Leni Lenape of the "wolf" clan known as Munsees occupied the Warwick Valley before the first Dutch trappers appeared on the Hudson River.

Munsees lived in long houses made of sapling staves and layers of collected bark; they raised crops using the Three Sisters form of companion planting and used the tall-growth forests and streams for hunting and fishing.

[6] Scrauley hoped Bellvale's remote location would allow him to escape notice of British authorities intent on shutting down the American colonies' nascent iron-working industry.

Sawmills turned the abundant local maples, oaks, and hemlocks into usable boards, and textile mills processed woolen cloth for uniforms and blankets.

By the early 1800s Bellvale was a thriving village; the new "Continental road" from Warwick to Tuxedo allowed the community's goods to reach markets closer to the Hudson River.

Eastward of Bellvale Route 17A's roadway rises steeply, passing an active ski resort below the summit of the steep and ancient ridge.

[8] A local dairy in the valley below provides the milk for an ice cream parlor serving passing Appalachian Trail hikers and motorists.

Northward, Lower Wisner Road, named from a prominent early valley family, forks left at the location of Crawley's destroyed mill; Iron Forge Road passes Iron Forge Inn, a restaurant based in a 1760-built grist mill [14] and the former Bellvale United Methodist Church, which had served Bellvale residents as a church for more than 150 years (beginning in 1853).

[17] Summers are warm, spring and fall are mild, with low humidity, while winter is cool, with annual snowfall averaging 23.0 inches (58 cm).

[19][20] The Iron Forge Inn restaurant, Bellvale Market grocer and Winslow Therapeutic Riding Center are open year-round.

Former Congressman John Hall attempted to assist locals in preserving the postal station (hosted in a general store), however the USPS abruptly closed the location in September 2010.

New York State Route 17A serves Bellvale west to Warwick and east to Greenwood Lake and Tuxedo, passing through the mountainous Sterling Forest.

Elementary-aged children residing in Bellvale attend Park Avenue Elementary in east central Warwick village about two miles away.

[15] The wooden building served the community for 86 years, providing the location for the Bellvale Circus, a popular summer entertainment staffed by local residents.