Our life during the week is crazy. Between work, school, appointments and after-school activities, I can’t wait to decompress on the weekend and spend time outdoors with the girls. This past weekend we took a day trip to scenic Bear Mountain State Park. I heard that there was a zoo and carousel and beautiful lake, but the state park was really so much more. It is bliss.
Located from the west bank of the Hudson River, we started our day at Bear Mountain by going on the carousel. At $1 a ride, the carousel featured hand painted scenes from the park that included a ride that was at least four minutes long. Awesome bargain considering the carousels we have ridden in the past.
We then checked out the nearby zoo that included animals found in the area. This included fish, bear, coyotes and more. While the kids loved checking out the animals, I was amazed by the spectacular views.
The park also has tons of other amenities and activities that you can check out all day long. This includes a massive field, ample picnic space to grill and chill, a swimming pool, hiking areas, cross-country ski trails, and an ice rink that’s open from late October through mid-March.
You can bring your lunch and spend the day there spending very little. Other than the carousel, we only spent $10 on all-day parking and enjoyed a priceless day outdoors together in nature. There’s really nothing better than that.
Visit: https://nysparks.com/parks/13/details.aspx to get the details on how to get there.
