Kaaterskill Falls from Laurel House Road Hiking Guide
Kaaterskill Falls drops about 260 feet in two tiers into a Catskill clove, and it is the waterfall Thomas Cole painted when he helped start the Hudson River School. The safest and most popular way in is from the Laurel House Road lot near Haines Falls: a short, accessible gravel walk to a platform above the falls, and a stone staircase down to the middle pool for the classic view.
The Walk In
From the Laurel House Road parking area off North Lake Road, a firm crushed-stone path runs 0.3 mile at a typical 7 percent grade to the observation platform above the falls, and it is wheelchair accessible. To see the falls from below, continue onto the natural-surface trail and a stone staircase down a moderately steep slope; DEC gives 0.7 mile from the lot to the lower pools at the base of the upper drop. That makes about 1.4 miles round trip. Mapping apps list 1.8 miles and about 400 feet of gain for the same outing, nearly all of it on the climb back up the stairs.
The Falls
The upper tier accounts for about 180 feet of the 260-foot total. The site has drawn visitors since Washington Irving and Cole made it famous in the 1820s; the Laurel House hotel once dammed the creek and charged guests to watch the water released. The state razed the hotel, and the 2016 rebuild added the platform, a 115-foot bridge and the staircase.
Stay on the Trail
Kaaterskill Falls has a long record of falls and deaths: nine people died here between 1988 and 2021. DEC rules require you to stay at least 6 feet from cliff edges except on marked trails, keep out of the water within 150 feet upstream of the top of the falls, and stay 15 feet back from the edge above Fawn's Leap. Flash floods can hit the falls and the clove. The view from the middle pool is the right place to stop.
Parking and the Closed Lower Trail
The lower Kaaterskill Falls Trail from Route 23A and its Molly Smith lot are closed, and DEC bans parking in every Route 23A pull-off in the clove from May through October, so do not try to walk up from the road. Use Laurel House Road, the Scutt Road lot (0.5 mile to the platform on the blue Escarpment Trail) or South Lake inside North-South Lake Campground, which may charge a day-use fee. The Laurel House and Scutt Road lots are free, and Kaaterskill Clove closes from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
Dogs and Timing
DEC's Forest Preserve rule is that dogs must be under control and leashed when other people approach; on a trail this crowded, keep the leash on. Summer weekends are very busy, so come early on a weekday, or in spring when the flow is highest. The stone steps are slick when wet and icy in cold months.
Hiking tips for Kaaterskill Falls from Laurel House Road
- Park at Laurel House Road or Scutt Road; Route 23A pull-offs are closed to parking from May through October.
- Stop at the middle pool; do not climb toward the top of the upper falls.
- Visit in spring for the strongest flow and fewer people.
- Save energy for the climb back up the staircase; that is the only real work.
- Keep dogs leashed on the busy platform and stairs.
Nearby trails to explore
- Overlook Mountain Fire Tower Trail
- Escarpment Trail to Sunset Rock
- Castle Point Carriage Road Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Kaaterskill Falls is short enough for anyone and big enough to remember. Use TrailMates to find Hudson Valley hikers heading to Kaaterskill Falls. Download the TrailMates app to connect.