Kaaterskill Falls is very beautiful and worth visiting especially during the Spring. There are two trail heads for this hike which gives you more options. The first one goes to Bastion Falls and it is the easier hike. I see a lot of beginners and tourists go to this hike since it is very beautiful. I recommend going here during the Spring when the waterfall is at its fullest or finest. The waterfall decreases in power or amount of water it puts out as the months go by.
Kaaterskill Falls Hike Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1, Trail Map 2
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2 Miles Or 2.5 Miles
Elevation Gained: 600 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Yes
Trail Breakdown
Bastion Falls Hike
Bastion Falls – 0.1 miles
Yellow Trail To Lower Falls – 1 mile
Lower Falls To Upper Falls – 0.1 miles
Viewing Platform Hike
Trail To Viewing Platform
Bridge
Intersection
Upper Falls
Lower Falls
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2219617988
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Hike With Bastion Falls
42.189984, -74.074101
Hike With Viewing Platform
42.196098, -74.063123
Start Of The Hike – Bastion Falls
It was a nice day to go hiking as I felt the rain pour down on my head. The water droplets darkened the highway, and soaked into my pants and shirt. Not a part of me was dry as I reached the start of the trail. Yup, it was a beautiful day and I may even say that today was perfect.
Trail Head
The sun peeked momentarily from the dark clouds as I reached the trail head. But it hid again as more and more droplets of rain began splattering on the ground. Various hikers were already leaving the place and they all looked happy as I passed them by. The views and the waterfall must had been awesome or else they would look gloomy from this type of weather.
Bastion Falls
The roar of Bastion Falls could be heard even from a far. Its might and fury could not be ignored as all hikers and even people in vehicles passing by couldn’t help but look at its glory. The water flowed endlessly with the rain giving the waterfall a boost. The water hit the rocks and stones with the ferocity of a dragon as the sound echoed all through out my surroundings.
Bastion Falls From The Bottom
I stared at the waterfall, looking at its awesomeness and sheer might. I tried to get as close as possible to the bottom while thinking of my safety. My fingers gripped the cold, wet and slippery rocks and I knew that I couldn’t get any further as the water vapors and rain made the stones too dangerous to stand upon. It was a good day to visit this place as any other time, this waterfall would probably have been dry due to the lack of water. However, today it was flowing magnificently partly because of the rain.
Bastion Falls From Top
I took one last look before moving on. The plants and trees that surrounded the waterfall made it looked even more beautiful. This land was a great piece of nature and I hope that it stays that way for a long time. I was certain that if people give this place a little respect, more and more people would be able to come here and enjoy this waterfall for a very long time.
Yellow Trail
Flat and even, the soft ground of the yellow trail was such a treat to walk upon. Surrounded by small bushes, tall trees and a river flowing at the side, made this trail very tourist and beginner friendly. The river was loud and could be heard always as I walked the yellow trail but the sound was drowned out by voices and laughter of other hikers passing me by. There was something about hiking that made people happy as all I could see were cheerful smiles with bright and loving eyes from people that were heading back to the parking lot.
Kaaterskill Falls – Lower Falls
The rain drizzled over the landscape, mixing together with the mist that the waterfall produced, covering my surroundings with water as everything looked wet and slippery. I wanted to get closer but found many signs telling hikers not to cross and trespass. I still found a few people who were daring and went to parts of this place they shouldn’t have. As for me, I’ve read way too many articles of people dying at these waterfalls to even consider going to places I shouldn’t go to.
Kaaterskill Falls – Bottom
I had always thought that nature was very beautiful and this day was no different even with the drizzling rain. The rain may have even assisted and helped made this land become more beautiful as the water flowed marvelously more so today than any other day that I had been here. The drizzling rain did not bother me one bit as I was wearing a rain jacket that kept my upper body dry and a quick-drying a pair of hiking pants.
Stairs To The Top
A few people put their hands on their waist as I notice their body breathing heavily as they try to climb the stairs. They were tired and worn out. Going up a steep hill like this even though it had stairs was still tough on their unconditioned bodies. I walked passed a few people while they drag their bodies to the top while some sat at the side as they try to rest for a few minutes. The stairs weren’t that hard but I can see why people who were not physically fit would have problems getting up to the top of this place.
Kaaterskill Falls – Upper Falls
The top part was like a big round crater with one part overlooking a valley and at the opposite of it was a waterfall. The mountain wind blew fiercely on this part of the mountain, sending airborne water droplets from the waterfall, all over the place. I tried to take a picture but the lens on my camera kept getting filled with water as such most of the pics that I took were blurry.
End Of The Hike
Getting back to the parking lot was rather easy as most of the trail was either flat or downhill. The rain was still drizzling, wetting my jacket, pants and my hiking boots. As much as I wanted to stay and take more pictures, I knew that it was time to leave and maybe eat at a restaurant. It was a good day for a hike, a bit rainy but such weather conditions made the hike more enjoyable and beautiful. I went inside my car, said goodbye to the land and went on my way.
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Start Of The Hike – Viewing Platform
The parking lot was huge, different from the one I previously went into. But in this parking lot, the place was practically empty with very little cars parked. Various hikers trickled into this place. They came in from the North South Lake Campground and hiked their way here. A few greeted me as I was getting ready. A lot of hikers were very friendly as they adorned beautiful smiles on their faces. It might be the effect of nature, as everyone seemed to enjoy themselves more whenever they explore the hidden treasures of the Earth.
Road Trail
Very tall trees that pointed to the sky greeted me as I walked the trails. They stood vertically like magnificent pillars welcoming me to this place. The sun created shadows and patches of light as I dived deep into the forest. Birds flew by as they chirped and played with each other while the little chipmunks scurried along the ground as I continued following the footpath on this beautiful day.
Four Way Intersection
A four way intersection was found along the way. The right leads to the viewing platform while going straight and left leads to the bridge.
Trailhead And Viewing Platform
The viewing platform was empty, devoid of any human beings but thundering sound could be heard clearly just by getting near it.
View
The water flowed marvelous at a great height and then down to the bottom. I could see various people walking near the waterfall and onto the human-made stairs. Selfies, picture taking and just hanging out seemed to be what everyone was doing down below. At this height, I could see a lot of things but some of the views were still blocked by trees. As such, there was a need inside me to get to the bottom and have a better view of this beautiful piece of nature.
South Road Or Bottom Road
When I kept going straight from the four way intersection, this fence was what I saw. As I followed the fence, I ended up at the bridge. If I took a left, from the intersection, I would end up at the bridge also.
Bridge
The iron bridge felt sturdy to the touch as I walked on top of it. I stayed a little to admire the view but there was nothing interesting to see. At the bottom of the bridge was a river but it was pretty dry on this day as such, it wasn’t amazing to the eyes. I kept going till I reached another intersection.
Intersection – Go Right
At the intersection, the footpath leading to the waterfall was to the right.
Second Intersection – Go Right Again
I walked for a few minutes on a flat and even terrain that was very easy on the legs until I ended up at another intersection. The path to the waterfall was to the right and there were a few people going back to the parking lot as I reached this place.
Yellow Trail
I stepped onto the soft brown ground, a little bit wet due to the light rain in the morning, and with each step that I made, a little bit of excitement reaches my heart as I knew that I was getting closer to Kaaterskill Falls. The trail was easy to follow, well marked and descending downward. I could have ran it if I wanted to but I wasn’t in a hurry and decided to take my time and appreciate my surroundings more.
Yellow Trail Stairs
I reached a part of the trail with well made stairs going downward and as I passed a few hikers, I realized that they were already fatigued and tired. They dragged their bodies as they try to ascend the stairs. I could hear the heaviness of their breathing with each step that they made. They were either new to hiking or tourists that just wanted to enjoy nature. The ascent was often difficult to people that were not fit to hike as going up the elevation will use a lot of your bodies resources and strength.
Path Towards The Upper Waterfall
The path towards the upper waterfall had metallic fences on the side in which I had never seen before. In fact, the last time I was here, they were not there. There was a good probability that this waterfall killed another person as such more and more precautions were put in place. I would like to believe that these precautions would work and deter injuries and deaths but I doubt there would enough precautions in the world that could deter or cure human stupidity.
Kaaterskill Falls – Top Waterfall
The white water flowed all the way to the rocky bottom with a few hitting a rocky ledge on the top which created a little bit of watery mist that was slowly surrounding its immediate area. The water was not as strong as before but I still wouldn’t dare go take a shower on the bottom of it. The powerful force of the water could be felt even at a distance and it would surely knock me out if I ever get near it.
Kaaterskill Falls – Top Falls
Even with less power, Kaaterskill falls was not a waterfall I would consider as gentle. It was immense, towering from above, and its pressure could be felt easily. The white water gushed out of an opening, flowing to the bottom and no one dared to even get near it. Such force could be enough to crack a skull or knock someone unconscious and I was not brave enough to find out if that was the case.
Kaaterskill Falls – Lower Falls
I headed back down to the bottom waterfall as Kaaterskill Falls was a combination of two waterfalls flowing from a mountain top. This place had existed over a hundred years with various paintings of artists admiring the scenery. Even with modern intervention of human beings, the waterfall was still wild and untamed, claiming the lives of a few that were stupid enough to play with its waters.
Stairs Going Back Up
As I had my fill of nature and my stomach growling for food, I knew that I had to go back to the parking lot. My body felt heavy with each step that I made. I was tired already and worse, I was hungry. Not enough energy to get back up to the top of the mountain even with the help of these beautiful stairs. Still, I pushed myself, one step at a time, trying to get up and back to the yellow trail.
Back To The Intersection
The yellow trail was unforgiving to my body as it was ascending. It was so easy going down but going back up was a different story. I could feel my body leaking energy with each step that I made as if the ground was stealing all of my power while making me weak. I took 10 minute rest then decided to get back on the trail until I hit the intersection.
End Of The Hike
After the intersection, the footpath became very easy and the terrain became very leveled or flat. My legs enjoyed walking in nature again and I began to appreciate my surroundings even more as I knew that I was about to go home. As I got to the parking lot, there was happiness and a little sadness inside my heart knowing that the adventure was over and at the same time, more adventures will begin. So I headed to my car, and went to the nearest restaurant to eat, get ready and plan my next adventure in the Catskill Mountains.
For More Hikes
For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best Hikes In Catskill, New York page.