Hike To One Of New York's Most Spectacular Waterfalls At This Sprawling State Park

With 700,000 acres of wilderness, 300 miles of trails, loads of mountain peaks, and a world-famous waterfall, the Catskill Park is a state park that deserves to be a national park. Unlike a national park, it charges no entrance fees. In other words, you won't spend a fortune leaving and re-entering if you want to explore the charming small towns in the four counties the park covers. These include musician mecca Woodstock, fly-fishing hot spot Phoenicia, fall-foliage destination Shokan, and culinary wonderland Windham.

Catskill Park is also home to New York's loftiest waterfall, Kaaterskill Falls, which is your reward for hiking an out-and-back trail that begins near Laurel House Road. In addition to rising 260 feet in the air, Kaaterskill Falls has a two-level cascade that's bound to impress. This waterfall has lots of lore attached to it too. It was a sacred site for the Mohican people who lived beside the Hudson River, and scenes from Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" describe its majesty. Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of Art, even memorialized it in his painting "The Falls at Kaaterskill."

The 1/2-mile path to the Kaaterskill Falls viewing platform is loaded with stairs, so bring plenty of drinking water. All Catskill Park explorers are also encouraged to carry hiking essentials in case of emergency. This list includes a flashlight with extra batteries, a lighter, and a first aid kit.

Wild about waterfalls? Hike to several other beauties in the Catskill Park area. Keep going when you reach the top of Kaaterskill Falls and you'll come upon Bastion Falls in no time. Or you can find the trail that starts where Spruceton Road ends. It will guide you to Diamond Notch Falls and the many swimming holes of West Kill Creek. Don't miss the Platte Cove area either. It's home to peaceful Plattekill Falls, which you can access from a short trail by the Catskill Center, the park's hub for environmental preservation and education.

Filled with forests, meadows, and wetlands, the Catskill Park abounds with other opportunities to hike and camp too. Camping is an excellent way to enjoy the park's natural beauty, especially sunsets and stargazing. Giant Ledge is one of the best places to set up camp. It offers giant sheets of rock where you can sleep in the moonlight and wake up to spectacular sunrises. The hike to and from this site is less than 4 miles and features a climb of 975 feet.

The park also teems with beautiful places to swim, paddle, or relax on an inflatable pool lounger. Part of the North & South Lake State Campground, North Lake Beach is the place to pair games of Marco Polo with hours of mountain viewing. Belleayre Beach has lifeguards on duty for swimmers and equipment rentals for visitors eager to kayak, pilot a pedal boat, or hop on a stand-up paddle board. Want a more secluded swimming spot? Take a backcountry trek on Overlook Mountain, which will lead you to refreshing Echo Lake.

Hikers also flock to the vintage fire towers in the Catskill Park, which offer incredible panoramic views. More than 100 of these towers were used for spotting signs of fire in New York's forests until the 1980s. The Catskill Park has five out-of-commission towers to visit. There's also a new tower at the Catskills Visitor Center. Stewards staff these landmarks on summer weekends, sharing facts about them and noting mountains, waterways, and towns you can see in the distance.

New York's Department of Environmental Conservation organizes events that encourage hikers to visit these monuments. The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge offers perks to hikers who document their treks to the towers at the visitor center and five mountains: Balsam Lake, Hunter, Overlook, Red Hill, and Tremper. Since launching in 2019, it has drawn explorers from across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Every participant can earn a patch, plus a chance to win a conservation magazine subscription and other prizes. When hiking to fire towers and other destinations, you'll be expected to follow "leave no trace" principles, so make sure to review them before your trip.

If you only have time for a single fire tower, follow the Colonel's Chair and Spruceton trails to the one that sits at the highest elevation. Situated on Hunter Mountain, its vantage point may be the most memorable part of your trip. Also consider taking Hunter Mountain's Scenic SkyRide to Colonel's Chair. Similar to a ski lift, this people mover offers spectacular views of the northern Catskills, as well as the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts and the Green Mountains in Vermont.