Some links on this page are affiliate links. Unplugged Cabins is our sister brand.

Checked October 19, 2026, against the NYS DEC Kaaterskill Wild Forest page. Rules and parking can change, so check DEC before you drive.

Kaaterskill Falls drops about 260 feet in two tiers, which makes it one of the tallest waterfalls in New York. Thomas Cole painted it in 1826. Today the easy way in is from the top, on Laurel House Road, where a gravel path leads to a viewing platform above the falls.

At a glance

• Distance: 0.3 mile one way from the Laurel House Road lot to the viewing platform. About 0.7 mile one way to the lower pools at the base.
• Difficulty: easy to the platform (firm crushed stone, typical grade 7%, max about 10%, wheelchair accessible). Moderate to the base: a moderately steep descent with long runs of stairs, and the climb back up.
• Hours: the Forest Preserve is open year-round. DEC regulations close the Kaaterskill Clove riparian area at night; see the rules below.
• Fee: free. South Lake parking is inside North-South Lake Campground and may carry a day-use fee.
• Dogs: DEC’s Kaaterskill page does not list a dog rule for the falls. Keep yours leashed and check with DEC Region 4 before you bring one.
• Facilities: a seasonal portable toilet at the Laurel House Road lot.
• Hazards: flash floods can hit the falls and the Clove. Be ready to move to higher ground.

Where to park

• Laurel House Road (off North Lake Road, about half a mile before the North-South Lake Campground entrance). The shortest, accessible route to the platform. This is the lot to aim for.
• Scutt Road (off North Lake Road just before the campground entrance). Follow the blue Escarpment Trail south; sign in at the register at 0.5 mile, then cross the Spruce Brook bridge to the platform.
• South Lake (inside the campground). Walk about 200 meters down South Lake Road to the yellow access trail, then pick up the blue Escarpment Trail.
• Not Route 23A. No pull-off parking in the Clove from May through October. Cars get towed.

The rules

DEC has special regulations for the Kaaterskill Falls area:

• No alcohol, fires, grills, propane stoves, generators, radios or glass containers.
• Do not enter the water within 150 feet upstream of the top of the falls.
• Stay at least 6 feet from cliff edges unless you are on a marked trail.
• Stay out of areas signed as restricted.

In the wider Kaaterskill Clove riparian area the same bans apply, the area is closed at night (DEC’s wording ties it to half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset), and Fawn’s Leap beside Route 23A has a restricted zone: stay 15 feet back from the cliff edges above it.

Gear

The stairs to the base stay wet from spray and ice up early. In shoulder season and winter, a pair of microspikes or traction cleats earns its place in the pack.

Make a day of it

The falls are on the Mountaintop, a few minutes from Tannersville and Hunter. Our Tannersville field guide is the closest base, the Hunter field guide covers the rest of the mountain, the Windham field guide goes further up 23, and Catskill waterfalls and the best places to hike in the Catskills have more to chase.

Where to stay near Kaaterskill Falls

Further out: we are building Juniper Ridge, a tiny cabin near Jefferson, NY. It is not open yet. Join the list to hear when it is.