Foliage map › Destinations › New York › Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Bear Mountain area peaks around October 23, with the best viewing from roughly October 21 to October 30.
- Typical peak
- October 23
- Best viewing
- Oct 21 – Oct 30
- Color starts
- Around Oct 11
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 5
- Elevation
- 600 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 23. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Bear Mountain on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain rises above the Hudson River in the Hudson Highlands, where the river cuts through a gap in the mountains. Perkins Memorial Drive climbs to the summit and its stone tower, with views down the river and across the highlands. At the foot of the mountain, Hessian Lake is ringed by a path, and the Bear Mountain Bridge, opened in 1924, crosses the Hudson to Anthony’s Nose, a steep peak on the east shore. The Appalachian Trail crosses the river on the bridge.
Scenic drive
Seven Lakes Drive winds south and west from Bear Mountain through Harriman State Park, past a string of lakes and wooded hills. To the north, Route 9W and then Route 218, the Storm King Highway, follow the Hudson toward Cornwall-on-Hudson, with Route 218 carved into the side of Storm King Mountain high above the river.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Woodstock, NY (51 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 5 days earlier, and Litchfield, CT (51 miles away) typically peaks about 5 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head farther south
New York City, NY (41 miles away) typically peaks about 9 days later, and Philadelphia, PA (112 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 8 days later.
Nearby destinations
- New York City, NYTypical peak Oct 31, 9 days later. 41 miles away.
- Woodstock, NYTypical peak Oct 18, 5 days earlier. 51 miles away.
- Litchfield, CTTypical peak Oct 18, 5 days earlier. 51 miles away.
- Hunter (Catskills), NYTypical peak Oct 13, 10 days earlier. 63 miles away.
- Delaware Water Gap, NJTypical peak Oct 24, about the same time. 64 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Bear Mountain?
In a typical year, fall color in the Bear Mountain area peaks around October 23, with the best viewing from roughly October 21 to October 30. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Bear Mountain?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 10 days. Color starts to show around October 11, and most leaves are down by about November 5.
Is Bear Mountain early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Bear Mountain typically peaks about 7 days later than the New York average of Oct 15. It ranks 13 of 14 New York destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Bear Mountain?
The main fall color in this area comes from northern red oak, red maple, tulip tree, and shagbark hickory. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.