Back in the days of the Revolutionary War, British troops marching through what is now Bear Mountain State Park taunted local residents by singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and the town they marched through took on the name Doodletown. Founded in 1762, that town flourished as a working class community until its gradual acquisition and demolition by the park was finalized in 1965.

Throughout the 1800s, residents worked as dairy farmers, loggers, and shopkeepers, and some found employment in nearby iron mines. By the turn of the 20th century, industry in the region was expanding, and residents founds jobs at the Knickerbocker Ice Company, an amusement park on Iona Island, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and, after its establishment in 1910, Bear Mountain State Park. Doodletown reached its peak in the 1920s, when the town consisted of about 70 families and four roads.

Early on, the park began purchasing parcels in Doodletown to rent to employees. In the late 1950s, word leaked about a plan to build a ski resort in the park, and with that, loans for property improvements were frozen, deeding stopped, and, though the resort was never realized, the town tottered in a state of limbo. Some families sold their homes; others, some of whom had resided there for over 200 years, lost their property to eminent domain. Eventually, everyone left.

Today, visitors can explore the remains of Doodletown by following a self-guided, six-mile, sometimes strenuous hike marked by 32 signs and five "You Are Here" maps, thanks to the efforts of Doodletown's volunteer land steward, Mark Jelléy, who also leads private tours through the ghost town. The signs alongside disembodied stone walls, steps, and cellar foundations include stories of former residents and photographs of the buildings that once stood. There are also two cemeteries, where graves date from the 1800s, as well as streams, waterfalls, and glorious vistas of Iona Island, the Bear Mountain Bridge, and the Hudson River.

Doodletown is accessible year-round from a trail on the west side of Route 9W, just south of Bear Mountain State Park's southern entrance and just north of the entrance to Iona Island across the street. A blue sign, a brown historical marker, and a "You Are Here" map indicate the entrance. There is parking on either side of the road. For further information, call Bear Mountain State Park at (845) 786-2701, or contact Mark Jelléy at hvdaytrips@optonline.net.