It is hard to miss the Kaaterskill Falls as you approach Hunter Mountain from the east on Route 23A. We had driven by it many times however never had a chance to explore any further. We recently made it a point to do the hike and had no idea what we had been missing!
We took the turn off 23A in Haines Falls (??) and made the short drive to the parking area. Although there was a small line to park our car, it moved quickly and we found ourselves at the well marked trailhead within a few minutes.
There were a variety of trails to choose from. We started with the shortest, an easy 10 minute walk to a platform at the top of the Falls. After a few selfies, we decided to take the 1.1 (?) mile hike to the Lower Falls (?). The kids enjoyed navigating the rocky trail as we made the trek down. Within 20 minutes (?) we found ourselves at the bottom and our jaws dropped as we turned a corner and saw the main fall. It was much bigger than we had expected and we were close enough to feel the cool mist from the water falling.
After a few pictures, we walked another 10 minutes to another even lower point of the falls. We got some great photo opportunities and marvelled at the view before heading back up the steps. Although the steps up seemed daunting at first, the trip back felt shorter than the walk there.
It was an easy to moderate hike, but still easy enough for our 5 year old to handle without much complaining. We are excited to pack a picnic and come back as the weather gets even warmer!