Bear Mountain

Overview

Bear Mountain is the tallest "mountain" entirely within the state of Connecticut, located in Mt. Riga State Park. However, the tallest point in Connecticut is actually on the shoulder of Mt. Frissell. It is a fairly popular hike in Connecticut, and gives easy access to the Appalachian Trail. While not a strenuous climb by any stretch, it offers great views of New York, Massachussetts, and Connecticut. For the mountaineer who wants to bring the rest of the family on a trip into the woods, this is a good place to start. The grades are gentle to moderate, with only a short (few hundred feet) Class 1 rock scramble on the north side of the mountain.

There is an outhouse at the Hiker Parking Lot, which I would avoid if you have to do No. 2. There is a board detailing hiking and camping information at the trailhead, including a crude map of the area. There are no campfires allowed, and only camping at designated areas. From the parking lot you will follow Under Mountain Trail, and have a couple options in getting to the summit. The ideal route is to take the Paradise Lane Trail, which is the first trail on your right a little over a mile from the trailhead. Continue on this trail, going past Paradise Campground which is approximately 2 miles from the parking lot. Continue on, passing through a bog/swamp, until you reach the Appalachian Trail, which is marked with white blazes. Turn left and follow the blazes, leading up to the north side of the mountain. Here you will make your way up a fairly easy rock scramble, and on to the summit. The summit has a large pile of rocks, which makes viewing the surrounding valleys much easier. To descend, continue south on the Appalachian Trail, until you reach the Riga junction, in which the Under Mountain Trail comes in on your left. Take the Under Mountain Trail back to the parking lot. Round trip mileage is approximately 6.7 miles.

Climbing in the winter depends on the conditions. It can be bone dry, or a few feet of snow on the ground, depending on the snow season. Traffic in the winter is usually substantially less than in the summer, so if there is a lot of snow, you may wish to consider snowshoes. Crampons really aren't necessary, but if the trail is well-trodden, it can get icy in sections. As long as you have at least trekking poles, you should fare ok.

All in all, a nice little mountain the whole family can enjoy....

Getting There

Take Route 44 to Salisbury, CT. In Salisbury, take Route 41 North. If you are coming from Massachussetts, take Route 41 South The hiker parking lot is on the left side of the road approximately 3 miles up. Coming from MA, it's on the right. In the summer, the lot can fill up, especially on the weekends....get there early to get a good spot (or a spot in the lot itself). The lot is marked by a blue sign denoting the Undermountain Trailhead...

Map of the area

The parking lot is just above where the "A" is for Mt. Riga.

Red Tape

No parking passes are required, and no camping fees. You can only camp at designated locations, and there are no campfires allowed.

When To Climb

Most people climb in the spring, summer, and fall....however, winter climbs can be enjoyable. For novice hikers just starting out in mountaineering, a hike in a good winter storm would be good practice, as it's pretty much impossible to get lost.

Camping

Paradise Lane campsite is a nice area to camp, and one of the few easily accessible "backcountry" camping areas in the state of Connecticut. From the Paradise Lane Trail, you will see a sign on your right for the camping area. You'll descend a slight hill, and come to a small, somewhat flat clearing.....if nobody is in this area, there's a good flat section to the left to pitch a tent. Otherwise, once you reach that area, take a right and follow the trail down the hill, winding down to your left. When you reach the bottom of the descent, there are trails leading to cleared campsites. There are roughly 4-5 sites, and can get muddy when wet. There is also an area to wash your dishes, and an outhouse. In the winter, if you want to try out that new tent before heading up to the "real" mountains, you shouldn't have to worry about having neighbors

Mountain Conditions

The conditions do not reach the extremes, since it's a fairly small mountain. For up to date weather, check the Weather Channel at:

Weather

The weather can be brutally hot in the summer.....if the temps are slated to be in the mid 90's in Salisbury, plan on it being nearly as hot on the summit.

Maps, Books, and Other Stuff

Here's information on Bear Mountain from GORP:

Bear Mountain Link

Here is a book outlining 50 dayhikes in Connecticut, along with Bear Mountain:

50 Dayhikes In Connecticut

Miscellaneous Info

I have added some pictures, although the quality pretty much sucks. When I took the photos, I exposed the film at 100 with 400 speed print film....so I realized afterwards.....and it got developed as 400. I'm amazed that the pictures actually came out....in person, they don't look too bad, but I have a lousy scanner, so combine the two, and well....

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

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GuitarWIzard - May 1, 2002 10:19 am - Hasn't voted

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Ok, fixed it. I would've had pictures up by now, but unfortunately when I went up there last week to take pictures, I had my camera set to manual film speed versus automatic setting with the DX meter.....needless to say, I have to go back up there again and take pictures next week.

Hope you have a good trip!

Dana

fox5659 - Apr 25, 2003 7:56 am - Hasn't voted

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There is an area called Sages Ravine that is just about 1 mile north on the AT after the junction with Paradise Trail (take a right and head down rather than the left to head up the mountain).

There is an exceptionally well maintained camping area with pit toilet(s) on the north side of the river. There is a fee in season to stay the night due to the high foot traffic volume this area was receiving.

If you go before Easter the caretaker is not yet in attendance and their tent platform is the choice spot overlooking the river. Great place and very peaceful camping in the late winter early spring. The approach to the ravine can get very icy in the winter if the foot traffic has been substantial. Pick your path down the slope carefully.

Alpinist - Jun 19, 2005 10:20 pm - Voted 8/10

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The most direct route to the summit is off of Mt Washginton Road. Turn north onto Factory Street just south of The Lock Up. (It's a very small road.) Merge onto signed Mt Riga Road and continue northwest for several miles. Turn right (north) onto Mt Washington Road. Look for the Bear Mtn trailhead sign on the east side of the road.

The trail heads straight east. You can stay on the main trail and then turn north towards the summit when you reach the AT.

If you're looking for the most direct route, watch carefully for a nearly hidden use-trail 1/2 mile from the trailhead that branches off to the north. The trail will enter a campground after about 1/2 mile. There is a forest service hut and information signs there and a larger trail that heads east on the north side of the campground. That trail will cross the AT, at which point you turn south towards the summit. But that's not the shortest route.

The shortest route cuts east through the campground and then south directly toards the summit on a very small but usable use-trail. This might save you 1/2 mile versus looping around to the AT. The route is class 2 with a distance of ~1.5 miles from trailhead to summit.

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