# Favorite approach to Bear Mountain



## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

Was wondering how NY city area AND NJ Riders coming from the G.W. prefer to approach it. So far I have 3 ways,

1) Classic which means approaching it from the south coming from StonyPoint up 9w/202 and doing the full cllimb
2) Going up GateHill Road and Toriati Brook Road turning onto Seven Lakes Drive and continuing onto Bear
3)Coming up from Sloatsburg and doing the full lenght of Seven Lakes Drive and approaching from the East

I kind of like option 1 &2 personally. I like the full climb up Bear from the South, but the road between StonyPoint Deli and the turn into Bear Mountain State Park has some rough sections. Also GateHill has some decent climbs and Lake Toriati approach is a nice view.

If there's another approach please chime in.


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

You've pretty much covered it. The only other way I've used is coming from the North. I've gone over the Bear Mountain bridge and up into Westchester/Putnam, and on the way back I've taken the right onto 7 Lakes up past the Bear Mountain Inn and then up Perkins, back down and over 7 Lakes to Kanawaukee or Lake Welch drive then back East. (Full disclosure: I live in Rockland, on the border with NJ.)

I've heard that people come from the West using route 6, but that's not a route that I'd try. It is out of the way, the roads getting to route 6 aren't that great for cycling, and I personally don't consider route 6 appropriate for bicycles - certainly not west of 293. Maybe if you live in Cornwall or something you could come down 218 to 293 and then take Route 6 - at least Route 6 has a shoulder between the 293 and the circle. I've never ridden on 293. 218 is really nice, as long as you don't mind sharing it with a lot of motorcycles. That's a long ride from my house, however, about 90 miles up to Cornwall and back. And there are a couple of stretches on route 9W where it is limited access - though with a shoulder, fortunately.





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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

thanks, and come to think of it doing #2 and turning around at toriati/seven lakes sounds like a nice trip too. might do that


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

If you're going to do that, on a future ride consider taking Arden Valley Road west from Tiorati circle, then turn south on Rt 17, go about 10 min (about 3 mi. or so), take the ramp to Rte 106/17A, and take Rte 106 back east to 7 Lakes Dr. at Kenawauke circle. Except for the Rte 17 part, this is a nice, scenic loop with some nice, not-too-steep, hills.




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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

Trek_5200 said:


> 2) Going up GateHill Road and Toriati Brook Road turning onto Seven Lakes Drive and continuing onto Bear


The police reportedly disapprove of this.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

mtrac said:


> The police reportedly disapprove of this.


I've heard this, and yet the NYCC which to the best of my knowledge is very sensitive to those types of concerns continues to sponsor rides using that route.


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## chriscc63 (Mar 9, 2011)

Have you ever seen this link which offers a interesting loop up to Bear Mountain.
GWB to Bear Mountain Bridge Loop on both sides of the River -- Route Map

Just FYI and I hope it helps.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

chriscc63 said:


> Have you ever seen this link which offers a interesting loop up to Bear Mountain.
> GWB to Bear Mountain Bridge Loop on both sides of the River -- Route Map
> 
> Just FYI and I hope it helps.


Yea, just no desire to ride up on the westester side at the moment, the trip through the bronx is not something I'm looking forward too. For the time being, I'm planning on hitting Torriati brook Road and Gate Hill.

Right now I have a few favorite rides, One is Henry Hudson Drive to Kings Highway, Clausland Mountain Road to Tweed, Bradley and Back to Piermont Avenue,9w. Another is Bike Route 9A to Stony Point Deli and return via Buckberg, South Mountain Road Western Highway, etc and the other is just going back and forth to Bear Mountain Using Bike route 9A


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

Thanks, Chris, interesting route. I may try it some day starting from my house in Rockland. I've done some of the route on the Eastern side of the Hudson on the MS TZ Bridge ride in the past, but not below Tarrytown. I've never ridden lower Westchester or the Bronx.

One thing, I'd be wary of the option to take the path north along the Hudson from Nyack beach. Sandy has changed things a bit, I'm not sure that path would be passable on a bike now. It was sketchy in spots even before Sandy. Another option from that path up to Haverstraw is to take the left and go up to Rockland Lake. If you can make it up that route without walking, either you're a beast or you've got really low gears (like myself).




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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

D&MsDad said:


> Thanks, Chris, interesting route. I may try it some day starting from my house in Rockland. I've done some of the route on the Eastern side of the Hudson on the MS TZ Bridge ride in the past, but not below Tarrytown. I've never ridden lower Westchester or the Bronx.
> 
> One thing, I'd be wary of the option to take the path north along the Hudson from Nyack beach. Sandy has changed things a bit, I'm not sure that path would be passable on a bike now. It was sketchy in spots even before Sandy. Another option from that path up to Haverstraw is to take the left and go up to Rockland Lake. If you can make it up that route without walking, either you're a beast or you've got really low gears (like myself).
> 
> ...


I've done the bike route 9a method to bear mountain multiple times this year. there are no issues, including beach road along west haverstraw leading up to stony point. they are reconstructing some houses along that way, that were damanged during sandy.


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

Trek_5200 said:


> I've done the bike route 9a method to bear mountain multiple times this year. there are no issues, including beach road along west haverstraw leading up to stony point. they are reconstructing some houses along that way, that were damanged during sandy.


Yes, the road through Haverstraw and Stony Point along the river (Beach Rd/River Rd) has been fine since last year.

I was referring to the dirt/paved path along the Hudson starting North from the Nyack Beach parking lot, along the Hudson east of 9W and east of Rockland Lake, up to the southern border of Haverstraw.




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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

If anyone hasn't done it. Highly reccomend doing South Mountain to Gate Hill to Lake Welch and continuing on to Lake Torriati and back. No one killer hill on the route, but great scenery and a good deal of cumulative climbs along the entire route(I only quoted part of it)


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## cnardone (Jun 28, 2014)

Trek,
Are you saying?
1) Up Filors Ln / Willow grove rd (turns into Gate Hill / Kanawauke). 
2) Past Lake Welch to Kanawauke Circle.
3) At Kanawauke Circle go to Lake Tiorati Circle.
4) At Tiorati Circle turn around to Kanawauke Circle and past Lake welch? 

Going past Tiorati Circle will bring you right to Palisades Parkway. Are you guys comfortable on a road like the Palisades? I am only riding a month. But I'd be pretty darn scared on a 2 lane highway with people passing me @ 80mph.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

It's a very short stint You are off before the first exit. Not a reccomednation, but the NYCC does this this route when they go to Bear Mountain as well. But if you've only been riding one month, you may not be comfortable with long rides in general.


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

cnardone said:


> Trek ...
> 
> Going past Tiorati Circle will bring you right to Palisades Parkway. Are you guys comfortable on a road like the Palisades? I am only riding a month. But I'd be pretty darn scared on a 2 lane highway with people passing me @ 80mph.


I'm with you. I've ridden on the pavement, early in the morning. However, I normally just ride on the grass shoulder. As long as it isn't too wet then this is not bad.




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