New York State Parks, PIPC Announce $3 Million Restoration of Storm-Damaged Trails at Bear Mountain State Park

October 09, 2025

Dan Keefe | (518) 486-1868 | [email protected]

Cornell Mine Trail and new stone staircase open after major 2023 storm

Work now underway at Doodletown Trail area, updated trail status map available here

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) today announced that the popular Cornell Mine Trail at Bear Mountain State Park has reopened for the fall hiking season. A $3 million capital construction project is also underway to restore and reopen additional trails in the Doodletown Trail Area of the park. The repairs follow widespread damage from heavy rains and flash flooding caused by thunderstorm activity on July 9-10, 2023.

New York State Parks trail crews, with support from the Rockland Conservation and Service Corps and the non-profit Jolly Rovers Trail Crew, also hand-constructed a new stone staircase to reopen the one-mile Cornell Mine Trail, which provides access to Doodletown from the Iona Island area and connects to the Appalachian Trail.

"It's exciting to see trails at Bear Mountain State Park that were badly damaged by the July 2023 storms reopening just in time for fall hikes in the breathtaking Hudson Valley," said New York State Parks Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. "State Parks is honored to have such resilient partners in the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, and with the support from Governor Hochul, the New York State Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of General Services, we look forward to welcoming visitors back to get offline, get outside, and hit the Bear Mountain trails."

The next phase of work will focus on repairing approximately five miles of pathways in the Doodletown Trail Area. The $3 million improvement project to reopen the 1777 Trail, restore portions of the Bridle Path, and replace two undersized drainage culverts with a new, more resilient bridge. When complete in late 2026, the project will allow hikers, trail runners, and birders to access the most popular areas of Doodletown, while also restoring connections to the June and Herbert Cemeteries and access for first responders in the event of an emergency.

The restoration of the Doodletown Trails became necessary after the July 9, 2023, storm swept through the area, dumping more than 10 inches of rain in a few short hours. The rush of water over the landscape overwhelmed drainage structures, causing mud and rockslides that damaged large areas of Bear Mountain State Park. In addition to Doodletown, park roads, parking lots, bridges, buildings, and the park's water treatment plant all received extensive damage. Bear Mountain remained closed for over a month until it was safe to re-open.

Palisades Interstate Park Commission Executive Director Joshua Laird said, "We are pleased with the progress that has been made recovering from the unprecedented storm damage that occurred on July 9, 2023. PIPC is proud of the Palisades staff who have worked tirelessly to get park facilities back open. Governor Hochul's support has been crucial to allowing the park to thrive again. With our colleagues at New York State Parks, we look forward to completing the restoration of our trails so that Bear Mountain continues to provide world-class, inclusive, and accessible recreational opportunities to our visitors."

With funding made available by Governor Hochul, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission have spent the past two years addressing the extensive storm damage . The New York State Office of Emergency Management and the Office of General Services have also supported this effort. Since 2023, over $40 million has been expended to rebuild stormwater management systems, repair Bear Mountain's water treatment plant, and replace damaged bridges. The park's carpentry and plumbing shops, which support the entire Palisades Region of State Parks, are also being relocated to a more resilient location.

Approximately 35 miles of trails have been restored out of over 50 miles that were damaged during the 2023 storm. This includes repairs to the Appalachian Trail, and an ongoing effort by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference to repair the Brooks Lake Trail Loop in the Village of Fort Montgomery.

In addition to the State's investment in storm recovery and improved resiliency, Bear Mountain is benefitting from a recently announced $25 million project to expand Bear Mountain's picnic grounds, construct a new destination playground, and add additional public restrooms. That work is currently underway.

For an updated map showing all open and closed trails in the Bear Mountain State Park area, please visit: parks.ny.gov/parks/bearmountain . This will be updated further as trails reopen.

Bear Mountain State Park features more than 50 miles of hiking trails, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail. It also includes lake and river fishing access, a swimming pool, Trailside Museums and Zoo, hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails. 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. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November, weather permitting. The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain State Park 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.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 88 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov , download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.