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.

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

Falling waters is a good, easy going trail for novices and walkers. Located off 9W, it's pretty…read moreeasy to get to. As the name would suggest, there's a few small waterfalls along both ends of the trail which are pretty and good for kids. Rainfall has been be decent for them to really be going, and even at their heaviest they're not too crazy (this is not Kaaterskill). It's also right on the Hudson River, so you get good views too. If you want just a quick walk or you have a stroller, the way down to the water is the way to go (yes, you still get the obligatory waterfall). If you take the longer path, you get the bigger waterfall, sweeping views of the Hudson, and also steep up/down hills along the water. Either way this should take terribly long and isn't far from civilization, so it's a good option for families.

Beautiful peaceful place to hike. I love the scenery, it's history. Convenient location.read more

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 hidden gem located about 2 1/2 hours away from NYC. It's a beautiful water fall where you…read morecan swim and spend the day enjoying the nature Note that they recently implemented a system in which you need to get a pass to go in the weekends to prevent overcrowd. Please check the link below for details. The water, however, is very cold even during summer months so be prepared. GPS coordinates to get there: +41 54.902, -74 25.735 You can find further details in: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/109922.html

Love hiking here! If…read moreyou're in this part of the Catskills, I highly recommend this trail. It's easily accessible and an easier hike to do. The trail is well-groomed and very walkable. There aren't any scrambles or large boulders, which is good.. The view from the top is pretty epic, and the fire tower which has been closed every time I've hiked the mountain has great views too. I would highly recommend this hike.

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.

Lake Taghkanic State Park is an expansive area with a pavillion, large beach, water activities,…read moreboat rentals, picnic tables, tent, trailer and RVcampsites; hiking, biking, crosscounty and snowmobile trails; short and long term rental cottages yearround. The park area is about a mile off the Taconic Highway in a relatively secluded area of Columbia County in New York State. Beautiful spot for a day visit or cabin rental for a summer vacation with the family.

Updated Review: For the beach area only…read more Yinz already know I love this campground. This past weekend I returned just for the lake for a Fat Beach Swim with my plus size hiking group and it was soooo fun! I snagged parking right by the lake, it was super clean, and the crowds were lovely. I felt super comfortable as a Black woman and as a fat person. Very diverse beachgoers. Our crew - over 20 of us! - set up tents, beach umbrellas, tables, coolers, etc. and all of our stuff was safe while we swam. Lifeguards and rangers were unobtrusive. The roped off area went back to a good 7 ft deep so it was easy to wade or actually swim. Bathrooms were very clean and I heard good reports about the concession stand. Tips: -$10 to enter -There was a Statie checkpoint set up as soon as I pulled in at 2pm. Seatbelts and sobriety so don't get caught lacking. -the sand and exposure gets hot hot hot so bring flip flops, sunglasses, and a hat. Enjoy yourself!!

A peaceful, pristine, little bit of paradise on a hot summer's day. The water is so crisp and cool…read more Parking is limited and the walk down can be a bit for some, .20 miles down a rocky incline, but once you get here it's worth it. This is a take in/take out facility-please take your trash with you. No public facilities so plan accordingly. This is NATURE, enjoy

Whether it's a full swim, wet our toes or be near water (even in winter), hubs is forever finding…read moreany body of water to explore. I had read about Big Deep- but we never found it in all the years we've visited Woodstock, NY until the Summer of '22. Big Deep reminded me of the movie, 'The Beach'. Wait up though- this is a much smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller and rugged version of the movie and a farrrrrrrrrr stretch from that lush and tropical beach setting. So paradise, is not. At its best, Big Deep is only (and I mean only) a patch of some water (a lot of it has receded), lots of trees blocking the Sun and a bunch of rocks. Get some legit water sandals to avoid walking bare feet on rocks, scraping your skin- otherwise, pray you don't break a toe. Don't drive too fast or you'll miss it. Big Deep has designated paved drivable entrance and exit paths. After you're parked, it's a trek on more paved paths to get to 'the beach', lake or whatever you wanna call it. I'm not glorifying Big Deep- but it is secluded in its own bizarre way. Some blogs have mentioned this may be/will be closed off. If you feel like you want to put up with this scene, by all means. It's $0 to get in (from the last time we were here).

My boyfriend and I were in Kaaterskill Falls for our annual hike at the Rail Trail, when we…read morediscovered Saugerties Lighthouse. I don't even know how to be honest. But we like to drive around getting lost a lot, which is how we discover most places. The entrance is a little hidden, small parking lot. The trail is full of greenery. There is a mixture of bridges and dirt paths. Also we noticed little figurines hidden along the way. They are very cute! The views on the way to the lighthouse were as stunning as of the lighthouse alone. At some point you have to walk over the water - so it is wise to look at the tide schedule so you don't get wet or trapped. The lighthouse is dipped in history that you can read on their website (saugertieslighthouse.com). It is truly an incredible little place. I read there are tour and you can even stay there overnight! We definitely want to do either one or both in the near future. It was definitely an amazing find, which we will incorporate into our annual visits. Breathtaking location. The volunteers are doing a great job maintaining it. Definitely made for a memorable visit.

This place is really cool! There aren't any other lighthouses that I know of in the immediate area…read moreof the Hudson Valley that is accessible on foot (without a boat). During the week the lighthouse deck is open so you can walk to the back deck to enjoy this place up close but on the weekends the deck is closed to guests that might be staying the night. You can actually lodge at the lighthouse which is even cooler than just visiting the outside. The walk to the base of the lighthouse is an easy walk but don't arrive too late because the tide could be really high making the walk likely very muddy or very wet to pass. Parking area is super small so arrive early to ensure parking or you'll have to wait in your car for a spot to open up. I wouldn't advise parking on the grass of the adjacent coast guard property since there are signs that say come back if there is no parking likely implying "If you park here you will be towed" but signs don't explicitly say that so beware if you park outside lot.

I think this may be my favorite state park within a short driving distance from my home. There are…read moreso many hiking trails of different levels, and carriage road trails too! And the views are amazing, plus there are a bunch of waterfalls! While it does get crowded, especially in the parking lots, I find the hiking trails to be a little less crowded than the parks that are a little closer to NYC. Even though I am not a rock climber I do also enjoy seeing the climbers out there doing their thing.

This is my eighth review of MSPP, and each one has been 5 stars. Today was no different. Came by w…read morebest friend, Pots & Pans AKA, The Missing Ink. We had designs on hiking to Lake Awosting and swimming, but today was very hot and humid w the only breeze coming from fluttering butterfly wings. Plus LA is over an 8-mile round-trip. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we looped around Lake Minnewaska (about 2 miles), and rewarded ourselves w a very refreshing dip in that lake. Beautiful scenery as well. Please remember to leave no trace (carry out what you carry in). Also, good idea to bring bug spray as this is black fly season. Sunscreen as well. 5 scenic, refreshing stars