Bear Mountain Ice Rink is Opening for the Season

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) today announced the opening of the Bear Mountain Ice Rink for the 2026-27 season. Voted Best of the Hudson Valley from 2020 to 2024, the rink is a favorite recreation destination for thousands of families each weekend.

Bear Mountain State Park has hosted outdoor ice-skating since 1922, when the first facility was constructed at the edge of Hessian Lake near the Bear Mountain Inn. In 1928-29, the first rink at Bear Mountain hosted an estimated 500,000 people and served as home ice for West Point’s hockey team. The current rink was built in 1955, close to the location of the original and nestled against Bear Mountain. Tens of thousands of people come each year to skate and take in views of the Hudson River and the picturesque Bear Mountain Bridge. Just 45 miles north of Manhattan, the Rink not only provides family skating time for visitors but is also used by local schools and as a Learn to Play location for the New York Rangers.

“Nothing beats skating outdoors,” said PIPC Executive Director Joshua Laird. “With vistas towards Bear Mountain and the Hudson River, it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for an afternoon of skating than under the Hudson Valley sky at the Bear Mountain Rink. All are welcome to join us for a day of skating, rides on the Bear Mountain Carousel, and hiking before warming up later at the Hikers Café or 1915 Bar & Restaurant at the Bear Mountain Inn. The rink remains open during our ongoing construction of park improvements in the area.”

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is currently constructing new picnic areas, public restrooms, and a multi-level destination playground at the Hessian Lake area of Bear Mountain State Park as part of a $25 million rehabilitation project. During the project’s duration, parking at Lot #2, nearest to the rink, will be limited. Visitors are advised to use Lot #1 or follow a parking attendant’s directions.

With a season that extends into March, the rink is open for six public skating sessions on Fridays and Saturdays and five sessions on Sundays, with additional sessions on holidays. On Fridays and Saturdays, visitors can enjoy skating under the nighttime sky with a last session starting at 8:00 p.m. The rink is available for rent by area hockey teams and for private events at other times. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for purchase from the Bear Mountain Inn’s Food Truck at the Rink on holidays and weekends.

Public Skate Session Normal Hours of Operation (Friday – Sunday)

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Fridays & Saturdays)

Admission: $5.00 per person (children age 4 and under skate for free)

Skate Rentals: $10/pair

Skate Sharpening Service: $10

All skate sessions are weather permitting. Members of the public are advised to visit the Bear Mountain Ice Rink website (https://www.bearmountainicerink.org) prior to their arrival for current rink conditions. Bear Mountain State Park’s vehicle use fee of $10 per vehicle at the park entrance is waived from Thanksgiving Day through April 1, 2027.

Bear Mountain State Park is one of 21 parks and nine historic sites in New York and New Jersey that are operated by the PIPC. Established in 1908, Bear Mountain is one of the oldest state parks in New York. The park receives some two million annual visitors who come to picnic, hike the Appalachian Trail, swim at the pool, visit the Zoo, and more. PIPC works with OPRHP to manage these parks for public recreation and to protect natural and cultural resources.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom. 

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