Hessian Lake

Hessian Lake is the lake at the foot of Bear Mountain, right beside the Bear Mountain Inn and the main parking lots. A flat, paved 1.5-mile path loops round it, the easiest walk in the park, and in season you can rent pedal boats for $10 per person for 30 minutes. Fishing from shore is allowed; swimming is not, so head to the pool for that.

The Hessian Lake Loop

NYS Parks rates the loop easy: a 1.5-mile paved path round the lake that begins and ends next to the Bear Mountain Inn. It is the one walk in the park that suits strollers and anyone who wants level ground, and the Inn notes it stays open daily even while construction detours affect nearby trails.

On the west side the loop shares its path with the start of the Major Welch Trail, which turns uphill near the north end toward Perkins Memorial Tower. The east side runs along Route 9W toward the Bear Mountain Circle.

Pedal Boats

The Bear Mountain Inn rents pedal boats on Hessian Lake:

• Price: $10 per person for 30 minutes or $15 per person for 60 minutes.
• Group size: at least 2 and at most 4 people per boat.
• Booking: first come, first served.
• Season (2026 schedule): weekends noon to 5 p.m. from March to May; Memorial Day; daily from the last week of June to Labor Day (weekdays noon to 6, weekends noon to 7); weekends noon to 5 after Labor Day through October. Weather permitting.

For questions, call Guest Services at 845-786-2731, ext. 1000.

Fishing

NYS Parks lists lake and river fishing access at Bear Mountain, including accessible fishing. Hessian Lake is the easy spot, from the paved loop; the Hudson River is reached at the Bear Mountain Dock below Trailside. State fishing licence rules apply; check the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation before you cast.

No Swimming

The park map marks Hessian Lake "No Swimming." To swim, use the Bear Mountain pool in summer.

Around the Lake

The park map clusters most of Bear Mountain's day-trip attractions round the lake: the Inn, picnic areas, a concession stand, the boat rental, a playfield, the merry-go-round and the ice rink. The Inn itself was built in 1915 on a plateau overlooking the lake's shore.

Why "Hessian"?

Hessian soldiers fought for the British in the October 1777 attack on Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery, part of the history NYS Parks tells at Trailside and Fort Montgomery. NYS Parks does not explain the lake's name on its pages, so treat any single story about it with caution.

Fall at Hessian Lake

Searches for Hessian Lake peak in October, when the slopes of Bear Mountain turn color above the water. That is also when the park is most likely to fill and close to cars. Arrive early on weekends. See parking.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for: an easy walk, strollers and wheelchairs, young children, a pedal-boat ride, photos of fall color.
• Maybe skip if: you want a workout or a view from above; climb to Perkins Memorial Tower or Popolopen Torne instead.