Perkins Memorial Tower via Appalachian Trail is a 3.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bear Mountain, New York that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
backpacking
camping
hiking
nature trips
walking
bird watching
running
views
wild flowers
wildlife
Tammy Yu recorded Recording - Feb 09, 02:34 PM
lots of man made stairs definitely a great way to get the heart pumping.
Amazing sunrise hike! Highly recommend! We did the full loop and the north side of the mountain is very rocky and currently very icy.
This is my favorite hike with the best view I have ever seen! Stairs ALL the way up, but they are well maintained and well built. It makes for a good workout up to the top. Before you get to the tower, there are multiple places to stop and enjoy amazing views. Instead of coming back down the stairs, we looped the trail and it was difficult coming down as it was extremely rocky, so be careful if you decide to go that way. We had two dogs with us, but they managed. I may recommend going back down the stairs if you are a beginner hiker, hiking with dogs, or don’t have the proper footwear. This hike/view is well worth all the stairs. Can’t wait to go back!
Had a great time
Great trail, wooded, seen deer up close, view on top just simply amazing
Very very hazardous conditions today on the stone staircase going to the summit. Much ice, and hikers should have crampons and at least one trekking Pole.
Good Hike, Lots of Stairs... We went on the first weekend of November and it was extremely crowded. Between the hundreds of people bused to Bear Mountain to hike, and the access for vehicles to drive directly to the top, we would sometimes have to stop and wait on the side of the trail for parades of people to pass. Not unheard of, but if you are looking for a more secluded hike then either come on a weekday or pick a different one for the weekend. It was also over 75% stairs in my opinion (but it was interesting to read the plaques and learn about the engineering of the stairs). The views at the top were great (we did see the NYC skyline) and we enjoyed climbing the stairs to the top of the tower and learning about the history. The only available parking for the trailhead that we could find is on the Bear Mountain Property and cost us $10. Overall a great hike and a great workout but not the relaxing nature experience you may be looking for.
Anyone know if this trail is a total of 3.8 miles out and back or one way?
Great trail! Mostly stairs , but doable ! A lot of foot traffic on a Sunday .. but totally worth It !
Great hike, heavy traffic. Good exercise.
I like it a lot. Mostly stairs up thru the tower. Amazing view half way thru the trail of the skyline. This is my second time on a weekend and never feels too trafficked to the point where you’re not enjoying it. Clean, no bugs flying around. I really like it!! Then you must do the lake trail loop. I’d drive the 1.5 hours to get here again...
This was a perfect trail for a novice like my self to test a moderate rated hike. My friend and I found it slightly challenging but quite doable. Plenty of rest stops and amazing views along the way. gave us the confidence to try a longer, slightly more elevated hike in near future. oh...and we did not come across a rock scramble. Not sure how we missed that. :)
It was a nice moderate trail for a few hours of hiking. It took us 3 hours with some stops along the way. The peak is crowded but the way up along the Major Welch trail was not too crowded and was pretty scenic. Some decent rock scrambles on the way up as well.
A fantastic, quick, route up Bear Mountain Appalachian Trail. With a steady pace, it can be under a 2-hour hike. Awesome views! The people who run and train on this trail always impress me, with well over 1,000 stairs!
Great trail. Lots of stairs though. Did it with 3 kids ages 5-11 and they loved it. Amazing views and a nice waterfall in the middle.
This was a beautifully maintained section of the Appalachian Trail.....stairs and then some more stairs. This was one of the first sections finished of the Appalachian trail back in 1923...Tower was built as a memorial to George W. Perkins who played a vital part in the vision and construction of the Trail as the first commissioner of the palisades Interstate Park Commission. The weather was terrible when I hiked the trail so views were limited. I stretched the hike to Seven Lakes Road...hike was about 8 miles round trip from Inn parking lot
This trail was really fun. I just moved here from the West coast and was looking for a shorter trail to explore. The trail was well maintained (most of it is stone steps) and the view from the top was pretty awesome. I did do this after a recent winter storm and I suggest bringing micro-spikes if you decide to hike this in the snow/ice. They steps on the way down can be slippery.
Arthur R.
I've hiked all of the trails up there, for most of my life-another one of my go to trails. I love the challenge, (I'm 74) the views alone can't be beat! get out there and enjoy!!
Ger C.
Love this trail. Delighted that the new part of the trail near the top is now open. Terrific views. Lots of hikers there today - New Years Day.
Warm up before starting the trail. It's an up hill hike with lots of stone stairs to the top.. (a warning to those with knee issues) I timed the hike to reach the tower just in time for the sunset. Sit relax and enjoy the breath taking view
Beautiful and well maintained trail; The 300 + stone steps at the beginning can be hard on knees for older folks and non hikers. A 15 minutes walk around the lake to warm up before starting the hike will help. The view from the Perkin Tower & history of the Palisades park portrayed in the tower is well worth the efforts.
awesome
