We visited the viewing platform at Kaaterskill Falls and it was absolutely worth it. It's just a…read moreshort, easy walk from the parking area, which made it super accessible. The path was peaceful and quiet, especially on a cold, out-of-season snowy day. The falls themselves are stunning. Between the rushing water, the crisp winter air, and the snow-falling it created such a calming, almost magical atmosphere. Definitely a must-see, even if you're just stopping by the platform for a quick visit like we did.

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.

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.

Wow, talk about a beautiful drive to get here! Completely isolated with the surrounding town…read morebringing you to the past. The narrow zig-zag roads getting here from the east are a blast to drive on. Taking the devil's path is no joke if you're doing the whole trail. Highly suggest packing light for the hike. Totally regretted my 35lb backpack setup. The elevation spikes and drops will put your knees and ankles to the test. The look out points are gorgeous. Each one deserves to be taken in during a break. The biodiversity is incredible here. You'll notice the nature changes at different points of the hike. Including the areas casted in darkness from the dense trees. The next drinkable source of water from the beginning is a far distance so make sure you pack accordingly. The devils tombstone is the halfway point which is where most people set up camp. Cant harp enough... snacks, snacks, snacks. Stay safe if you choose to part take on this hike! One of the best hikes I've been on.

The infamous Devils Path! This trail is infamous for being extremely difficult. Is Devils Path…read moredifficult? No and yes! For any experienced hiker doing any of the shorter trails it is fairly straight forward and I'd say fairly easy (for an experienced hiker). What makes DP extremely hard or difficult is when you attempt the entire length in one day. You go up and down five mountains throughout the trip and while any experienced hiker will say going down the mountains can be worst than going up, after you are on your way up the 5th mountain doing DP you will welcome downhill really fast. LOL! I hiked Devils Path with a group of 4 strong experienced hikers for a day trip. We started at Prediger Road, left a car in the middle of our planned route at Stony Clove Notch and finally we left car at our end target Spruceton parking lot. We had lunch at Stony Clove where we refilled our water supplies with the water spout we found there. We assessed our personal abilities and decided we were all in excellent shape and able to keep pressing forward to complete our goal to finish DP in one day. Best advice I can give anyone that is daring to attempt this in a single day is (1) be experience with the distance having done at least 15 miles minimum in the past and (2) bring FOOD, lots of food (leave the diet at home). Also, plan a bail out point in case you realize the distance is too great for you. Devils Path to me isn't so much a hard trail to do but it most certainly is a trail that will test your endurance to the max! My group did car spotting at 4:30am, started our journey about 6:30am and completed the full trail about 6:45pm just before sunset. Would I do this again? Probably not but I am proud to be in the small percentage of people to have completed this in a single day. The sense of accomplishment is resounding. I COMPLETED DEVILS PATH IN ONE DAY!! Woohoo!! :o)

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.

This arboretum is free to enter. It has several walking trails with distinct trees in each section…read more The East Meadow takes you through pine alley and was sunny and grassy. The Hemlock Trail was dense with trees and most of the trail was covered in roots. It led to the Hidden Marsh, which had a nice little boardwalk to walk out into the bright, vast marsh. We also checked out Woodlands Walk, which was a short set of loops, with fun little signs that told a cute children's story along the way. There were a few signs on the trails, but there wasn't quite as much information about the trees and plants as I would have expected. Still, it was great for a stroll and some sections felt like easy hiking, so it's a very pleasant place to wander for a few hours.

Mhew! This place is ok if you want to kill time and take a stroll in the woods. While I do…read moreunderstand the term "arboretum" means various trees and plants, I hoped to see some flowers in the mix. I've been to other arboretums in NYS and they have flowers that add to the appeal of visiting these places. I stopped in to kill time since I was early for checking into my camp site nearby. This arboretum had a few miles of trails with various facts about the trees and plants they care for. If you visit be sure to donate to help the staff maintain the property. While it didn't blow me away I do understand and appreciate the hard work that goes into maintaining places like this.

Really super popular hiking spot! Please don't hang off the edge of the viewpoint for a "cool"…read morepicture because heaven forbid you fall to your death the rangers will take their time for the recover since it's highly unlikely you'd survive the fall. I see way too many tourists comfortably sitting on the view point ledge until they slip and tragedy strikes. Enjoy the photo op responsibly, pretty please with sugar on top! As for the actual hike I agree with the few reviews posted up that this is a fairly easy hike because just about all the elevation happens in the first 3/4 mile up. Once you make it to the halfway point and turn left on the blue trail the rest is fairly flat up till Giant Ledge. If you go further on to Panther Mountain you do take a small dip down into the valley toward Panther and you go back up to the peak of Panther. Honestly, unless you have the desire to hike ALL 33 catskill peaks there is no reason to visit Panther in my opinion. Giant ledge has the better view. WATER, bring plenty of water in the summer because the water source with the big ass sign on the trail about a mile up almost never has water flowing because I have yet to even find the darn source the several times I've been up there so I'd consider that water source unreliable so pack water.

Absolutely stunning for a sunrise hike. My friends and I have done this for the past two years…read morearound mid October. Get to the trailhead at 5 AM and spend the next hour and a half climbing to the peak to see sunrise. Excellent bang for your buck Hike. I think it's only like a one and a half mile track, but it's the elevation that gives difficulty. Check out my photos and videos. I highly recommend this.

Such a beautiful place for nature walk. Great place to bring your dog. Serene rivers and benches…read morealong the path to rest and retreat. Parking is right at the start of the trail, I had no problems finding a spot. Definitely check this place out if your looking for a moment to relaxation.

This place is amazing- highly recommend it ! Such a beautiful, scenic and relaxing walk. The path…read moreis in impeccable condition and it is beautifully manicured between natures wildflower landscape. My husband and I as well as our dog loved this path. There is water along the path and beautiful bridges to cross.

Lake is amazing, beautiful and pet friendly. Go early as the sunbathing/swimming area fills up fast…read more. Well worth the trip

Love going here. Such a nice place. Dog friendly if your…read moredog is well behaved. Some people don't watch their dogs and the run wild but it's been getting better.

The Hunter "hiking" trail is a really nice trail to hike. All the photos of ski lifts and crap on…read morethis listing is misleading because there are no ski lifts that you can stand beneath and take photos of. You "might" be able to see the ski resort from the Hunter firepower but I've always hiked this in the winter or fall so I never was able to make out the ski resort. There is a ski resort nearby but it's not on this hiking trail. If you hike the loop and want to capture the three Catskill peaks on this trail you are looking at about a 12 mile hike total. This is an uphill hike (counter clockwise) probably until you hit Hunter mountain (fire tower) then it's fairly flat making your way downhill past Rusk but if you opt to include Rusk into your hike be prepared to go straight up because that sucker is straight up hill (no switchbacks). For an all day hike for the average hiker it's a really nice hike.

I created this Hunter Mountain hiking trail yelp to distinguish it from Hunter Mountain and all the…read moreskiing/other activities there. We wanted to check out some hiking while up in Hunter for a birthday and scoured the web to find a trail that might offer us some views, good exercise, and be dog friendly. It seemed this location might fit the bill based on the little info I found out there. First of all, to get here it's about a 30 minute drive from the town of Hunter. You'll basically be hiking up the rear side of the mountain, with many opportunities to customize the route as you'd like! The drive is beautiful along many back roads with fantastic views and a peek inside what it might be like to live a little bit off the grid. You'll follow Spruceton Road to nearly where it dead ends and there will be three parking lots. I'd recommend parking in the first one (largest) as it's the starting point for the majority of the trails. The other lots are smaller and offer you a starting point for some other trails. A disclaimer: this set of trails is commonly described as the "easiest" way of getting up to Hunter and that may be true, but in no way is the an easy hike! Plan to be walking uphill for 1.5-2 miles and for a steep incline...you'll feel the burn up and down! The trail is very well marked and easy to follow, mostly composed of gravel and grass. Very dog friendly and most fluffy friends we saw were off leash. The first two things you'll note on your hike come about 2 miles in, first is a spring (you can actually fill your water bottles here, so clean) and shortly thereafter, you'll catch a small sign for the lean to. A great place for a rest, lunch, view, or fire. We enjoyed our lunch here and took some pictures. There's also an outhouse here where you can take care of any business. From here, you can opt to head back down (4.8 mile total hike), proceed to colonels row (an extra mile each way out and back to the top of where the ski lifts land), or up to the summit and tower (an extra 1.3 mile each way). All are great options, just plans on your level of fitness and interest! Views from fire tower are fantastic on a clear day!

This was my first hike in NY State. The day was perfect. It was mostly flat with a bit of steep…read moreareas. We stopped to see the falls but there want much "falls". We got to an area that has the natural pool, but the water was freezing. There were loads of families, enjoying their food and of course quality time. I'd definitely do this hike again.

I generally don't find myself deep into the Catskills, until yesterday, but boy was I psyched when…read moreI stopped in for a moment to take a picture or two. Going in, all I could think about was the Catskill Mountains seen in the background and just how high I was. Sitting on top of that mountain (inside my car, that is; I wouldn't be dumb enough to do it any other way), is this mountain range with State land and great photo-op spot. When I saw the deep gorge followed by huge mountain in back of that, all my mind could think about (and I don't advise anyone trying this) is "has anyone ever thrown something intentionally off the ledge into the gorge, just to see how deep it is?" I had noticed a few pieces leading up to the placard explaining the park, but otherwise, no problems exist. Although I never really had a problem with parking, it's only a small park and ride spot over on the side of the road. However, when I got there, I got the best view in the house; I had a nice clear view of the Catskills in front of me, though trying to take a pic, I had to exit my car (due to the nature of my type of picture being iPhone-Panoramic. It's still a great view. I just wouldn't have the guts to head to the placue except for on my iPhone's camera and can read about it online instead. Thanks.