Wow what a beautiful place to take the family. This zoo is very well hidden and was near empty when we visited. You would never know it's there unless you purposely look for it. Free entry but pay to park certain times of the year. read more

Pros: 1) Great add-on activity pre/post-hike. 2) Lots of cute animals that are pretty close-up. 3) Low cost for admission (it's donation based) 4) You can see the staff feeding the animals, if you time it right. Cons: 1) Quite a few of the animal enclosures were closed. 2) The amenities in the zoo and museum look so dated. (Some don't even work) My wife and I gave our donation upon arrival. However, I noticed many, many, many people walk right past the donation box without even care in the world. I get it, money is tight nowadays. However, if we want these sites to look nice we really should pitch in. Just leave a dollar per person, and it will add up. I really enjoyed my time there, and the workers were really friendly. Pro tip: 1) Don't take your pets into the zoo. We saw a lot of these people. 2) Don't blast music on your bluetooth speaker while walking in the park. That's why we invented headphones, papi. read more

Love love love this local zoo and they do their all time best putting on various events throughout the year. This zoo has animals that were injured and can no longer be placed in the while due to their injuries. All the creatures are indigenous to the area as well so you won't see giraffes or rhinos, but you will be able to peep some big adorable bears, coyotes, foxes and more. Zoo closes at 4pm so plan your day well. In the cooler months the wind really picks up so dress warm. Be sure to check out the other things this park has to offer as well including the carousel, ice skating or grabbing a drink at 1915 lounge and restaurant! read more

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Cute small zoo of rescued animals with scenic viewpoints and interesting facts given along the trail. Well worth the $1 donation per person entrance fee if you have some extra time to spend while at Bear Mountain. read more

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Great facilities and upgrades to their Animal Exhibits in their Small Mammal and Coyete area and the animals there animals are well taken care of and it is owned by the New York State Parks,Recreation and Historic Preservation read more

"Holy Bats Batman!" While this small trailside zoo does not have vampire bats that would give Batman comfort they do have some dead ones in a stuffed display. I think seeing those dead bats would actually give Batman some discomfort. This is certainly a cute small zoo! Now and days most people don't walk around with cash but if you can bring a few bucks and toss it into the donation bin to help with the costs of keeping these beautiful animals healthy and fed. I've walked through this small zoo several times during hikes and it's always such a pleasure to take in the moment of these wonderful animals. While I truly like the zoo I certainly would not encourage anyone to go out of there way to visit but if you are nearby it's certainly not a bad place to pull over and check out. Taking my time I probably spent about an hour or so in the place. If you walk fast and don't take a moment to enjoy viewing the animals you can probably get through this zoo in 20 mins. read more

This is a really nice way to spend an afternoon. Came in after the zoo I intended to go to was closed. They have a good size parking lot which is shared with the Bear Mountain Inn and visitors to the lake. Parking lot is $10 and they accept debt/credit. So we walked over to the zoo/trail area and it's a bit of a walk. Took the lake view trail over to the zoo which was so beautiful! The picture does no justice. They have a nice picnic barbeque area which is fantastic. Oh, and they have a nice looking public pool which is $2 pp. The zoo is $1 suggested donation pp. After I read what they do for these cute animals I would say they should charge a little something but that's my opinion. I know the animals here are mostly those that were injured and can no longer return to the wild but I was so surprised to read some of the animals were shot. Why would anyone be so cruel? Though the animals are beautiful and I respect everything their doing for them, I feel the place needs to have more color and excitement. Maybe some activities for children and families or anyone interested in doing something interactive. I overheard a man say to his family they should have more workers greeting people and walking around engaging and educating others about the animals and I have to agree with him. The place is a bit dreary but still clean and workers are seen cleaning after tanks and feeding animals. I left there feeling a little empty and sad for the animals after reading about their story and seeing how bored they look especially the coyote who was pacing back and forth. read more

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We're going to the zoo! We're going to the zoo! We're going to the zoo! I love the concept of this zoo; all animals are indigenous to NYS and are at the zoo because they have been injured and nursed back to health (but can't return to the wild) or are old and "retired". It really takes the guilt out of the usual zoo experience for me. The exhibits are very accessible and it's easy to get a good look at the animals. My favorites were the coyotes (so pretty and graceful), the red foxes, the bald eagle, two baby dear, and the two owls. I was devastated to miss the Otter and the Beaver, whom according to the sign were hibernating for winter. The two black bears (which looked suspiciously like brown bears) were pretty cool to see also, but they were snoozing in the back area of their habitat and it was kind of hard to get a good look at them. Oddly enough I also enjoyed the reptile house; there were some cool aquatic species and frogs, along with several dirty filthy snakes. Some of the snakes were really big. I'm not a fan of snakes, but I thought it was a good opportunity to get a look at indigenous snakes I may (but God I hope not) encounter someday while hiking in upstate NY. Loved the "Do Not Tap on the Glass" sign on the in front of one of the snakes, which was followed by another sign "What Would You Do If The Glass Broke?"..... it's nice to see someone at the zoo has a sense of humor! I visited the zoo in the winter and am definitely planning to come back in the summer to see the animals that were hibernating, as well as some of the flora and fauna that was covered in snow this visit. Also, the coyotes are getting a much needed larger habitat, so I'm looking forward to seeing them a bit happier and not pacing as much. *** Admission is suggested dontation, but parking is $8.00. The signs for the zoo are a bit lacking; park in the main parking lot by the Inn (chech out the map) and then walk by the Lake until you see the sign for the underpass which will take you to the Pool and the Zoo.*** **** The zoo is located on part of the Appalachian Trail. Check out Bear Mt trail maps for details, but you can stop by the zoo in the middle of a hike! **** read more

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Nice little zoo, animals are easy to spot. It can be a rough walk for an older crowd though and takes a ways to get there from the parking lot. Quite a few hills inside the zoo area and stairs with ramps read more

This was our first time here. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but it is a nice little zoo. Our 18 month old had a lot of fun. I really liked the foxes and coyotes but their cages were REALLY stinky. I couldn't Stan there for too long to admire then bc the smell was overwhelming. We also loved the birds ... Especially the bald eagle. After we toured the zoo (approximately for 2 hours) we left and followed the trail down to the boat dock... This rout of shape, beware! It's all down hill... Nice going down... (Totally sucks coming back up if you're out of shape like me!) But I really enjoyed the hike. Beautiful views of the Hudson, bridge, and Anthony's nose. We will def be back in the fall. I bet the view is spectacular then ... read more

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The Bear Mountain Trailside Museum and Zoo holds fond memories for me from when I was a kid. It's been many years since I've been here and today I had the chance to relive some happy childhood memories. Located within Bear Mountain State Park, it's an easy (15-20 minute) walk from the Inn's parking lot. Admission is free but suggested donation is a $1 a person. Along the way to the Trailside zoo, you will pass Hessian Lake for some scenic views and a large picnic area. The "zoo" portion is actually animals rescued from the wild that have been sick or injured and wouldn't have survived outside the facility. Today we got to see some pretty active occupants of the zoo including a bobcat, two foxes, two coyotes, bears, owls, hawks, bald eagle, and a beaver. There are a few small indoor exhibits as well-the geology House, reptile house and a small history museum. The paths and scenery throughout are a gem themselves with beautiful wooded paths and placards that talk about the natural history of the area as well as pointing out the plants & trees along the trails. An extra bonus is that you can actually access the pedestrian footpath to the Bear Mt. bridge from this area, back near the history museum. Really well maintained and a great way to spend an hour or two while visiting the park! read more

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The zoo is a hidden gem, especially in the fall. Free weekday parking & the zoo is by donation only. A little tricky to find from the parking lot, but it was the perfect 2-hour activity for kids. Interesting animals, lots of shade, clean bathrooms, and stunning views. read more

Trailside Museums & Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Bear Mountain, New York

Took our family here the views are impressive especially in foliage season. Great place for pictures. At the zoo. You learn about the local animals. Had a great time qith our family. We'll come back again. read more

Trailside Museums & Zoo - My husband's aunt ouside bear mountain in. - Zoos Near Me - Bear Mountain, New York

Wow, what an amazing place. 1) The entree is by donation. Recommended donation of 1 dollar. Not kidding! 2) The museum has several buildings which are small and nice. 3) The zoo is fantastic. They have bears, fox, owls, etc. Enough to keep anyone occupied. Wonderful. read more

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The highlight of Bear Mountain that has a trail, zoo and museum in one. The kids enjoyed exploring the animals there and the view of the Hudson River and bridge was worth it. Plus a $1 donation a person so reasonable. Check it out if you want a good walk with a view and cute animals. Loved the two brown bears. read more

The animals' habitats are incredibly small and instead of grass they're forced to rely on pavement when it comes to walking. I understand that the animals have recovered from injuries and need a closer eye on them but they deserve grass. read more

I dont live to far from here and I've been here many times. The kids enjoy the Zoo and trails. It is a bit of walking so have a stroller for little ones. The main attraction is the "Bear" lol. If you get here at a good time all of the animals can be seen. There is also a huge pool near the zoo and boat rentals on the lake. There is an outdoor snack stand with pizza, hot dogs, drinks , & other items in the summer months. In the Bear Mtn. Inn they have a restaurant (never ate here) , not only a cute gift shop, but a little pizza, coffee & ice-cream shop for a quick snack. It is worth the trip. Can get super crowded on weekend. Parking is $10. Zoo is free but, they ask for a $1 donation per person. I love coming in the Fall read more

Trailside Museums & Zoo - Feeding time - Zoos Near Me - Bear Mountain, New York

Ive been coming here for years, and that should tell you something right off the bat. This zoo/museum is small - One can get through it in 2 hours and thats REALLY taking your time. They have all animals indigenous to this area such as coyotes, bears, birds of prey, etc... Most of the animals are rescues. There are hills here and everything is on a paved foot path. There are several indoor areas that are both informational and fun to see the animals. The bathrooms are surprisingly clean. This place is great for a 1st date or to bring your little ones. There is lots of shade and some fantastic views of the river can be had. When you arrive you may or may not have to pay to park - Today I didnt. Then be prepared for a roughly 15 minute walk to the animals. The 15 minutes goes by quickly though, as you have a beautiful lake to look at and the scenery in general is just pleasing to the eye. This zoo is adjacent to Bear Mtn State Park, which I will Yelp at a later date, so why not bring a grill and make a day of it? And before I forget, the admission to the zoo is a donation. Please put something in the box, as like I said - A lot of the anilmals here are rescues... read more

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I'm not normally a big fan of zoos but here you have a mix of both wildlife preserve and museum so it's a lot of fun. On exhibit are rescued wildlife from the beautiful Bear Mountain region including many birds (even a bald eagle!), fox, coyotes and yes, black bears. There are several museums scattered around as well. Best part about this place is that it's out in the beautiful nature of Bear Mountain and the scenery is terrific. Be sure to check out the scenic lookout over the Hudson River. Admission, a mere $1 donation. Absolutely recommended if in the area and a great place to come visit. read more

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This is truly a treat in the big park. There is no fee for the trail itself, but they do accept donations as there is a small collecting box at the entrances. You should have already (unless you biked or ?walked?) a $10 per vehicle parking fee for the main park itself. From the main parking area (next to the main field, merry-go-round and Inn) just follow the signs for the Trailside Museums and you will walk alongside the Hessian Lake, pass the pool, and take an underpass to the Trailside entrance. The Trailside itself offers a lot of information. Though there are few live larger animals in the caged exhibits including foxes and a variety of birds, the "Museums" that you pass throughout the trail are great and shouldn't be neglected. Some include the "Geology Museum", which give details about dinosaurs, the "Historic Museum" which describe the area's role throughout the wars, and the Reptile and Amphibian House which contains many smaller animals including snakes, frogs and fish. The larger live animal exhibits include bears and coyote enclosures. There were also many empty cages and signs telling of the sick or deceased animals that would normally be there. There are interesting facts scattered throughout the trail. There are also some nice scenic areas, including one with a lovely view of the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Hudson River and another which gives access to the the walkway of the Bear Mountain Bridge itself. These are toward the edge of the Trail. From that point you can walk further and get to the Fort Montgomery Historic Site which has a small museum with more information about the history as well as bathrooms and some items (souvenirs) for purchase. I think the Trailside Museums and Zoo are a great bonus to the park. We easily spent 3 hours walking in the Trailside Museums and Zoo, talking a short look at the scenic overlooks and bridge and walking to the Fort Montgomery Historic site. Lots to learn and see here. I recommend this not only to those who are already visiting the park, but to those to come for only the Trailside Museums. Its more than worth the park parking fee of $10 per vehicle. I would imagine this is a no brainer for any State Park, but wear comfortable shoes and maybe bring some snacks and definitely something to drink. read more

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A reason why people love zoos is you get to see cool creatures up close. A big issue people have with zoos is that they are essentially locking animals up, out of their habitat, for our enjoyment. Well this place can satisfy all needs. The zoo caters to injured animals, that are rehabilitating and waiting to go back into the wild, or ones which will not be able to make it on their own. Giving justification to everyone's concern, except those hardcore Darwinism believers. Or maybe if you're against Obamacare, because you know, if you don't care for sick or injured people, you probably don't for animals either. My favorite exhibit was the bears. There are vultures all around either waiting for the bears' scraps or worse. Don't worry though, I saw one bear smack on vulture up good. He got too close and swatted him away with his giant paw. That'll teach him. Nice day time activity, totally worth it, especially for the $1 suggested donation. C'mon, you know you can do better. Unless of course you are one of those people who don't care about the sick or injured again. The hell to you guys then. read more

Few animals. Two cute brown bears, two red foxes, a bob cat, 4 coyotes, rattle snakes frogs view of the river that's all Cool for free admission. The walk towards the zoo was good and made me sweat a little bit. read more

Trailside Museums & Zoo - Trail in the zoo - Zoos Near Me - Bear Mountain, New York

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This is really a gem and the kids had a very good experience. It is comparable to any reputable museum and zoo in NYC. The natural surroundings of the wood paths to the zoo is an adventure by itself. The zoo itself comprises of animal that are nursed back to health but are unable to feed for themselves if release back to the wild, thus they are taken care of there. Most of the animals here can be identified by the children as they have study it in schooI, therefore an educational trip as well. I believe they are feed with their natural foods as I notice vultures and owls fed with dead white mice.... When we were there, we witness vultures tearing on its food, a dead mice, an eye opening for the kids on how nature works. There is also a group of vultures perching up on the trees surrounding the cages. Right before you reached the zoo, there is a swimming pool there.... I wondered whether it is still in use. It would be nice in the summer with all the trees surrounding it.... Once you step into the zoo, you are practically in a forest with so much to see. There are introductions to different species of tress, a building for the insect/reptile/bugs, different types of owls, eagles, foxes, wolfs, bear, beaver, swan and a possum. The star of the zoo are the two black bears but my favourite is the beaver and the woodchuck. Most of the time, you would notice beaver dam when you go rafting along rivers but its not everyday you can see a beaver up close and it is indeed a big animal. The museum introduces the history of the area itself starting from the Ice Age, Natives Americans to the heyday of mining and also a story on a founder of the Boys Scout. There is also a layout of a fort, Fort Montgomery built during the Revolutionary War. After all walking, we were greeted with the picturesque view of Bear Mountain Bridge and Hudson River below. Awesome! There is also a trail leading down but its already closes when we were there. The zoo and museum is really worth visiting even if its a trip by itself. Come early as there are many to see if you are into natural history as the zoo closes at 4.30pm. I think that's when the animals is feed as the bear already retired into their "home". And to think admission is only a suggested donation of 1 dollar...... read more

One of my Favorite Zoo's in NY with the Appalachian trail path in the middle of the Zoo. What I love about these folks is that most of these animals are rescues, And this Zoo goes above and beyond to help rehabilitate these animals. If you find it in your heart, please donate. read more

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We had a very enjoyable morning strolling by the lake and walking to the Trailside Museums & Zoo. We parked at The Inn, where there was no attendant on the weekday we were there. Bathroom facility, gift shop, and hiker's cafe at The Inn. Shaded walk for the most part. Pool on the way to the zoo is open on weekends in the summer. Zoo entry was by requested donation only. No attendant present here either. We saw 2 bars, coyotes, turtles, owls, Hawks, a bald eagle... On our way out we saw an intern feeding mice to the 2 red fox. Do not forget your camera! read more

Excellent with children. Very educational and a nice walk from the parking lot to the zoo. Watch the poison ivy it is all over the place.

Stumbled on this place by chance while in the area, and have to say it was a cute little area with beautiful views. It definitely didn't suck. Admittedly, didn't see much in the zoo itself, but that could have been impacted by time of visit (the fox and the bears were sleeeeeping). But a beautiful area and worth swinging by if you have the chance. read more

A hidden gem! We went looking for the carousel and found the trail side to mini-museums and zoo. A wonderful surprise! We bought burgers and fries (fries were sooo good) and picnicked next to the lake then stopped in the Inn for ice cream. Awesome and memorable day. read more

Trailside Museums & Zoo - Kids learning about the Revolutionary War - Zoos Near Me - Bear Mountain, New York

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Cute, small zoo, they try hard with little Animals seem happy enough, some enclosures could be bigger Sponsor an animal , they could certainly use the help read more

This is a very unique zoo because it's built along a path in the woods, and the only animals it holds are the same kinds that live in the wild of the area around it. When I was here, I stopped to look at the deer in captivity, and then a wild deer walked right by me... I also remember watching the staff feed dead mice to the vultures, and the smell of the mice attracted wild vultures to fly to right outside the vulture's cage and try to get inside (unsuccessfully)... Still, the American Black Bears were the highlight of the zoo for me. I've never seen another zoo like this. I'd gladly pay $15 for admission, but they only charge $1. I can't recommend visiting this place enough. read more

This is such a little gem located within Bear Mountain State Park! Highly recommend visiting the museum and zoo when you're visiting. I visited towards the beginning of February. A few of the animals weren't on display, considering it's cold and some of them hibernate, but there was still plenty to see. What I love about this zoo is that the animals were bought here to be rehabilitated after either being shot, hit by a car, etc. It's heartbreaking, but knowing that they are being cared for warmed my heart. That being said, the museum is free and appreciates donations, so please, donate as much money as you can because your money will be helping these animals. The museums are so informative about the history of the area. The geology museum offers you information about the different rocks on site, as well as the mines. There's a history museum that'll tell the story of what the area looked like with Native Americans and during the Revolutionary War. Overall, this was such a well put zoo and museum, definitely check it out! read more

Great easy trail near the Bear Mountain Lodge. The trail has a zoo with many of the local wildlife around the area. The trail is easy stroller friendly and well covered with shade from the trees along the trail. The Black Bears are the highlight and the loop should take you about an hour. read more

I Love the walk though the zoo / revolutionary forts...ok, its not the San Diego or Bronx zoo...mostly "island of misfit" animals...i.e. hit by car, shot, orphaned, etc....but that's what makes the zoo great! Great little houses of "natural history," "minerals," etc. too. Try and visit and not learn something new...not sure it can be done. A wonderful asset to Bear Mt. read more

I think this is a classic example of you get what you pay for. But even at just $8 for parking and gas money to get there, I don't think it was worth that. Most of the exhibits are either birds (which don't interest me) or animals that I see in my own backyard. My kids liked the reptile house, but there is only one way in and out making it hard to move, and no cross-ventilation or air conditioning so it was quite hot inside. The entire park is not friendly to the first time visitor. There's barely any signs or maps to direct the way. And when my husband tried to find a shortcut back to the car, which involved walking in where cars drive in, he was told that he couldn't, even though there's no signs saying that you can't walk in there. I'd rather pay money and go somewhere enjoyable. I wouldn't even go back to this place if someone paid me to. read more