Bear Mountain Bridge Road
Encyclopedia
Bear Mountain Bridge Road is a three-mile (4.8 km), two-lane section of US 6
/202
from the west approach to Bear Mountain Bridge
to a former toll house in the Town of Cortlandt
, New York, United States. It winds around the steep, rocky slopes of Anthony's Nose
, the southernmost peak of the Hudson Highlands
on the east side of the Hudson River
. In its first mile from the junction with NY 9D
it climbs 200 feet (61 m) to a scenic overlook that looks out over Iona Island
, Dunderberg Mountain
, the city of Peekskill
and the Charles Point power plant. There are interpretive displays on the history of the area during the Revolutionary War
, where the Hudson River Chain
was deployed and the Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery
was fought.
Near its eastern end, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) from the bridge, is a Tudor Revival-style former toll house. It also served as the toll taker's residence. In 2002 it was renovated by the Town of Cortlandt and now serves as an information center and gift shop for visitors to the region. A small parking lot serves hikers taking a popular trail along Anthony's Nose, through lands in the Camp Smith
New York Army National Guard
base just above the highway, to the Appalachian Trail
just north of the bridge.
At its eastern end, before intersecting with US 9 at the Annsville Circle, the road falls to the level of the Hudson River
, which it parallels. There, near the entrance to Camp Smith
, looking south across a bay and the Metro-North
railroad, can be seen the Indian Point
nuclear power plant.
The state required the Harriman family to build the road when the bridge was built in the mid-1920s, in order to connect the bridge with US 9 just north of Peekskill. It was intended to be higher on the mountainside than the similar Storm King Highway
, which had been built upriver a decade earlier. Like that road, it has a stone wall, made from the 21000 cubic yards (16,055.7 m³) of material excavated during the highway's construction.
The legislation that allowed the bridge's construction stipulated that the road and bridge would revert to the state at no cost after 30 years. When that happened, the toll collected on the eastern end was eliminated, and the toll collector and his wife moved to the western toll house, where he served as bridge manager, until he retired. The road and toll house were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982 as part of the Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
multiple property submission, the only property in Westchester County
included in that group.
U.S. Route 6 in New York
U.S. Route 6 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Bishop, California, to Provincetown, Massachusetts. In New York, US 6 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
/202
U.S. Route 202 in New York
U.S. Route 202 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from New Castle, Delaware, to Bangor, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, US 202 extends from the New Jersey state line near Suffern to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster. While most of US 202 is signed...
from the west approach to Bear Mountain Bridge
Bear Mountain Bridge
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6 across the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties...
to a former toll house in the Town of Cortlandt
Cortlandt, New York
Cortlandt is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census.The Town of Cortlandt is in the northwest part of the county...
, New York, United States. It winds around the steep, rocky slopes of Anthony's Nose
Anthony's Nose (Westchester)
Anthony's Nose is a peak along the Hudson River at the north end of Westchester County, New York.- Topography :Anthony's Nose, together with Dunderberg Mountain, comprises the South Gate of the Hudson Highlands...
, the southernmost peak of the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
on the east side of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. In its first mile from the junction with NY 9D
New York State Route 9D
New York State Route 9D , also known as the Bear Mountain – Beacon Highway, is a north–south state highway that runs along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in New York in the United States. It starts at the eastern end of the Bear Mountain Bridge at U.S...
it climbs 200 feet (61 m) to a scenic overlook that looks out over Iona Island
Iona Island
Iona Island may refer to:*Iona, an island in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland*Iona Island *Iona Island...
, Dunderberg Mountain
Dunderberg Mountain
Dunderberg Mountain stands at the so-called southern gate of the Hudson Highlands where the region's namesake Hudson River enters a dramatic gorge...
, the city of Peekskill
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
and the Charles Point power plant. There are interpretive displays on the history of the area during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, where the Hudson River Chain
Hudson River Chain
The Hudson River Chain may refer to any of several chains used as a blockade across the Hudson River intended to prevent British naval vessels from proceeding up the river during the American Revolutionary War.-The Great Chain :...
was deployed and the Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery
Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery
The Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery was an American Revolutionary War battle fought in the highlands of the Hudson River valley, not far from West Point, on October 6, 1777. British forces under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton captured Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery, and then...
was fought.
Near its eastern end, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) from the bridge, is a Tudor Revival-style former toll house. It also served as the toll taker's residence. In 2002 it was renovated by the Town of Cortlandt and now serves as an information center and gift shop for visitors to the region. A small parking lot serves hikers taking a popular trail along Anthony's Nose, through lands in the Camp Smith
Camp Smith (New York)
Camp Smith is a military installation of the New York Army National Guard in Cortlandt Manor near Peekskill, NY, about north of New York City, at the northern border of Westchester County, and consists of...
New York Army National Guard
New York Army National Guard
The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
base just above the highway, to the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
just north of the bridge.
At its eastern end, before intersecting with US 9 at the Annsville Circle, the road falls to the level of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, which it parallels. There, near the entrance to Camp Smith
Camp Smith (New York)
Camp Smith is a military installation of the New York Army National Guard in Cortlandt Manor near Peekskill, NY, about north of New York City, at the northern border of Westchester County, and consists of...
, looking south across a bay and the Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
railroad, can be seen the Indian Point
Indian Point Energy Center
Indian Point Energy Center is a three-unit nuclear power plant station located in Buchanan, New York just south of Peekskill. It sits on the east bank of the Hudson River, 38 miles north of New York City...
nuclear power plant.
The state required the Harriman family to build the road when the bridge was built in the mid-1920s, in order to connect the bridge with US 9 just north of Peekskill. It was intended to be higher on the mountainside than the similar Storm King Highway
Storm King Highway
The Storm King Highway is a three-mile segment of NY 218 between Lee Road in the Town of Highlands at the south end and the Cornwall-on-Hudson village line in Orange County, New York, United States...
, which had been built upriver a decade earlier. Like that road, it has a stone wall, made from the 21000 cubic yards (16,055.7 m³) of material excavated during the highway's construction.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982 as part of the Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
The Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area is a Multiple Property Submission study supporting multiple listings in 1982 to the United States National Register of Historic Places...
multiple property submission, the only property in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
included in that group.