Kaaterskill Falls

Kaaterskill Falls is one of the highest and most famous waterfalls in New York, a spectacular two-tiered cascade that plunges some 260 feet in two great drops through a wooded amphitheater in the Catskill Mountains. Long celebrated — it was a muse of the Hudson River School painters and the writers of the 19th-century Romantic movement, and one of the first great tourist attractions in America — Kaaterskill Falls remains a beloved and breathtaking sight.

The waterfall tumbles in two tiers: an upper plunge of about 175 feet into a bowl, and a lower drop of some 85 feet, set in a rugged, forested glen in the Catskill Forest Preserve, protected ‘forever wild’ like the Adirondacks. Reached by trails from above and below, with viewing platforms that take in the falls, Kaaterskill thunders in spring and after rain, freezes into dramatic ice in winter, and is framed by brilliant color in the famous Catskill autumn. A storied and spectacular cascade in the mountains that inspired American landscape art, Kaaterskill Falls is a treasured natural icon of New York.

Kaaterskill Falls is enjoyed by hiking to its viewpoints — the trail from below to the base and the lower tier, and the trail and viewing platform from above (near Laurel House Road) that take in the full two-tiered cascade and the valley beyond — with the wider trail network of the Catskill Forest Preserve (including North-South Lake, the escarpment and the famous Catskill viewpoints) offering more hiking. Viewing and photographing the falls, and hiking the Catskill trails, are the draws. The combination of the spectacular two-tiered falls, the storied Hudson River School setting and the Catskill trails makes Kaaterskill a premier and beloved destination.

Spring and after heavy rain bring the fullest, most thunderous flow, while the famous Catskill autumn frames the falls in brilliant color (a legendary spectacle), summer offers lush green (though the flow can drop in dry spells), and winter transforms the falls into dramatic columns of ice (drawing ice climbers). The falls are most powerful in spring and after rain; the foliage peaks in October. Spring for the fullest falls and fall for the legendary color are the highlights; come early to find parking at the popular, limited trailheads, and take care on the trails in wet or icy conditions.

Kaaterskill Falls is one of the most storied natural sites in America — in the early 19th century it became a muse of the Hudson River School, the first great American art movement, painted by Thomas Cole and others, and celebrated by writers like Washington Irving and William Cullen Bryant as an emblem of the American sublime. The grand Catskill Mountain House resort nearby drew the fashionable to the falls and the famous escarpment views. Protected within the ‘forever wild’ Catskill Forest Preserve, Kaaterskill Falls preserves both the spectacular cascade and its rich place in American art and history, a treasured icon of New York.

Kaaterskill Falls plunges over the layered sandstones and shales of the Catskill Mountains — an ancient, deeply eroded plateau of sedimentary rock laid down by rivers some 350 million years ago — where the stream drops over harder rock layers in two great tiers, having carved the wooded amphitheater and glen below. The Catskills, though called mountains, are really a dissected plateau, and the streams cutting down through the flat-lying, alternating hard and soft layers create the region’s many tiered waterfalls and cloves. The layered Catskill rock and the down-cutting stream created the spectacular two-tiered falls.

The forested glen and Catskill slopes around Kaaterskill Falls host black bears, white-tailed deer, foxes, and a community of birds, including the raptors that soar along the Catskill escarpment, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, and the songbirds of the forest, while the cool, moist glen shelters salamanders, ferns and mosses, and the stream supports its own life. The forested mountains and the moist glen support varied wildlife. While the falls are visited above all for their beauty and history, the surrounding Catskill forest offers glimpses of the region’s wildlife in this storied and scenic setting.

Kaaterskill Falls lies within the ‘forever wild’ Catskill Forest Preserve, protecting a northern hardwood and hemlock forest ecosystem — the cool, moist glen with its ferns, mosses and shade-loving plants, the stream, and the surrounding Catskill slopes, spectacular in autumn color. The moist, shaded glen microclimate supports lush plant life, and the wider preserve protects the Catskill forests and watersheds (a vital source of New York City’s water). Protecting the stream’s water quality, the glen and the surrounding forest sustains both the ecology and the storied beauty of this treasured Catskill waterfall.

Kaaterskill Falls holds a treasured and storied place among the natural icons of New York and American culture — as a muse of the Hudson River School painters and the Romantic writers, it helped shape how Americans saw and valued their wild landscape, and stood among the first great tourist attractions in the nation. Spectacular, two-tiered and set in the famous Catskills, the falls embody both natural grandeur and a rich legacy in American art and literature. Kaaterskill Falls is a cherished icon of New York, the Catskills and the birth of American landscape painting.

Kaaterskill Falls is in the Catskill Mountains of New York, near the towns of Haines Falls and Palenville, off State Route 23A, about 30 minutes west of the Hudson River town of Catskill and within reach of the Hudson Valley. Access is free, but parking is limited at the trailheads (the Route 23A roadside, and the Laurel House Road lot for the upper viewing platform) and fills quickly. The trail from below and the trail and platform from above reach the falls; both involve hiking on rugged terrain. Roadside walking on 23A is dangerous. Check the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for trail access, parking and conditions before visiting.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation protects Kaaterskill Falls within the ‘forever wild’ Catskill Forest Preserve. Visitors help by staying on the designated trails and at the viewing platforms (people have died climbing on the wet, dangerous falls and ledges), never climbing on or around the falls, protecting the stream’s water quality, respecting the forest and wildlife, packing out everything (the site sees heavy use), and following the rules. Protecting the stream, the glen, the forest and the watershed sustains both the ecology and the storied beauty of this treasured Catskill waterfall, in the forest preserve that helps supply New York City’s water.

Kaaterskill Falls is beautiful but dangerous — the wet rock, ledges and the top of the falls are deadly slippery, and people have fallen to their deaths climbing on or near the falls, so stay on the designated trails and at the viewing platforms, never climb on the falls, the ledges or off-trail, and keep back from the edges and the brink. Supervise children very closely. The trails are rugged, steep and often wet; wear sturdy footwear. Avoid walking along the dangerous Route 23A roadway. In winter, the falls and trails are icy. Respect the barriers, the slippery rock and the deadly drops.

Access is free, but parking is limited to the designated lots and pullouts (do not park illegally on Route 23A). Stay on the designated trails and at the viewing platforms; do not climb on or around the falls, the ledges or off-trail. Camp only where permitted in the forest preserve (designated sites/below 3,500 feet, 150 feet from water/trails). Pets must be leashed. Carry out all trash. No glass. Drones are restricted. Prevent wildfire. Check the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for trail access, parking, forest-preserve rules and current conditions before visiting.

The Catskill towns of Haines Falls, Tannersville and Hunter, the North-South Lake area with its famous escarpment views, the Hudson River town of Catskill, the Thomas Cole and Olana historic sites (homes of the Hudson River School), and the wider Catskill and Hudson Valley region lie near the falls. The Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley define the region. Kaaterskill Falls anchors a storied and scenic region of the Catskills, a centerpiece of a New York adventure of waterfalls, mountain views and Hudson River School history, easily combined with North-South Lake and the Hudson Valley.

Hike to both viewpoints if you can — the trail from below to the base of the falls, and the trail and platform from above (off Laurel House Road) for the view of the full two-tiered cascade. Come in spring or after rain for the fullest, most thunderous flow, or in the famous Catskill autumn for brilliant color. Arrive early for the limited trailhead parking (and never walk along dangerous Route 23A). Wear sturdy footwear for the rugged, often-wet trails, stay on the trails and at the platforms (never climb the deadly falls), and pair your visit with the North-South Lake escarpment views.