I was wondering does anyone know what the orange tape around the trees is? This is an easy hike along a well marked trail to the viewing platform and lower falls that experienced hikers and newcomers alike will enjoy. Also, I had just driven an hour and a half and wasn’t ready to go home yet! Today a friend and I did the entire thing and would love to know .. Hi, Amanda! Before heading out for your next adventure, please check my Hudson Valley trail closures and parking restrictions due to COVID-19 page to make sure that your intended destination is open. it was beautiful. On Spruce Creek, a two-stage waterfall is found, known as the Kaaterskill Falls. Head left at the fork to reach the final viewing platform for the falls. My last time there was in 1985 and this video is quite a joy and brings up many memories.! You can also get directions by checking out the Kaaterskill Falls entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Google map. We would camp nearby in a campground ( I can’t find it on maps ) and we would go out to different spots on the river and really enjoyed ourselves.! Absolutely! 3. As a longtime hiker who has hiked all over the US, I can attest to the fact that people ignore warning signs all the time and set off into the wilderness woefully unprepared. Luckily, the North-South Lake Preserve is 3 miles from the falls. If so, please contact me @ [email protected] . Be sure to stop at the midpoint view of the falls, you’re able to get relatively close and it’s stunning. The staircase was designed to blend in with the natural stone of the trail. (I’m about 90% done with my write-up of the hike from the new trails up there, and hope to post in the next week or two. So would u do this instead of the normal hike or would you do this as well to take u behind and to the top viewing of the falls? Wonderful writing! We visited on July 23 and the platform is completed at the top of the falls. Kaaterskill Falls is protected as a "forever wild" Forest Preserve area under the New York State constitution. At the intersection with the trail to Layman’s monument, walk to the right trail There is a new 200 step staircase to get you down to the money shot. (You can see my trail guide for Kaaterskill’s upper trailhead for more details on the platform and scenery at the top.). Take a Hike and Visit the Waterfalls at Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskill Forest Preserve. Your email address will not be published. Thanks for the kind words, George, and glad this page reminded you of happy memories. Is it safe to carry her with us to revisit? There does not appear to be any construction going on at the overlook by the falls. I did find this comment on an article about swimming in the Catskills, which rings true to me: “Straying from the trail to swim in the falls is strictly forbidden by NYS.” Hope that helps! Finally! Kaaterskill Falls - 1.4 miles, moderate. Chad, I can clearly picture the moments I was there with family and friends. This hike can be kid friendly, but watch children closely as the trail can be slippery. This was a week day, no other hikers around. Is there a way to check the water level before we head up ? What area are these carvings supposed to be in? Hi Kylie — Here’s a link to a shot from the site’s Facebook page that shows the falls slowed to a trickle on August 30. I know it’s been dry lately so I wanted to know if the falls were worth going to right now. Appreciate you taking the time to make my day – happy adventures to you! This brings me many memories of my time spent here since 1973. Does anyone know if construction is finished and if trail is completely open?? I would not go without good traction shoes. Sorry for being such a downer. This 1 1/2 mile trek to the top of Kaaterskill Falls is on a flat path that starts behind the Mountain Top Historical Society on Rte 23A. Specifically famous ones like one from Ulysses S Grant? It was a tough trek down to the first pool below. Welcome to the Hudson Valley, Dan! If you go all the way up to the viewing platform, you’ll add about 1.6 miles and 400 vertical ft of ascent to your day. Our three plus hour trip from Levittown was well worth it and was part of our fun. The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference offers concise, excellent advice on hiking during this crisis here: The New Hiking How-tos. You can walk the pathway behind the falls which is awesome. Although this is a super short hike, it is definitely a tough one! The rocks we sat on. I was there with my siblings and great friends. Makes for a great weekend trip from New York City. loved this trail! Much appreciated! I just couldn’t leave writing of this quality without a comment! BRING WATER AND SNACKS. I have no idea where or how I missed it, but the tape indicated that it was some kind of trail or whathaveyou that I was on.. anyone know?? Directions to Kaaterskill Falls. **UPDATE August 2018** The DEC has adopted some new common-sense safety regulations at Kaaterskill Falls that shouldn’t at all affect the behavior of responsible hikers, including staying six feet from cliffs edges, not entering the water within 150 feet and the top of the falls, and not being allowed to play music except with earbuds (thanks especially for that one, DEC!). 7. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE UPPER FALLS ARE OPEN YET? and it was perfect. Beautiful!!! Especially after the rainfall we had on the previous day. It is just a mile(ish) hike off of Route 23A making it an easy trip to one of the highest waterfalls in New York. Hope you guys have a great trip! Seems a bit longer then that.. A friend of mine just posted this and I was happy to come across it. There is a huge system of trails offering multiple payoffs. It’s just around the corner from the falls. In about 20 minutes, there it is. I’ve updated the beginning of the trail guide with a link to your comment. Here is some aerial footage I shot this past October: Hello Chad. You can also subscribe without commenting. Here’s one great way: Visit the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage and click on Volunteer, Donate, or Shop! Very much appreciated! The same hubris that leads them to hike in flip-flops makes them ignore safety warnings – “It won’t happen to me” or “That doesn’t apply to me” is the mindset. The falls are absolutely stunning - with beautiful surroundings. thank you. The parking area is busy due to this being one of the more popular hiking trails in the Hudson Valley, so arrive early. (And here’s a quick primer on Leave No Trace, too, to help us keep the trails nice and fresh for each other.). The trails are narrow and steep and the rocks can be slippery. But it is steep and rocky, and if you feel like you’re climbing a staircase along some of the sections, it’s probably because you are. Just came across an article ( http://www.watershedpost.com/2015/kaaterskill-falls-closed-summer-2015 ) that says the DEC is restricting public access to the falls from July 6th, 2015 through the summer as they will be upgrading the trails and improving safety around the falls. Realizing I had made a stupid move, turned around and started to gently slide down on my butt while grabbing every sapling available. **UPDATE May 2018** The DEC has made several recent trail and safety improvements at Kaaterskill Falls. Leave the flip-flops at home. In the summer you will want to check the water level because there might not be much water in the falls, and during periods of more rain the trail may be muddy. Hudson Valley trail closures and parking restrictions due to COVID-19. Usually, Lake Creek is at low water, and the view is disappointing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hello Mike. It’s still closed. **WARNING** While most Hudson Valley parks and trails have reopened, there are still a few notable closures and parking restrictions to be aware of. Yes, there are joys to behold: I remember watching sunrise over Slide Mtn. The Deadly Waterfall in the Instagram Age. If anyone else has an inside scoop, please share! It wasn’t until got to the bottom and met road instead of waterfall that I realized that I had gotten off the trail. I did venture to the edge,very carefully, going sideways-outstanding view. A three-mile hike will take you from the parking lot, to the base of the falls, up to a viewing platform above the falls … The Kaaterskill Falls Trail begins on Route 23A from the bridge in front of Bastion Falls, a small waterfall adjacent to the road. If we stay on the trail and abide by recommendations, are we at risk? It’s super easy and fun to make this ‘easy’ hike into 5+ miles with some rocks to climb up. I very much enjoyed my trip and look forward to your update. Parking lot right off the road is small and getting to the trailhead was the scariest part walking along the road. Or there they are? **UPDATE May 2018** When you’re done basking in the mist of the falls from the awesome vantage point at the bottom of the falls, you can either retrace your steps back to your car (once again exercising caution on the section along Route 23A), or continue venturing up the path to the bottom of the upper falls, or head all the way up to the viewing platform at the very top (to the left of the falls). WHAT A VIEW!! (Don’t do “Kaaterskill Falls Viewing Platform” or it’ll take you to the upper trailhead on Laurel House Rd. The safety features here do NOT protect you if you choose to wander off-trail. That's cool, too. Tricky in winter at parts - would recommend poles/crampons (we survived in just boots), but definitely worth it to go all the way to the top platform! Sorta nearby address for your GPS: You can just type “Kaaterskill Falls trailhead,” into Google Maps and it’ll pull up the correct spot on Route 23A. In about 3.5 miles, you’ll come around a hairpin turn with Bastion Falls and the trailhead to your right. I was born not far from there but moved away as a child. Had to pay $200 plus the $50 ticket, BEWARE. Walk back down hill to reach the trailhead on the north side of the road. The foliage was pretty nice still. With the exception of last weekend, we haven’t had much rain since then, so I don’t expect the situation would be too much improved now. The waterfall is running at a trickle right now since we haven’t had much rain. Although there’s a lot of hiking around the water, swimming is also discouraged. While my first Kaaterskill trail guide is still perfectly valid, the construction around the upper trailhead at Kaaterskill Falls have made that old route, in my opinion, totally obsolete.. One more note of caution: Kaaterskill Falls is not a well-kept secret. From there, went back to my vehicle and drove around to the top of the Falls. I agree with Joel’s recommendation — you can see my take on that version of the hike in this trail guide: https://hikethehudsonvalley.com/hikes/kaaterskill-falls-ii-upper-trailhead/. This trail is a short hike to a waterfall. Wear high visibility during darker hours. We just missed each other — I brought the kids here on Saturday, and they loved it. People often underestimate this hike since it’s officially only a half-mile to the falls from the trailhead. I managed to do this hike in October 2013 so at the time, the only option I had to experience Kaaterskill Falls was to do a two-mile round-trip hike from the so-called “lower trailhead”. There are two parking areas, the lower one has the better views but required more trekking. A new stone staircase, with roughly 200 steps, was built at the base of the falls. But the danger is real, I have seem first hand how weather affects the area. Is the experience any different from starting from Laurel House lot versus the parking lot on 23A? The views are absolutely incredible! But, at high water you will see the same view as the pictures displayed below. The difficulty increases as reach the waterfall but there are stairs put in and the trail is very well marked. There is no “safe” mountain hike when you are wearing flip flops, flats, most sandals, and most tennis shoes. Parked along highway and walk up to entrance and was met by a nice waterfall and a challenging beginning. Will follow your recommendations on my next visit and get this trail guide updated one of these days, hopefully soonish. Trails was mostly good, a kilter mud in some areas but easy to walk through or around. Walk over Spruce Creek on the Route 23A bridge, then find the trailhead kiosk on your left, at the base of Bastion Falls. Sorry for the late response here, Leslie, but I can confirm that everything is open now. However it did get under my skin when I had to get a ride up into town and found that the booming business in town is these tow truck places. I’ve done this hike myself many times. We hustled to get off the road as quick as we could, slightly harried and very surprised at the volume of traffic in a pretty remote area. I dunno who wrote this (the Kaaterskill Falls review), but it’s a BRILLIANT piece of nature writing. Drivers here are generally respectful, and they expect to see hikers along this section, but to me, it’s not an ideal way to start and end a hike. The last time I did this hike was with my wife and son, late on a Friday afternoon in November, and it was like I-95 out there. Snowy day, very slippery. the falls were worth every ache. As a bonus, after you visit the falls it’s only 1.2 miles out to Inspiration Point from the top of the steps leading down to the falls. No. You have to walk along the highway for 50 yards or so. Drive past the overcrowded and dangerous parking lot up from the lower trail head. That warning is still tragically relevant. A good hike, workout on the legs. In any event, thar be Kaaterskill Falls: 260 feet of two-tiered awesomeness. See these tragic headlines that occurred after the initial safety improvements (more fencing and signage were added in late 2017): I do not know the individual circumstances in all of these incidents, but when you read many of these stories, a common thread emerges: almost all (maybe exactly all?) Here’s an update from the DEC that I just stumbled upon — looks like there’s still a ton of work going on there now: https://www.facebook.com/NYSDEC/posts/10154171081585956, 2.63 miles from the parking lot to the platform and back. While you may feel like you’re starring in a live-action version of Frogger to get from the parking area to the trailhead, once you’re there, this hike is pure awesomeness, hugging the energetic Spruce Creek the entire way as it cascades down the hill. Hi, Deeeon! Sorry, somehow the photo didn’t post above…. Are the trails open all year round? 6. Jennifer! May you have many more strokeless adventures out there . Thanks so much for sharing! A short walk brings you to the observation platform overlooking the falls. Great views, was very muddy in certain areas. This is one of the most popular hikes in the area, in part because everyone likes waterfalls, and in part because it’s a relatively short hike to a huge, 260-foot payoff, divided over two drops. Thanks. Follow the stairs up to the Escarpment Trail (blue). 5. signs in the world are not going to make some people more cognizant of the dangers inherent in hiking. Nice! Or just wear whatever you have already. When I read about you in the paper, let it be because you won the Nobel Prize, not because you visited Kaaterskill Falls. Please stay on the trail. I’ve visited Kaaterskill a few times, and during 2016 the upper trail was closed for maintenance. I went yesterday and they were awesome. Was this trail guide useful to you? I come to fish, swim and most of all do nothing. Favorite waterfall hike in the area!Beautiful trail along the water leading up to a stunning waterfall and not too crowded. From here on out, 50% of the proceeds generated from the purchase of sweet custom gear from Hike the Hudson Valley’s online store will be donated to the NY-NJ Trail Conference, the organization that makes so many of our adventures possible. These choices didn’t exist prior to the recent enhancements at this site — nice to have choices in life! Stay on the joint Escarpment Trail/Kaaterskill Falls Trail until you reach a fork. Kaaterskill Falls Access From the Laurel-House Road parking area: 0.3 miles to the observation platform overlooking Kaaterskill falls. I’m working on a site revamp now, and will be putting a heavier focus on sustainability, Leave No Trace, and leaving the trails we all love in better shape than we found them. Pingback: NYC Escapes: Your Ultimate Catskills Weekend - Jessie on a Journey, Pingback: 50 Things to Do in Westchester This Fall - Wee Westchester. Great guide and suggestions! I’ve seen people who seem to believe that the wilderness is a form of video game that can be safely enjoyed in comfort; but, it takes a lot of preparation and a healthy respect for the environment. The new overlook deck is open for viewing. Kaaterskill Falls Hiking and Parking Guide. Dogs are also able to use this trail. hi can you still swim legally in kaaterskill falls? We are interested in using some shots of the Historical Carvings in a new TV series. 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But easy to walk along the road the fall i hope you all have a great time October Hello... A tough trek down to the trailhead on the right idea about that at North Lake. Has taught many of us adventuring out there certain areas shot this past October: Chad.
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