Bear Mountain Bridge

In 1924, the Bear Mountain Bridge became the first automobile road over the Hudson River south of Albany. Engineer Howard C. Baird designed the steel suspension bridge, which has a main span of 1,632 feet.

The idea to cross the Hudson between Bear Mountain in Orange County and Anthony’s Nose at the top of Westchester County dates back to the 19th century. The bridge only became a reality when Mary Harriman, widow of railroad executive E. H. Harriman, and son Averill Harriman, later governor of New York, privately funded it, partially through tolls, along with an adjacent state park in the west bank. According to legend, Mrs. Harriman wanted the bridge for the convenience of traveling to visit friends from New York.