6 miles on right.

Press blue button for Scenic Hudson, hours of operation, maps, photos and more about Esty & Hellie Stowell Trailhead

When you are ready to eat, select from one of many excellent restaurants in Orange County and nearby areas.

Outdoor Discovery Center
The Outdoor Discover Center is located at 100 Muser Drive (entrance to the center is on Muser Drive across from 174 Angola Road) in Cornwall, NY.

Wildlife Education Center
See the Living Hudson Exhibit; a multi-sensory experience full of the flora and fauna native to the Hudson Estuary. Follow the journey as water trickles down a highland creek into a wetland pond. The pond empties into a freshwater stream which then joins the Hudson River Estuary.

Scenic Hudson purchased this historic 178-acre farm in 1993 so that the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum could establish an "Outdoor Discovery Center".

Nature trails on the grounds of this former farm (now home to the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum) are helping to inspire the next generation of environmentalists. Three miles of trails are owned and managed by the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum.

Things To Do
Hiking / Walking Trails
Nature Study
Scenic Views

Directions
Kenridge Farm is on Muser Drive, across from 174 Angola Road. Take Route 9W to the Angola Road Exit. Go .1 mile west on Angola Road.

After a day of hiking, nature study, or a casual walk at Kenridge Farm, dine at one of many excellent restaurants in Orange County, New York.

Click to enlarge sign at Fort Clinton.

The sign reads: Fort Clinton Oct. 6, 1777, Orange County Militia Defended this Post, stormed by British, On futile Expedition to, Aid Burgoyne at Saratoga Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . . Learn more about the American Revolution in the Hudson River Valley and the Battles at Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery.

Battles Of The Revolutionary War : 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003) "Now began what could be called the campaign of the Clintons . Sir Henry was opposed by an American Clinton, Major General George Clinton, who was also governor of New York. The governor had a brother, Brigadier General James Clinton. George commanded Fort Montgomery; James commanded Fort Clinton. "Sir Henry left 1,000 men at Verplanck's Point and with the remaining 2,000 moved up the west side of the Hudson, sending 900 men under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell against Fort Montgomery, while Sir Henry himself led the remainder to Fort Clinton. The British successfully stormed both forts, though suffering a combined loss of over 300 killed and wounded. The 600 Americans in the two forts took an even heavier proportion of losses: 250 killed, wounded, or missing." Fort Clinton, Today Today, the site of Fort Clinton is part of Bear Mountain State Park. Unfortunately, most of Fort Clinton was demolished during the construction of the Bear Mountain Bridge and nearby Route 9W. Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14-acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River. Visitors can learn about this important military post at the new Visitor Center. You can view original artifacts and weapons, large scale models of the fort and the attack, detailed mannequins frozen in poses of battle, and a fifteen minute movie of the 1777 assault.

Information Source
The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.

Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed. "Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle." Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . . " . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . . "Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city. "Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them." Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution. The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery. "In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war. "Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
	Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives: The War of the Revolution , by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952) "An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun. The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek. In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . . . . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress. We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ." Battles Of The Revolutionary War : 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003) "On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson River. The land columns attacking from west of the fort consisted of the New York Volunteers, the Loyal American Regiment, Emmerich's Chasseurs, the 57th and the 52nd Regiments of Foot. The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla. Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton. After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships. U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October. Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga." A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006) American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands. Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . . . . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . . After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire. Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . . By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured." Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground." Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River. The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film. Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center

Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.

The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War. "The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery. "The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."

Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.

Things To Do
Bowling coupons
Bowling lanes (42)
Bumper bowling for children
Cosmic bowling
League bowling
Open bowling
Parties (k ids birthday parties)
Pro Shop

Refreshments
Snackbar
Sports Bar

Coyote Run Golf Course
Famous Par-3 with lights.
A Driving Range built to resemble a fairway.
Rent the Lit par-3 course at night for Private Party or Family Outing.
Stop by and play for just $6 dollars a round.


Beautiful Island Green
Hand-made 40-foot Rock Bridge over the pond to the Island. This course is only $10 Dollars to play a round. Golf cars are $5 Dollars a piece for 2 people. First hole is 320 yds. Looking at Skinnymunk Mountain.

Press blue button for Summer Golf Camps, Kids camps, and more about New Windsor Golf Clubs.

Bushwhackers who explore this 500-foot hilltop outside of Newburgh are rewarded with spectacular views of the Hudson River and Hudson Highlands.

Snake Hill is 94.5-acres with no trails. The colorfully named Snake Hill is the dominant feature of the landscape surrounding Newburgh. Although there are no maintained trails on the property, adventuresome hikers can find their way to the summit and some rewarding views.

Things To Do
Birding
Hiking
Nature Study
Picnicking

Directions
From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge: 3.2 miles south on Route 9W, then right on Union Ave. Proceed 1.8 miles to 398 Union Ave. and proceed to end of driveway.

After a day of hiking, and/or nature study on the way to the top of Snake Hill, pack a picnic from the produce at one of the local farms in the Hudson Valley. Or dine at one of many excellent restaurants in Orange County, New York.

Chadwick Lake is a reservoir supplying water to the Town of Newburgh. The reservoir was created by damming Quassaick Creek in 1926. Today, most of the town's water is supplied by New York City's Delaware Aqueduct, with the reservoir acting primarily as a backup.

Chadwick Lake Park is open to the public with recreational facilities near the southern end of the park. Attractions include three picnic shelters, a playground, walking trails, boating launches, basketball courts, ice skating and a roller rink. Fishing is also allowed on the lake; largemouth bass is a common catch.

Note: A permit is required for entrance to Chadwick Lake Park.

Things To Do
Basketball
Biking Trail around the lake
Boating
Boat launches
Bocce
Fishing
Picnic Shelter
Playground
Roller Hockey Rink
Roller Rink
Walking/Hiking Trail around the lake

Winter Activities
Ice Skating

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, designers and creators of Central Park in New York City, created this 35-acre urban respite named for their mentor and supporter of the public parks movement. The landscaping features many a winding path opening to a picture perfect vignette of flowering shrubs, rolling hills, a pergola and pond. Polly Pond, especially when filled with ice skaters, has been inspiration for many artists. The park hosts a variety of events throughout the year, and the Shelter House also serves as Visitor Center for the town.

Things To Do
Gardens
Ice Skating

Ice Time Sports Complex runs sessions of Learn To Skate Classes for all ages. These progressive classes take each student from the basics of getting up and skating forward, to jumps and spins for those wanting to be figure skaters, to those skaters that are looking forward to playing the fun game of hockey.

Ice Activities and Attractions
Freestyle Sessions
Public Skating Sessions

Ice Skating
Figure Skating Lessons
Figure Skating Lessons - Summer
Ice Skating Lessons for Adults
Ice Skating Lessons for Children
Learn To Skate Camps

Ice Hockey
Youth Ice Hockey
Adult Ice Hockey

The center is anchored by Sears, The Bon-Ton, Bed Bath and Beyond, Office Depot and Old Navy. The mall also features over 65 specialty retail stores including Bath & Body Works, The Children's Place, and New York & Company.

Press blue button for Newburgh Mall events, children's activities, and the Newburgh Mall Directory of department stores, cards, gifts & books, children's apparel, electronics & music, home furnishing, men & women's apparel, jewelry & accessories, restaurants and more.

Things To Do
Bowling lanes (36)
Bumper bowling for children
Cosmic Bowling
League bowling (junior and adult leagues)
Open bowling
Parties (k ids birthday parties)
Pro Shop

Refreshments
Lounge
Snackbar

Golf Course Attractions
Public golf course
9-hole regulation length course
2891 yards / par 36
Course rating / slope = 37.0 / 117
Blue grass
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Driving Range
Indoor Practice Facility
Golf cart where available
Restaurant

The River Rose offers private charters and various Sight Seeing Cruises including: Sunday Brunch Cruises. Also available are Fishing and Day Trips (accommodates 6 people) on a 24 ft. Cabin Cruiser.

Ice Skating
Open Skating

George Washington (February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799), also called Father of his Country, was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and later the first President of the United States (1789–1797). He also served as President of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. George Washington is recognized as one of the most important figures in U.S. history. George Washington played an important role in both the "French and Indian War" and in the "American Revolution".

In 1754, Washington was commissioned as a colonel in the Virginia militia. In 1755, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. In 1757, he resigned his commission and married Martha Dandridge Custis, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. The couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's "Common Sense".

In the First Continental Congress, twelve colonies sent delegates to discuss how to return to a state of harmonious relations with the Mother Country and not have a revolution! But radical thinking won out. Parliamentary acts were declared "unconstitutional". Taxes were not paid, an import-export ban was established, and Colonists were urged to arm themselves. The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at Lexington where armed colonists tried to resist British seizure of an arsenal. Eight Americans and 273 British soldiers were killed. The Revolutionary War began. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and they declared themselves the government. They also named George Washington Commander in Chief of the newly organized army.

The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and unlike many other revolutionary leaders, Washington voluntarily relinquished power. On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. If Washington had wanted to retain power he may have been able to seize it. There was some support among his most devoted followers for making Washington a permanent ruler or king, but Washington, like most of the Founding Fathers of the United States, abhorred the very idea. This established an important precedent of republican democracy throughout the world.

On February 4, 1789, America's first presidential election took place. On April 30, 1789, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.

Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

Lakes, ponds, forest, hills, and mountains abound at Bear Mountain. Bear Mountain is heavily forested, offering the natural beauty of sights such as Perkins Memorial Point,

Of interest to hikers, the historic Appalachian Trail is carried across the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Popolopen Suspension Bridge. Although campgrounds and lodging are available, Bear Mountain Park is primarily a day-use park offering magnificent scenery, photo opportunities, and great hiking for all levels of hikers. The historic Bear Mountain Inn, situated in Bear Mountain Park, overlooks Hessian Lake and provides food and overnight accommodations. Food is also available at several vendors around Hessian Lake and in other areas of the park.

Bear Mountain Park attractions and activities include: a large playing field, picnic groves, rowboat docks on Hessian Lake, swimming pool and bathhouse, nature trails including key segments of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Long Path, basketball court, Trailside Museums and Zoo, Iona Island Estuarine Reserve and Bird Refuge, Perkins Tower, and the Merry-Go-Round. Many winter activities are available at Bear Mountain Park, including an outdoor rink that is open for ice-skating from late October through mid-March.

Perkins Memorial Tower sits 1,305 feet above the Hudson River, atop Bear Mountain. Perkins Point and Perkins Memorial Tower afford spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. Driving, biking, or hiking along Perkins Memorial Drive offers breathtaking views from many vantage points leading to Perkins Memorial Tower perched at the top of the mountain. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of many picnic spots that are available along Perkins Memorial Drive.

Click to enlarge photo of sign - Popolopen Creek Trail to Fort Montgomery.
	Popolopen Creek Trail to Fort Montgomery Walk the Popolopen Creek Trail to Fort Montgomery where you will "standon the site of Fort Clinton, which was built along with Fort Montgomery to prevent British ships from sailing up the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War. On October 6, 1777, the British captured both forts and destroyed them shortly thereafter. "This trail leads down to the Popolopen Creek and across the Popolopen Suspension Footbridge to Fort Montgomery State Historic Site. Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. Interpretive signs and an audio tour are available to help understand the history of the fort and the battle."

More fun and educational attractions for kids include the Trailside Museum and Zoo, and the Merry-Go-Round featuring 42 hand carved seats of native animals. After a ride on the merry-go-round, visit the zoo and see how many native animals you can recognize. (Perhaps your children can help name the animals.) .

Great kids Attraction - Merry-Go-Round
The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain features hand painted scenes of the park and 42 hand carved seats of native animals including: black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit and more.

Great kids Attraction - Trailside Museum and Zoo
There are four museums at Trailside. The Reptile and Amphibian House is home to a variety of turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders and skinks as well as many species of fish. The Nature Study Museum houses specimens originally created by the Museum of Natural History to educate people about animal identification. Visitors can learn about geologic formations of the Hudson Highlands in the Geology Museum and local Native American and early settler culture in the History Museum.

Things To Do
Biking Trails in Hudson Valley
Boat Rentals
Dockage
Fishing (lake and river fishing)
Food at park and at Bear Mountain Inn
Hiking Trails / Walking
Merry-Go-Round Pavilion
Nature Trail
Perkins Memorial Drive & Tower
Picnic Tables
Playground
Playing Fields
Pool (very large pool)
Swimming
Trailside Museums
Zoo and Nature Park

Winter Activities
Cross-Country Skiing
Ice Skating

The sign reads:
Chaining the Hudson
"Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that if the British controlled the Hudson River, they could divide the rebellious colonies. To prevent this, in March 1776, the Americans began construction of Fort Montgomery above the Popolopen Creek on the west side of the Hudson River. Their work soon expanded to include a second fort, Fort Clinton, on the south side of the creek, and a massive iron chain that stretched across the Hudson River.

"Lieutenant Thomas Machin, one of the Continental Army's most able engineers, directed the work on the forts and the chain. During two separate attempts, the chain quickly broke under the strain of the ebb tide. Convinced that the chain could still work, Machin had the damage repaired and successfully stretched the chain across the river in march 1777.

"British ships never tested the chain. Rather, the British captured the forts on October 6, 1777, and cut the chain the following day. Today, Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is open to the public and interprets the story of the forts and the battle."

Click to enlarge sign: The First Chain along the Hudson River.

The sign reads:
First Chain
New York
The First Chain
Planned to keep British
Ships from going up
River. Anchored on shore
Below, was forced by the
Enemy Oct. 7, 1777

Chain at West Point
After the British destroyed the Fort Montgomery chain, the Americans created an even bigger chain at West Point, which was never challenged by the enemy. The diagram on the interpretive sign is courtesy of the West Point Museum Collection, United States Military Academy.

Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin
Rather than rebuild Fort Montgomery, New York State Parks has chosen to preserve and interpret it as a ruin. The site includes an interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking vies of the Hudson River.

Constitution Island is most famous for the Great Chain that was placed across the Hudson during the Revolutionary War. Constitution Island is also known for the Warner family who lived on the Island during the 19th century. The Warner House and ruins of the Revolutionary War fortifications are the primary points of interest. The Island’s 280 acres are covered with hiking trails that are enjoyed by the Island’s visitors. The Constitution Island Association was founded in 1916 to preserve and protect the history and traditions of this unique American site. Also learn about the chaining of the Hudson.

Things To Do
Hiking Trails
Historic Site
Warner House Daily and Weekend Tours

Cold Spring Tours

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The Golf Facility at West Point is available to General Public civilians.

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With beautiful vistas, 151 luxury guest rooms, 10 meetings rooms, and fine dining, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is an ideal destination for a vacation. In keeping with the historic architecture, the dining room retains the old world charm with leaded glass windows, chandeliers and portraits of military leaders of the past. During the summer months, the Hudson Terrace offers alfresco dining and views of the Hudson River and historic Constitution Island.

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Golf Facility at West Point is available to

Active duty military personnel and their authorized family members, and cadets of USMA.
Retired Military personnel and their authorized family members.
Department of Defense civilian employees stationed at West Point and their authorized family members.
Retired Department of Defense employees stationed at West Point and their authorized family members.
Military personnel who are in the reserves.
Others determined by the Garrison Commander, their authorized family members.
General Public civilians.

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