Bear Mountain State Park, finding a breath of fresh air near New York City
Hessian Lake About six weeks into New York’s “stay-at-home” orders during this COVID-19 crisis, I began to crawl the walls.I had been in my apartment for 22-23 hours every day, only going out to shop or get in a walk for exercise. That was when I found out that New York’s State Parks were open. So, on April 28th, day 41 of social distancing, I drove the forty miles north along the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park. Fishing at Hessian Lake Bear Mountain State Park is a 5200+ acre (8.1 sq. mile) treasure, just outside the New York Metropolitan area. It sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, stretching from the water up and over Bear Mountain. It includes over 200 miles of hiking trails, camping sites, a museum and zoo, a carousel, and a seasonal swimming pool and ice skating rink. There is also the Bear Mountain Inn, a hotel built in 1915, which also houses a restaurant, cafeteria and a gift shop. Bear Mountain Inn and Anthony's Nose by Zeete via Wikicommons Bear Mountai...