Fort Montgomery State Historic Site sits on the Hudson River's western shore in Orange County, New York, approximately 40 miles north of New York City adjacent to Bear Mountain State Park. Built beginning in February 1776, the Revolutionary War fortification featured three landward redoubts and river batteries, playing a critical role in the northern defense of the Hudson Valley. On October 6, 1777, British forces attacked and destroyed both Fort Montgomery and nearby Fort Clinton during their ambitious three-pronged invasion of New York, removing the iron chain that had blocked the river. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972, the site's modern visitor center features original artifacts, detailed battle models, historical mannequins, and a fifteen-minute film depicting the 1777 assault, while interpretive trails guide visitors through the surviving fort ruins.
