Bear Mountain Full-Day Cruise

New York City, United States of America

Escape NYC and take a leisurely cruise up the Hudson River to historic Bear Mountain. You'll enjoy a 2.5-hour cruise each way, and have three hours to enjoy Bear Mountain's natural beauty and attractions.

On your cruise to Bear Mountain you'll sail past the Palisades, Grant's Tomb, the George Washington Bridge and the Cloisters before cruising up the Hudson River. This trip is especially gorgeous in the fall, when the trees lining the river put on a spectacular display of russet and gold. Plus, every Saturday in October is Oktoberfest in Bear Mountain, with dancing, music and food.

Bear Mountain is 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of New York City, in the Hudson Highlands. Highlights you can explore during your two-hour visit include Trailside Museums and Zoo, Iona Island Estuarine Reserve and Bird Refuge, Perkins Tower, the merry-go-round and pavilion.

Pre-order a picnic lunch and enjoy a great day on the water! Beverages, wine, beer, cocktails, sandwiches, hotdogs, and snack foods are available for purchase on board.

USD $49.99

Review by: dana m	October 2011
Excellent trip. One warning, be on the ship by time crew says. Saw a person left behind. It was sad, but it was their own fault. They were told many times as people were leaving the ship._br/_ Excellent cruise!

Review by: Charles M	October 2011
The best part was the voice over narrator who told so many interesting facts about the Hudson and NYC. He was an outstanding speaker and personality. It made the whole journey worthwhile. Unfortunately the color of foliage was nothing special, and the Oktoberfest was tacky. The return trip was full of loud and drunken folks which kind of puts a damper on the surroundings. All in all, I'd give the trip a C.

Review by: Dolores G	October 2011
Boat trip - October Festival was most enjoyable - a fun way to spend a day.

Review by: rvijaysubs	October 2011
Great tour, 3 hour long drive from the hustle bustle of NY. You get to spend 3 hours there.

Review by: Sue W	October 2011
The Bear Mountain Cruise was a wonderful day out. It's a wonderful location with great walks. We were there for Oktoberfest, so there were stalls selling food, drink and crafts, which really added to the fun of the day. Everything ran smoothly and the views along the river were a reminder that taking even a short trip out of New York City gives you a whole new perspective. I can highly recommend it!

Review by: Schirley F	October 2011
Very relaxing... beautiful landscape! By the end of October should be more colorful...

Review by: Belinda	October 2011
Beautiful scenery. If you have a day to waste, then you will see alot of beautiful scenery. The park was okay, nothing special.

Review by: P.J.H. S	October 2011
Due to the excellent weather, we had a great time at Bear Mountain._br/_ We did not care much for the October Fest, so we enjoyed ourselves with the beautiful nature on site._br/_ The three hours on Bear Mountain were more than enough._br/_ I can imagine that the 2,5 hours it takes the boat to get there, can be quite boring, but we had a great time taking pictures in the front of the boat._br/_ Be sure to bring something to eat, because the prices on the boat are expensive._br/_ Highly Recommended

Review by: Ian S W	October 2011
A trip worth taking. The crew and boat were amazing, friendly and informative. Although we were unable to dock at Bear Mountain due to high tides covering the jetty, this was off set by the Captain sailing further up river . This enabled us to see West Point Officers Academy and other stunning scenery. The view on the return journey as you approach NY is breath taking as the outline of NY on the skyline is framed by the George Washington bridge. A fond memory of our stay in NY.

Review by: Francine O	October 2011
The landing at bear park was cancelled, because we we leaving we could not change to the next weekend.Six hours was a long time to stay on boat.Food available not worth buying, by end of trip we were very hungry

Review by: Judy W	October 2010
The boat trip was enjoyable. The foliage on both sides of the boat was breathtaking. The tour guide on the trip did a great job at pointing out landmarks on the way. Bear Mountain itself was awash in Autumn colors. The only unpleasant issue was the long line for any decent food at Bear Mountain. I wish there was a restaurant that offered decent food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Review by: Barbara C	October 2010
Overall the cruise was very good. Two suggestions: 1) Have security be more dilligent about keeping standing passengers from blocking the windows. The morbidly obese guard sat on his 'rear end' the entire trip. 2) please have parents utilize better discipline on their screaming brats or have a special section on the boat for children.

Review by: Phil W	October 2010
Boat was full and very rowdy, a few load mouths ruined what should of been an interesting trip. Not able to hear the commentary due to these individuals. Should of left them behind when they did not return at the agreed departure time. Liked the history of the site. But did not manage to get to all of the fort

Review by: Jaime R	October 2010
very nice trip,fullfilled my expectations

Review by: RENEE F	October 2010
Crew referred to Bear Mountain as a slight incline---It is a very steep climb. Also, it was very difficult to get from the boat to the mountain because of flooding which we were assured would not be there when we returned to the boat. The flooding was worse when we came back to the boat.. We had to climb and walk on the bottom slat of a fence to get to a narrow cement path. Perhaps the tour operator can do nothing about the flooding, however, they should provide som sort of ramp over the flooded area so we don't have to climb fences. Also, upon exiting the boat in New York there was only one narrow ramp, so the exiting took forever. Also, no safety procedures were never presented on board. Isn't that required by law? All in all, I am very disappointed with the operator.

Review by: Harris S	October 2010
The trip was very nice. A great Family day trip! My only complaint would be the seating. The chairs were not very comfortable for 5 hours.

Review by: Simonluca D	October 2010
Funny and well organized. The weather was fantastic and the tour guide very pleasant. The only problem was the disembarkation, slow and not at all easy due to the flooded pier.

Review by: Charles A B	October 2010
Overall good experience. The Octoberfest helped make the time at Bear Mountain special...numerous booths, food and music. We had read previous reviews and took our own lunch, thus avoiding the lines for food and giving us enough time to wander the grounds and ride the Merry-Go-Round (yes, adults can ride, too). Our weather was beautiful, but the boat moves at a good clip, so be prepared for the wind if sitting outside. One suggestion, more narrative of the sites along the river, and history of the area, would have been nice.

Review by: Dorothy N	October 2010
While the trip was enjoyable there was an issue with water on the dock at Bear Mountain and we had to navigate by climbing on a wall, edging around a large light pole and walking on the wall till we passed the considerable amount of water, This was not pleasant for people with baby carriages, the infirm or the elderly. I also did not feel the narrator gave enough information on the sites we passed while cruising the Hudson River. The vessel was very clean and well maintained.

Review by: Leon G	October 2010
We had a wonderful day at Bear Mountain the boat trip over and back was great, without this site we would not have known about Bear Mountain. Coffee on board was good not expensive staff very good. New to computers so we are learning to look and find places that we would like to see we found this site and pleased that we did. We are now back in Australia and have enjoyed our trip to the USA/Canada Thank you for your site.

Review by: Isobel B	October 2010
Lovely cruise and beautiful spot. The noise and focus of the 'Octoberfest' was disappointing and incongrous in such a marvellous setting.

Review by: jay u	October 2010
Well worth a visit really enjoyed the day out, the views are just beautiful.

Review by: Edgar H	October 2010
It was a great relaxing trip. The views of the river were spectacular and Bear Mtn was a great place to get away from the city for a while.

Review by: Jonathan J	October 2010
A very pleasant boat trip, providing great views of the Hudson River valley, plus 3 hours to enjoy a relaxing and picturesque hike around Bear Mountain. Highly Recommended!

Review by: Christine D	October 2010
Excellent value! It was a lovely trip there and when we arrived there was theOktoberfest going on so that was an extra for us! Then a very relaxing trip back and it gave us time to recharge our batteries. Tour guide on boat excellent

Review by: Vida H	October 2010
The return trip was spoiled by out of control young people who drank too much beer and behaved poorly. The staff wasn't able to control them. I suggest at least one security person to be on board where alcohol is served!

Review by: Igor F, United States of America	November 2009
It was awesome day- trip, the boat was nice, the scenery was really beautiful. Recommend to everybody! We took a lot of pictures and saw Bear Mountains train. Great time on this wonderfull trip!

Review by: Debra N, United States of America	November 2009
Great scenery and beautiful park even in the rain.

Review by: Marti and Randall W, United States of America	November 2009
The Cruise itself was great, however, the land portion was misadvertised. There was no Oktoberfest, no place to eat, other than a hot dog at the carousel, and the were no signs point the way to anything. My wife and I were expecting the little village with arts, crafts, and plenty of places to eat. Bear Mountain was deserted except for the cruise crowd. Oktoberfest was advertsied to have been extended to October 31. That was disappointing.

Review by: John Michael C, United Kingdom	November 2009
Weather not very good, but scenery spectacular- would recommend.

Review by: Marti W	November 2009
The Cruise itself was great, however, the land portion was misadvertised. There was no Oktoberfest, no place to eat, other than a hot dog at the carousel, and the were no signs point the way to anything. My wife and I were expecting the little village with arts, crafts, and plenty of places to eat. Bear Mountain was deserted except for the cruise crowd. Oktoberfest was advertsied to have been extended to October 31. That was disappointing.

Review by: Rosalind L	November 2009
Lovely day out and bear mountain resort was great. Awful problems getting on the ferry though, checking in is hectic and chaotic and the staff were so rude to people and gave the wrong information. It needs serious organization.

Review by: Joseph L	November 2009
The boat and crew were great. The Oktoberfest was a farce. One guy on stage playing an accordian, 3 vendors and a single so-so food vendor. The directions to the Oktoberfest from the boat were really poor. A group of about 40 people wound up on a highway quite a distance from the Oktoberfest site because of poor directions. The boat portion of the trip was great. Fall foliage was beautiful even though it was raining. Forget the Oktoberfest.

Review by: Ernie C, United States of America	October 2009
We missed the peak colors being early by maybe a week or so, and it rained almost all day. We still have a terrific time and it did stop raining long enough to vist the mountain for 90 minuetes or so. I would definetly find time for this trip again next year, and hope for better weather.

Review by: Kenneth P, United Kingdom	October 2009
Enyoyed the trip up the river, pleasant to be away from the hustle & bustle of the city for a day.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
This was a really great event. If you're looking for something low key with a bunch of your friends in a outdoor space, this is an ideal situation for you. The beer was good and the food was decent. As the place fills up the food line gets pretty long, so get your food earlier in the day. As for the boat ride, there is both and upstairs and downstairs seating area. The deck upstairs has an outdoor seating area as well. The ride is exactly 2.5 hours one way, so bring some cards.

Review by: Sue W	October 2009
We had 2 seniors in our party and the walk from the dock to the park was a real problem long uphill climb. Thought the Octoberfest was a dud. We would have been more happy with a tour of the river wo the stop at Bear Mountain not what we expected.

Review by: Stephen Z, Australia	February 2009
A great day out despite the weather turning foul on the return. The Hudson is a magnificent waterway for cruising and Bear Mountain is a great destination. The Oktoberfest Festival at Bear Mountain was a lovely feature, but the walk around Hessian Lake with the fall colors at their height was truly a highlight. Highly recommended.

Review by: Anonymous	February 2009
A great day out despite the weather turning foul on the return. The Hudson is a magnificent waterway for cruising and Bear Mountain is a great destination. The Oktoberfest Festival at Bear Mountain was a lovely feature, but the walk around Hessian Lake with the fall colors at their height was truly a highlight. Highly recommended.

Review by: ROGER J, United Kingdom	October 2008
Wonderfully relaxing day.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2008
I would recommend everyone this trip but probably by the end the October when you can really see the foliage change. There was also a plus in my trip which was the ocktoberfest at the park "I enjoyed it like crazy". Aboard everybody was so nice and helpful, especially the tour guide was a great help! One thing do not take too many things with you so you can fully enjoy this experience without carrying too many things. The cruise also was brand new just 2 weeks old which made "THE difference".

Review by: Elda B, United States of America	October 2008
I loved the experience. The tour operator was detailed in his information and gave a lot of facts about the surrounding. I love Bear Mountain and the boat ride was a nice experience. On the downside it was a little overcrowded and on a cold day, did not have enough room indoors for the people to sit.

Review by: john m, United Kingdom	October 2008
Very enjoyable. The lake at Bear Mountain was beautiful and so peaceful. The Ocktoberfest was fun. The cruise vessel was sufficiently comfortable.

Review by: John M	October 2008
Very enjoyable. The lake at Bear Mountain was beautiful and so peaceful. The Ocktoberfest was fun. The cruise vessel was sufficiently comfortable.

Review by: Gladys C, United States of America	November 2007
Last time I took this trip was 31 years ago for my senior trip, and at that age you don't realize the history and the beautiful scenery that the Hudson River has. It was a rainy day, but our captain made the best of it; we were told the history of some things that were important, and we had music plus his jokes in between had us laughing. We could not get off at our destination, but we went further up the Hudson, and I personally was happy I got to see West Point and a few more historic places. Can't wait to do it again. I was still able to capture some beautiful pictures even thought it was rainy and foggy.

Review by: Ian H, United Kingdom	November 2007
The views as you travel up the river Hudson are great but what we found very disappointing was that when we got to Bear Mountain we could not get off the boat because the jetty was flooded, given that the cruise up the river takes 3 hours I would have expected some to have pumped the water away by the time we got there - very disappointing and on our trip not value for money!

Review by: Lyudmila P, United States of America	November 2007
The trip was okay, but first off, the boat was overloaded. My family and I didn't have much time to walk around, as we were limited to just two hours. The parking was promised to be twenty dollars on the Viator website, but in reality it was thirty.

Review by: GLADYS C	November 2007
Last time I took this trip was 31 years ago for my senior trip, and at that age you don't realize the history and the beautiful scenery that the Hudson River has. It was a rainy day, but our captain made the best of it; we were told the history of some things that were important, and we had music plus his jokes in between had us laughing. We could not get off at our destination, but we went further up the Hudson, and I personally was happy I got to see West Point and a few more historic places. Can't wait to do it again. I was still able to capture some beautiful pictures even thought it was rainy and foggy.

Review by: Frank E, Germany	October 2007
A good chance to recreate oneself after a whole week in New York City! The Bear Mountains are a really nice place.

Review by: Melissa B, United States of America	October 2007
Wonderful trip, we had a great time. The cruise down the Hudson is the best part, I learned more about NY in those few hours than what I knew from living here my entire life. Scenery is postcard pretty bring a camera and take many pictures. The circle line is a bit worn, I suggest you bring a sweater and blanket and your own food. The food was the worst part and highly overpriced, I'm talking 4 for a hot dog. Be prepared for alot of uphill walking once you arrive at Bear Mountain. The Oktoberfest requires a hike and is pretty boring but you will appreciate the 20 beer once you get there. All in all an enjoyable day excursion, more for couples than family, alot of places to snuggle with a fiery fall backdrop. Bring your camera and again pack your own lunch, and possibly a chair cushion, the seats on the circle line are hard.