2010 Work Schedule: March 21-November 28 / Thursday-Monday / 8:30am-4:30pm

"To those who move rock...we salute you"    

Find upcoming workshops at Bear Mountain on the Trail U schedule.

What are we?

The Bear Mountain Trails Project (BMTP) is a major trail building and rehabilitation effort managed by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference in cooperation with its partners: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, National Park Service Appalachian Trail Park Office, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The project is designed to rehabilitate and rebuild the trails on the slope of Bear Mountain, the most significant of these construction efforts is on the Appalachian Trail, which has been re-routed numerous times on Bear Mountain since its founding in 1923 due to erosion caused from the trails 500,000+ hikers a year. To combat this erosion on the A.T. the Bear Mountain Trails Project was conceived and constructed.

This section of the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain will feature over 1,000 hand-hewn granite steps and over 1 mile of tread way supported by stone crib walls. Each step and wall stone has been and will continue to be split and shaped from rocks on site and maneuvered into place either by hand or via a series of overhead cables rigged up in the surrounding trees. With each step measuring 4-5 feet long, weighing in at around 1,000 pounds, and in need of moving distances of up to 300 feet without the aid of motorized equipment, the Trail Conference has sought out professional trail builders from all over the country to lead the construction effort and train hundreds of volunteers. From 2006-2010, volunteers from The NYNJTC, Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), Student Conservation Association (SCA), Rockland County Americorps, and the Boy Scouts of America among others have traveled to Bear Mountain to receive free training as part of The Trail Conferences innovative Trail University program. This program was founded on Bear Mountain at the start of this project and has enabled the Trail Conference to provide free workshops for volunteers seeking to learn both basic and advanced trail building techniques. These workshops have provided for a revival of the masonry skills utilized in the 1930's by the CCC when constructing much of Harriman State Parks roads, walls and buildings. The first section of the relocation is scheduled to be opened on June 5th, 2010, this will consist of roughly 800 granite steps. There will be continued opportunities to get involved in this historic project from 2010 through 2013. Those interested in more information regarding Trail U. or volunteering on the project can do so by clicking on the attached links or by emailing the crew leaders at bearmountaintrails@gmail.com

Get Involved

We work from 8:30am - 4:30pm, Thursday-Monday starting on March 21st all the way through November 21st. Work trips involve a variety of tasks, such as: corridor clearing, prepping work sites, quarrying stone, using an overhead highline to transport stone, creating crushed stone (with mash and sledge hammers), building crib walls, setting rock steps, and splitting stone.

While training is provided everyday, individuals that have no trail building experience are REQUIRED to either attend at least one Trail U course on Bear Mountain or a Trail Building 101 course at another location. If you cannot meet these requirements but still wish to volunteer, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at bearmountaintrails@gmail.com

Meeting time is 8:30am at the main parking lot between the Inn and the Administration building. Please wait for either an email or phone confirmation from us prior to attending to confirm the trip and so we know whether to expect you.

Be Advised: These worktrips are strenuous! 

Leaders: Eddie Walsh, Project Manager, and Chris Ingui, Volunteer Coordinator, (201) 783-3599

For more information on any Bear Mountain Trails Project activity or to sign up for a workday, contact the leaders. above.

Press and Newsletters

Backpacker Magazine 2008-Bear Mountain Trails Project voted #1 trail building project in US.

A.T. Journey Magazine 2009-Trail Conference and ATC volunteers comment on the project.

Trailwalker 2005-The Bear Mountain Project kicks off

Spring 2009 Newsletter

Spring 2010 Newsletter