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Circle Line’s Bear Mountain cruise leaves Pier 83 for an eight-hour Oktoberfest day trip up the Hudson: about two and a half hours each way past the George Washington and Mario Cuomo bridges, a live brass band, a German buffet with pork schnitzel, and time in Bear Mountain State Park. In 2024 it ran October 5 to November 10.
Sunday, Sept 29, 2024. Bear Mountain State Park, New York.—The Knockturnal set sail on the ultimate Fall Day trip with Circle Line Cruise. Better experienced than explained, I and a trove of my friend girls took an 8-hour cruise to escape the city and made our way up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park for an Oktoberfest themed cruise with scenic views, live music from the ‘Street Beats Brass Band’, dancing, food, and outdoor exploration. We met at Pier 83 on a brisk Sunday morning, ready to break away from the chaotic city to quieter spaces, to clear our heads, reconnect with nature, and have some much needed girl time. The scenic 50-mile journey offered breathtaking views of the Hudson River Valley and the gorgeous autumn foliage in transition to fall. While headed northbound, we spent 2 ½ hours taking in views of George Washington Bridge, the modern Mario Cuomo Bridge, bird watching, laughing in the exclusive seating area on the highest outdoor deck, and enjoying the “all you can drink beers”, that we could barely pronounce, “Warsteiner, Spaten,” Sam Adams was a lot easier and local Pumpkin Ales; all came complimentary with our Premium seating passes. Along the way, we listened attentively to the history and significance behind many of the sites in passing along with the Oktoberfest tradition from Circle Lines’ award-winning Tour Guide. Upon arrival at the mountain, the boat docked, and we city girls began a 3-hour hiking exhibition on Bear Mountain that included our first time boat peddling on the beautiful Hessian Lake, mingling with the locals, perusing our ways around the gift shops, shopping for raw honey from the local beekeeper, pickled vegetables at the fresh market and took a brisk walk through the zoo to see the bears. We boarded the boat and soon realized that we worked up a healthy appetite on our hike, grabbed a few snacks from the concession stand, and made our way back just in time to catch the Falcons and the Saints game with the other guests who were intensely focused on the plays. We circled the buffet a few times to enjoy more of the exclusive fall menu, like the German Pork Schnitzel, being a favorite pick amongst my friends. We also indulged in Bratwursts, and oversized Bavarian Pretzels (a few of us opted for cheddar cups to dip our pretzels in). We made it back to the city, safe and sound, re-energized to life from our daycation (but also looking forward to a good night’s sleep after that hike). I could not have planned a better daycation getaway for me and my girls. The coolest part is that we have all of the month of October to enjoy it all again if we choose to. CircleLine will be offering the Bear Mountain Cruises from now, October 5 – November 10th. If you find yourself in need of a great escape for the day, visit their website to find out how you can enjoy the stunning views, the gorgeous Bear Mountain State Park and peaceful break away from New York City to connect with nature: Bear Mountain Cruise