Tag Archives: Bear Mountain State Park

Park History, Park Projects, Park Volunteers, Stewardship

Restoring the Cornell Mine Trail at Bear Mountain State Park

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With nearly 450 miles of blazed trails crisscrossing almost 130,000 acres of publicly accessible open space, the Palisades region’s hiking system is among the most expansive in New York State. The region hosts the oldest section of the Appalachian Trail running through Bear Mountain State Park and Trailside Museums and Zoo, an extensive section of the Long Path, approximately 50 miles of carriage roads in Minnewaska, and dozens of other well-loved trails that bring the region’s 7 million annual visitors to waterfalls, wetlands, streams, lakes and forests.

A historical black and white photograph of a man standing on a frozen lake, wearing a suit and a hat, with trees in the background.
A vintage black and white photograph of a man in formal attire standing confidently on a large rock, looking into the distance while shielding his eyes from the sun. The surrounding landscape is rocky and barren, with patches of snow visible.
The original parkfluencer? William T. Howell was an avid hiker and photojournalist whose images were crucial in persuading the public to conserve the lands that are today known as Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks. And he did it all while wearing a suit and tie. From the collections of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission.

All of these trails require ongoing maintenance and protection, and we take pride in keeping them safe and traversable for all visitors.

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Park History

“A curious mix of dignity and devil-may-care:” Memories of Ruby Jolliffe, Palisades Group Camp Director 

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The story of New York State Parks and Historic Sites is not just one of properties, but of people. During our Centennial year, we introduced you to some of them. In this new series, we take our scrapbook of memories down from the shelf and open it to share their stories in more detail.

She was “the hand that lit a thousand campfires.” Distinctive and almost prim in her hat, starched shirt, knickers, spectacles, and close-cropped hair, she had a zest for life. That zest saw her take a toboggan run at 70 miles per hour, throw a birthday party for a dog, and befriend some of the era’s most powerful people. She combined a knack for building relationships, an insistence on the highest standards, and a deep belief in her mission to build her program into a powerhouse that touched hundreds of thousands of lives. She was Ruby Jolliffe, and her 28-year tenure as Group Camp Director in the Palisades region continues to leave an impression more than 75 years after her retirement.

The iconic photograph of Ruby Jolliffe (1882-1968). From 1920 to 1948, Jolliffe molded the group camp program in the Palisades region into a national model peaking at 102 camps through her unique personal attributes and capabilities.
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Fun & Games, history, Park History

Hidden Connections: Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson and State Parks

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Like the first birdsong, the start of Major League Baseball is a sign of spring.

Baseball fans celebrate the start of the season every year, but there are two other “baseball holidays” circled on the calendar of fans everywhere at opposite ends the season: Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, and Roberto Clemente Day on September 15. Did you know that New York State Parks has connections to both?

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Fun & Games, Park History, Recreation

On Your Mark… Get Set… Parks!

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A typical first experience visiting a New York state park might include swimming, camping, hiking, fishing, picnicking, volunteering, or maybe hands-on learning with an environmental educator. But for some high schoolers, their initial introduction to state parks comes from the thrill of running a cross-country race held at our parks throughout the year.

Every cross-country course is unique and can vary in length and terrain. The courses at our state parks are no different. Some pass through flat grassy fields or golf courses, while others traverse steep wooded trails. Our state parks provide their own scenic backdrop and have continued to welcome many high school competitors in annual races coordinated by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) as well as other organizations.

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2024 Centennial Celebration, Park History

Celebrating A Century Of Affordability At State Parks

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If you’ve explored our Blazing A Trail Centennial timeline, you’ll know that the creation of New York’s state park system was influenced in part by two larger social movements: A new environmental conservation movement that sought to protect open spaces from development, and a growing social reform movement that sought to address the inequalities that arose during America’s Gilded Age of the late 1800s.

Two lantern slides and their captions perfectly depict the social goals of the New York state park system at its creation: a haven for working city-dwellers and a place of self-improvement. Courtesy of the The Palisades Interstate Park Commission collection at nyheritage.org.

The state park system was founded on the value of the outdoors to public physical and mental health, and the pressing need to preserve land for public use. In a statement supportive of the 1924 State Park Plan, then-state senator Nathan Straus Jr. said:

“The city dweller often forgets that he is closely related to the other members of the animal kingdom. Like the other members, he loves the earth and the trees and craves contact with the soil. Sensing instinctively the need of the open country, the wealthy city man joins a golf club and organizes a fish and game reservation where he can enjoy camping and outdoor life. The city dweller of moderate means has the same cravings and the same needs. But when he takes his family out for a Sunday, or for a longer outing, he finds himself on a congested road hemmed in by private property, which is marked with the sign “No Trespassing.” Where is he to go? The answer is, the state park.”

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