Kaaterskill Falls — 260ft Tiered in New York

Kaaterskill Falls is a 260-foot tiered waterfall in Greene County, New York, reached by a moderate hike over 2.6 miles.

Kaaterskill Falls is the 260-foot two-tiered waterfall in New York's Catskill Mountains — historically one of the most-painted American waterfalls, central to the Hudson River School of 19th-century landscape painting (Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church). The 2.6-mile loop trail accesses both the upper and lower falls overlooks via the Laurel House Road trailhead. Significant trail upgrades in 2016 added a wooden viewing platform at the top of the falls. Fall foliage (mid-October to early November) is the most-photographed Catskills experience, and Kaaterskill is the marquee waterfall.

What to expect

Drive Highway 23A from the Hudson Valley into the Catskills. Park at the Laurel House Road lot (improved parking after 2016 trail upgrades). The 2.6-mile loop trail visits the upper viewing platform first, then descends to the base of the lower falls. Moderate hiking with stairs and rock surfaces. The viewing platform at the upper falls is fenced (multiple deaths from falls before the fencing — stay behind it). Best in fall foliage and after spring rain. Pair with North-South Lake State Park or the Catskill Mountain House site.