One of the tallest waterfall in NY, similar height to Taughannock Falls. Physical requirement is…read moredifferent tho, Kaaterskill Falls has about 500foot of elevation change and a lot of slippery stone steps at the end, if you come here when the weather is still cold. Parking: most people park at the Laurel-House Road parking area, because it is the closest. Or you can park at Mountain Top Historical Society, the old train station, which an extra mile. Starting from the old railroad station is nice, you can still see some old tracks on the ground. Walk to the overlook is fairly easy, once you get to the start point of Lower falls junction, it is where you need to be prepared. I recommend hiking shoe, especially in colder months where the ground is wet and iced. When you reach to the stone steps, they can get slippery. I am surprised no one fell in late March. Half of the steps were cover in ice and people were wearing regular sneakers. Once you reach the base of the two tier falls, the view is tremendous. If water levels are high, you can feel the energy of the water. There is a lot of spray from the falls when you get close. There is short trail to the middle tier pool. It was iced up during winter, spikes will definitely be useful. The end was amazing too. So close to the lead of the waterfall. You can keep going and follow Escarpment trail and follow the edge of the valley. There is monument for fireman Frank Layman who died during firefighting in 1900, at his monument, you can see route 23A bend around mountain. And if you keep going, there are a couple viewpoint to overlook the valley. Nice break points to enjoy the view and rest your legs.

We did the ~1 mile hike to the upper falls from the Scutt Road parking lot. The hike is fairly…read moreeasy, though sections of the trail have a lot of rocks and roots. A few small hills, but not much elevation change. The viewing point gets quite crowded, so it's probably best to go during off peak times. We started out at 5:45pm and there were still lots of people there. Because it's been quite dry, the falls were not gushing, but still offered a satisfying steady stream. From the upper viewing point, you can see the hikers on the lower levels below. The lower hike winds around to the bottom pool of the falls, so it's kind of cool to see from above, almost like a mini Grand Canyon. It's worth the journey and the lower falls hike is probably quite nice too, but we didn't have time for it on this trip.

It took me three attempts over three days to make it all the way to the waterfall, but it was so…read moreworth it! I took this journey at the start of February, and there was tons of snow on the ground. On the first day, I arrived at the Massachusetts parking lot around 3 PM I figured I had a good two hours before sundown. I turned back after walking a short way down the trail because it was so steep, I thought I was going to tumble into the river. When I got back, I watched a video of someone hiking on the Massachusetts side, and I realized that the trail is normally full of stairs This makes sense because it's very steep and that's why it's so short but because of the snow, the stairs are covered up I would definitely not recommend using the Massachusetts side in the winter On the second day, I got to the New York parking lot around 2 PM. I made it about halfway down the much more gradual and scenic trail before I turned back. I turned back because the sun disappeared behind the mountain, and it was dark and windy On the third day, I got to the New York side at 11 AM. This time I realized that the top of the trail is just always dark and windy because it's in a corridor between two mountain peaks. So I pressed on. It took me about one hour to get to the end of the trail. I walked pretty slowly and stopped to look at nature a lot. If you are not someone who is super confident staying on the path in the forest, these are fairly easy trails because it's just a straight line the whole way there and you are following the river the whole time. I'm so glad I didn't give up because the falls are one of the most beautiful magical things I've ever seen Instead of water flowing down through the ice, it was snow and slush bursting through the sections of the frozen waterfall the water exploding into 1 million tiny snowflakes from the top to the bottom I plan to come back here in the summer with my kids and I think they will really love it.

Must see if you are in the area! Two parking lots -- one in NY and one in MA. We did the NY one…read morewhich leads up up a gradual, pretty easy hill about 20min until you reach the falls. Looks like the MA lot -- you go down a steep, shorter hill to reach the falls. Along the way you'll pass by a stream and an array of Fall leaves. When you reach the falls, there were many people who climbed the little railing and took the rocky steps down to the falls. It's worth it -- as it's beautiful and a great picture spot. Dog friendly too!

This park is worth a visit. There's a great view of the Hudson River and the valley. And there's a…read morenice playground for the kiddies. In the center of the top level you'll find a female statue who looks as if she's watching over the town's residents. Parking's plentiful in the adjacent lot so come check this park out!

The city of Hudson must make tons of money off expired parking meters. From out of town so expired…read moremeter is quite possible especially when man in pouring rain gives tickets to just expired meters and to small businesses right in front of their stores. Ticket was $8 plus $3.50 fee to pay online or phone. There are NO public parking lots. Great way to treat tourists who spend lots of $$$ in that town. Just beware when parking at meters--WHICH ARE EVERYWHERE!!

A short path up the hill to a gazebo type structure with breathtaking views of the mountains and an…read moreold silo.

This is an extremely good walk/hike. "Easy" in terms of difficulty, this trail starts off on an…read moreeasy 1/4-mile walk down a meandering crushed-gravel path to a wooden gazebo, then down some grassy hills to the Hudson River "lookout" point. From there, you can venture into the woods for a 3/4 to a mile "easy hike" surrounded by trees, trickling stream & a few furry animals, like squirrels & chipmunks, collecting acorns. Kid friendly, this is a great walk/hike for the whole family.

Dreamy any walk you choose to start on during any season. Beginner's level. Nice view of the Hudson.read more

Softball practice for my travel team is awesome here! I recommend the playground and swings!read more

I've been here multiple times for parties. They have two pavilions, one with a kitchen and its own…read morebathrooms. They've got a building that's used by the community for events. I really never walked the trails when I've come because I was there for events. With working from home during COVID I've been searching out places for my pup and I to go walk. The park has two trails, one at the north end and one south. The trails run along the Moordenerkill creek. The southern trail has shorter trails leading off of it. There's also a dirt road that seems to be a mile or so long that leads to the Miracle Field (baseball field for disabled people). They've got a new playground and even a dog park for town residents.

It's so hard to get outside and back in society with your children. This park was exceptional…read moreclean. People were respectful of personal space. 95% were masked. The other percentage involved hyperactive children and moms or nannies sitting in the shade with minimum social distance rules. It wasn't a big deal due to the large open space. Yet, it would be nice and polite that if you are not wearing a mask to keep it to your own space socially distant. The stars are primarily aimed at the quality of venue. Great park! Awesome spot for siblings as well.

One of the best fireworks conducted on the first weekend after 4th of July. The festivities were…read morecanceled over the last 2 years due to the pandemic. This year the festivities are back and with a bang. The place was crowded but not overly crowded. The park had food trucks, music, entertainment and games for kids. This use to be one of the best fireworks. The fireworks are still good and one of the best in the area. The view is closes compared to other fireworks I have been to. This is the only time of the year I visit this park.

This place is amazing to take a walk or a bike ride(keep in mind your type of bike)! I have never…read morecamped here as I live nearby, but it seems relatively quiet and calm. Nice boat launch, and it's great for kids!

We came here for a picnic on Father's Day and the weather was great. There was plenty of on-site…read moreparking near the water (convenient for boat launchers and picnic goers), and there were several pavilions for rent. A nice children's play area was also available, plus lots of grass for kicking a ball around. There were great views of the Hudson River as well as the highway and railroad bridge. Sadly, no trains went by while we were there. They have nice campgrounds which we drove by on the way in, which seemed isolated from each other and well designed. At least a couple of hiking trails were also observed. Well worth the $6 cover charge to get in.

Before you come here, if you want to hike behind the waterfalls, Indian Ladder Trail is closed…read moreduring the winter and through April due to ice. Other than that, all the trails are open and still fun to hike and enjoy the views. Also the state park is free during off season and much less traffic, which is a bonus. Luckily, I came in late March where most of the snow and ice has melted, and I could explore with regular hiking shoe. I did a loop at the Paint Mine trail. Maybe 2miles total. There are some small waterfalls there, fairly easy loop, no real elevation change. There are a couple overlooks at the park where you can see over the valley. If weather permits, you can see city of Albany at far away with a waterfall on the side. It was very foggy at my first day, so I had to go back again.

Today two friends and I visited the Nature Center to see a wildlife art show/exhibit. There were a…read morevariety of media: photography, felting, ink art, watercolors, acrylics and oil paintings and sculptures. The artists' pieces are beautiful. I was especially impressed with the paintings created on wild turkey feathers. Rarely do I head to Thacher State Park in March...I am so glad we did. I highly recommend viewing this art show now. It is running until March 29th. I look forward to returning to John Boyd Thacher State Park in warmer weather when the trails are open. Truly a treasure!