Great visit to Kaaterskill Falls on Wednesday, October 7, 2026…read more Decided to visit mid-week to avoid the crowds as it approached peak fall colors...I think October 7th was a bit too early...another week or so would have been better for colors. I have read that the Main Trailhead Lot (Laurel House Road), closest to the waterfall trails, fills up quickly during the fall. I arrived there at 8:30am and was the 9th car in the 40-50-capacity parking lot. When I left at 11:30am, the lot was full and staff was routing visiting from the main road (North Lake Road) to the Scutt Road parking lot...which is a bit further away from the falls. Once parked, the fall viewing platform was a short 0.1 mile walk. It offers some lovely views of the falls from higher up. From there, the walk to the lower falls was about 0.5 miles, but be advised that there are lots of steps (over 300) to get from the top of the falls to the bottom of the falls. You can walk even further from the base of the falls, along Spruce Creek, toward Route 23A and you will get to Bastion Falls. Since I arrived earlier, there were too many people on the trails...which made picture-taking a lot easier. I suspect the crowds increase as the area approached peak fall colors and on the weekends...so plan accordingly. The falls were great...I actually preferred the lower falls viewing area, for its consistent lighting and heavier waterfall flow. The upper was very high but the flow wasn't as heavy. The park is well-maintained with efficient trail marking and directional signage throughout. Free to park and enter the park/waterfall area. Port a potties in parking lot...are as clean as you can expect from a popular public parking port a potty.

Be prepared, the trail down to the falls is very long and while its quite easy going down ,getting…read moreback up is a definitely a treck. It's so worth it though. If however you decide not to go down to the bottom, there is a viewing platform . The waterfall pressure/flow can vary depending on when you visit. Heavy after rain or less during the summer months. Swimming is allowed in the basin , the water is cold . The fall and parking are free in designated parking lots. There was a porta potty in tje lot we parked in. Not sure if there's one in each parking lot though. Don't park anywhere along the roads as you will get ticketed and/or towed. Arrive early aa the parking lots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Personally I wouldn't do this trail on a rainy day especially if you're a beginner. Lots of stepping stones that can be slippery when wet. Other than that it's one of the most beautiful trails I've been on.

This place is absolutely amazing! I've hiked all the Catskills mountains three times over through…read morethe years and I had never been to overlook because there was no reason to but I had heard so much about this location I just had to visit and satisfy my curiosity on why this place is so popular. First off the parking lot is medium sized and parking on the road (even off the road) is risky because certain spots you are not allowed to park so arrive early, get a legit parking spot and save yourself the wasted trip or the hassle of returning to your vehicle to a ticket or it completely gone (towed). The hike up and back for Overlook is approximately 5 miles so everyone is spot on mentioning the distance. It's fairly steep all the way up and while you don't have any views on the way up, you do encounter some old ruins which is a neat break along the way. Once you do make it to the top you are met with a small shed that has some very minor historical information inside and on peak weekends you'll find stewards that can assist with information about the area and hiking tips. The fire tower can't be missed to the left after the small shed and the view is to the right of the shed. I have to say, I've been atop many mountains and it's been a long while since I've had my breath taken away but when I saw the view at Overlook it was breath taking. What made the view so beautiful and different than other mountains I've hiked is that the view is expansive with no mountains obstructing so you can see as far as the eyes can see. It's truly a remarkable view being so high up and seeing so far out. This mountain is known for its rattlesnake population. Sadly I never got to see one because I always hike in the early morning hours and they normally come out at around high noon when the sun is the hottest.

Hiking is definitely a love-hate relationship! This mountain goes UP--and I mean all the way up…read more There are barely any flat or straight sections, so you're constantly climbing, weaving around corners, and then going back down just to do it all over again. I had to take frequent breaks to catch my breath because the climb was no joke. And honestly, the tower was probably the scariest part for me. The views from the top were absolutely beautiful, but I had to go up quickly and come back down just as fast because my fear was kicking in! Before tackling the mountain, we also walked a different trail, which was already exhausting. So by the time we started the climb, my legs were definitely feeling it. But once you finally reach the ruins and the tower, it all feels worth it. The scenery and views are honestly incredible, and it's such a beautiful place to see. Just be prepared: before you reach the top, you may question every life decision that brought you there!

Absolutely gorgeous for Massachusetts Painful in the feet so…read moreuse your hands Don't actually go to the waterfall go off to the side there is less people, a lazy river effect, and just a bit more relaxing, if you place your back to the current!!!!

I almost don't want to write a review for this conservation area because then it could become…read moreinundated with people. Simply put, you don't have to walk very far for some incredible views. We visited right after a heavy summer rainstorm so the trail right down to the falls was a bit hard to traverse (high water, slippery rocks, etc) but it was worth the treachery. But you don't have to hitch yourself down to get the full magic of these falls, you can also go for a slightly longer walk to see them at eye level. If you're visiting close to the Hudson area, a visit to the High Falls Conservation Area should be on your list! Then grab a drink in town.

This place is NOT overrated, it is in fact very beautiful , BUT, make sure you are aware of the…read morechallenge is requires to see it, we went on a day that was so busy that permit on hand or not you were turned away by the police, there was no place to park, the WHOLE set up is terrible, i think they want it not to work so people stop coming... we came back the next day it was a tuesday and it was decent , not too hard to find parking, keep in mind you have to walk 15-20 minutes from the closest parking spot to the swimming hole, if you cant find a spot there your walk just gets longer and longer if you find a spot on the fartherst lot you can be sure youre wallking an hour at least to the hole. The whole this is disorganized , no signs , you dont know where the hole actually is , so you can be close or miles from it ..... no one is happy to help or explain anything, You ARE required a permit for any day not just weekends, having someone there checking permits during the week is another story, but you are required one and if you dont have if and get caught they will send you home. crazy ugly people from new york, weird people in for sure , do not leave your belongings unattended, nobody gives a damn about the environment , and they leave trash all over the place , unreal really, BUT there are NO trash bins anywhere so , that doesnt help it, but bring a trash bag to put your trash in and youre good. The hole itself is beautiful , a must see, but the water made my body burnt as i walked out after 2 minutes inside, you WILL freeze and die if you stay long, you lose sense of your movements and breathing becomes impossible, just jump swim a bit and get out . overall we didnt regret going, but its one of those things youd do once in your life , not worth the hassle to do it again.

I love this place I beg to go and I love it more than the pool and beach…read more Nice big beautiful Place to go to and quite

This is a well under rated waterfall hike in the Catskill…read more We mistaken took the Overlook trail thinking that there is a "overlook" for the waterfall. I was wrong. We did found some stone made into chairs on one of the walk out. That was really cool. Took a little break there and enjoyed the cool wind. Was nice. After finding out that there was no Overlook to yhe waterfall, we head back to the start and took a left this time, the Waterfall trail. It was a ln easy hike down. A good 5-10 minutes down. If it rained before, it could be a messy down as the trail is not paved. It is a little slope down as well but not that bad. We stayed there for a long time enjoying the waterfall cause there was really not alot if people and after at last we actually had the waterfall to ourselves. Though the parking lot was small. You just basically pull your car over to the side. Just try to avoid the "No Parking" signs and you good to go. I pick this waterfall to go then the Kaaterskill as it's very crowed and there was a wait to park to car.

A group of sister friends and I decided to do a hike to Huckleberry point. There are many trails…read moreas you can see in my first photo ( more in other parts of the park). It took us an an hour from the Latham area it was a great drive down the Thruway on to 87 and we exitEd on to exit 21 from there you have to pay attention to the go's because there is a number of twist and turns. Parking is a bear. The parking lot is small and not enough room for all of the hikers. A number of drivers had to park on the side of the road. You have to be careful because drivers on that stretch of Platte Clove Road are driving quite fast. The climb is up most of the way and narrows and the elevation from the parking lot to the top is 644 ft. It gets quite muddy in spots and you have to cross a creek so waterproof hiking boots are recommended. There are many spots where there are steady inclines so you have to be prepared for that. The beauty of the park and nature was beautifully overwhelming for me yesterday. The many cascading waterfalls and the sounds of nature were refreshing and peaceful. You need to bring water and fuel for the ascending and descending. I'm looking forward to my next hike. You need to be carefully looking for the trail markers. There were spots you really had to search for them when the path wasn't as obvious. The park need to put a bit more in.

Walk,bike, take a wheelchair and enjoy this free public resource. Like the public library, it's…read morethere for the taking. And wonderful.

Although this rail trail was billed as being paved, calling it paved is a misnomer & it's a good…read morething our bikes could handle it because it is actually an all-gravel trail. We parked at the Woodstock-Dike Trailhead & the views of the reservoir & surrounding hills near there are beautiful, as is the fresh smelling air & green, green trees. Most areas you pass are pretty, such as wooded hillsides that slope down towards the reservoir, sounds of birds, lots & lots of forested spaces, a small residential area with KEEP OUT signs & small streams of water running alongside the trail. Tons of chipmunks crossing the trail. We saw lots of walkers, a few, fellow bikers & stopped briefly at a few of the large signs that tell of the history of how the reservoir was created as well as the rail trail. We misunderstood & thought this was a loop trail going all the way around the reservoir, but we were wrong. It only skirts the northern side of it, so we rode 8 of the 11 miles, turned around & ultimately rode 16 miles total. Good, bumpy, gravelly ride. Good signage, good parking, benches one the side of the trail as well as distance markers.

DO NOT SWIM HERE -- This lake is known locally as Snake Lake. Water snakes and copperheads are…read morenumerous. There are also snapping turtles. The water quality is also low sure to a nearby quarry.

When you get there, you can drive on the gravel road until it dead-ends into a parking lot with a…read moreporta potty. If that lot is full then you can park in the one that's right off route 28. The trail is nicely shaded. We saw orange newts galore. It had just rained the night before so it was a little muddy in spots. We hiked the yellow loop trail and it was perfect for kids ranging in ages 7 to 13. Very scenic. We left in the early afternoon when the sun came out. Many others were just getting there to swim in the lake.

This cave is actually Fulmer mine area. Enjoy the hike up the mountain. Extremely hot, that day so…read morewe stood at the mouth of the cave to cool down! Area known for being a source of hematite. Will hike around the area again as there are several trails to hike. Delaware river is at the base and got a nice view of tubers enjoying the river along the way. We'll have to try that too sometime.

Great hike! I would recommend this hike to everyone. Very nice views. We did the whole loop and was…read moreworth it

Nice easy hike Gorgeous anytime of year…read moreThe Hannacroix creek is a beauty there trails to explore and two main entrances!

So much for the "creek," because it was a full-on raging river during our recent first visit…read more Firstly, the trails here are mostly not wheelchair accessible, and the heavy rainfall in the week prior caused many parts of the trails a tad treacherous to navigate. Still, a nature preserve gets extra love from me because I love nature, and I'm grateful for efforts to protect and preserve natural spaces like this. Parking is aplenty, trails are colour-coded, and some of the trails are gravely, which is not my favourite type. The old paper mill site so close to the water's edge was an unexpected treat and I appreciate its historical connection. I look forward to a revisit.