The falls are truly incredible…read more The trail down to the bottom of the falls, is a bit tricky. But so incredibly worth it. I would suggest not to believe the sign saying 189 steps.... it is definitely more! Take drinking water because you'll need that for sure. We went back in August and the heat was definitely there. The parking lot was pretty packed but throughout the trails people were pretty evenly spaced out. Not so much at the base of the falls themselves but there was still plenty of room to move around freely.

One of the tallest waterfall in NY, similar height to Taughannock Falls. Physical requirement is…read moredifferent tho, Kaaterskill Falls has about 500foot of elevation change and a lot of slippery stone steps at the end, if you come here when the weather is still cold. Parking: most people park at the Laurel-House Road parking area, because it is the closest. Or you can park at Mountain Top Historical Society, the old train station, which an extra mile. Starting from the old railroad station is nice, you can still see some old tracks on the ground. Walk to the overlook is fairly easy, once you get to the start point of Lower falls junction, it is where you need to be prepared. I recommend hiking shoe, especially in colder months where the ground is wet and iced. When you reach to the stone steps, they can get slippery. I am surprised no one fell in late March. Half of the steps were cover in ice and people were wearing regular sneakers. Once you reach the base of the two tier falls, the view is tremendous. If water levels are high, you can feel the energy of the water. There is a lot of spray from the falls when you get close. There is short trail to the middle tier pool. It was iced up during winter, spikes will definitely be useful. The end was amazing too. So close to the lead of the waterfall. You can keep going and follow Escarpment trail and follow the edge of the valley. There is monument for fireman Frank Layman who died during firefighting in 1900, at his monument, you can see route 23A bend around mountain. And if you keep going, there are a couple viewpoint to overlook the valley. Nice break points to enjoy the view and rest your legs.

Really cool park in the town of Windham. There's a lake you can swim in, kayak or paddleboat at no…read morecost if you provide an address in Windham. There's basketball courts, a hiking path, a playground and plenty of open space to soak up some rays or go bike riding. There's also a decent sized picnic area with seating and shade. Rest rooms are fairly clean and they always have soap and paper towels which you don't usually get in NY State parks. I've visited here quite a few times over the years and always had an enjoyable experience.

This the the most beautiful, picturesque, little hideaway in the mountain area! No bells and…read morewhistles- just sheer beauty being immersed in nature's peace! It has beautiful fields, sports courts, picnic facilities, boat rentals, and a little sandy beach area off the lake. It is immaculate clean (restrooms included), and a lovely place to spend a day unwinding. I highly recommend this little hidden gem to anyone who appreciates nature and simplicity.

I most recently spent a few healing, soul-searching days at Kripalu, and on the last day, I hiked…read moreto this beach to meditate. (Go ahead and tell me I'm granola as $hit.) About the beach itself, it resides on a sizeable property, and they have a few chairs for sitting and relaxing while watching the calm lake in front. The sand seems smooth, so during the summer time I'm sure it's a fun place to swim and sunbath. There is a building with canoes and other types of boats on the property, but when I visited it was closed. Def a place to check out if you're ever at Kripalu.

Just camped here again and was extremely impressed with the cleanliness of this campground. The…read morebathrooms and showers were meticulous, and every campsite in loop 4 was flat and well-maintained, perfect for any tent. While we were here, we saw staff removing tree roots that were impeding the campsite next to ours. I also appreciate that the DEC drives around and ensures that campers are abiding by the fire and bear safety rules and wish that other NYS parks did the same. There was SO much wildlife we saw just on the grounds - friendly deer, baby turkeys, and baby ducks. We were fortunate to have a few nights here without any neighbors and it was so serene and beautiful even in intense rain and fog. There are boat and canoe rentals on South Beach, and so many hiking trails that lead to breaktaking views. I really can't say enough good things about this campground and am already looking forward to our next trip here!

I don't normally write reviews especially a negative one. We had a very upsetting experience at…read moreNorth-South Lake. We drove over two hours to visit my husband's childhood campground for the first time with our three kids (ages 5, 7, and 9). When we arrived at the entrance, we were asked if it was a day visit, and we said yes, we were only staying for the day. We paid the fee, received a map, and drove in. My husband was so excited to finally share this place and create memories with our children. Looking for a place to park, we thought we were lucky to find an empty campsite in one of the loops where he used to camp as a child. We parked the car hoping to enjoy the view of the lake, take a walk, and maybe make the kids a couple of s'mores before heading home. At around 2:15-2:30 p.m., the "SUPERVISOR" in the white Kia approached us in an extremely rude and nasty manner, speaking as if we were committing a serious crime and comparing our situation to "sleeping in someone else's hotel room." She asked us if we had a reservation; we said no. She said, "Someone else reserved this spot." We were very apologetic, embarrassed, and immediately put our stuff in the car. I said they could have told us; we would have moved right away. I'm sorry. She said, "They aren't supposed to talk to you; that's why they send me here." She told us we had ten minutes to leave, waited there while we put our chair, blanket, and s'more cookies in the car, and refused our 9-year-old daughter access to the bathroom while we packed up our three things, and even followed us out of the loop to make sure we didn't park elsewhere. My daughter came to us crying because the lady told her she couldn't use the bathroom and had to get in the car. Well, she had an accident in the car right as we were pulling out. We were mortified and apologetic. My husband even offered to leave the firewood we had just purchased for the next campers, but she was dismissive and harsh about that as well. The following day, I called and asked to speak with a manager to explain how we were treated. The manager was just as unfriendly and miserable sounding as the supervisor. I was told they had been looking for us "for hours" and that it's "common sense" not to park in a campsite. She actually said it's considered trespassing. So, a friendly warning for first-time visitors: Apparently, if you don't know that "day use" doesn't mean "park in any empty campsite," just for the day, you're officially a trespassing criminal--at least according to the manager. Yes, really. Reading the website now, I see that check-in for people with reservations is at 2 p.m., which was the time we were trying to make a small fire, so unless someone left their site and returned, it's unclear how they could have been looking for us "for hours." We were right there at 2pm. The website also states: Day Use * Anyone who is not camping is a day-user. Day-use hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Day-users are not allowed between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. We were not camping but didn't realize we couldn't park in an empty campsite. I think "common sense" would be to inform DAY USE visitors at the ENTRANCE to use public parking, especially for families or first-time visitors who may not be camping experts. Bottom line: this was my husband's childhood family spot. We just wanted to take a beautiful fall drive and have a special day with our kids. We understand now that we needed to reserve the parking spot ahead of time, and it was an honest misunderstanding. I would have even offered to pay for the campers' stay for their trouble. What we wish for is that the staff had approached us respectfully and explained the situation instead of treating us like criminals. Imagine being such a miserable person and working in such a BEAUTIFUL and peaceful place for families. This was meant to be a special family day, honoring memories of my father-in-law and creating new ones with our children. Instead, it became stressful and humiliating. Sadly, this is what our children will remember about the day and about North South Lake The photo is the space we took up and the stuff we had with us. Lol

A peaceful, pristine, little bit of paradise on a hot summer's day. The water is so crisp and cool…read more Parking is limited and the walk down can be a bit for some, .20 miles down a rocky incline, but once you get here it's worth it. This is a take in/take out facility-please take your trash with you. No public facilities so plan accordingly. This is NATURE, enjoy

Whether it's a full swim, wet our toes or be near water (even in winter), hubs is forever finding…read moreany body of water to explore. I had read about Big Deep- but we never found it in all the years we've visited Woodstock, NY until the Summer of '22. Big Deep reminded me of the movie, 'The Beach'. Wait up though- this is a much smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller and rugged version of the movie and a farrrrrrrrrr stretch from that lush and tropical beach setting. So paradise, is not. At its best, Big Deep is only (and I mean only) a patch of some water (a lot of it has receded), lots of trees blocking the Sun and a bunch of rocks. Get some legit water sandals to avoid walking bare feet on rocks, scraping your skin- otherwise, pray you don't break a toe. Don't drive too fast or you'll miss it. Big Deep has designated paved drivable entrance and exit paths. After you're parked, it's a trek on more paved paths to get to 'the beach', lake or whatever you wanna call it. I'm not glorifying Big Deep- but it is secluded in its own bizarre way. Some blogs have mentioned this may be/will be closed off. If you feel like you want to put up with this scene, by all means. It's $0 to get in (from the last time we were here).

Prettiest lake ever. I want to spend the rest of my life living on it and swimming in it!read more

I'm a boater but the only ramp to launch my boat is in Cooperstown one ramp is concrete and very…read moreshort with a sharp drop off at the end of the ramp in the water . It's been like that even back in the 70s ..... then there is the MAJOR parking problem. There is also a dirt ramp next door but it's very shallow also a very small parking area . Once in the water you need to stay in n the water because there is no public shoreline to pull up to and there is a privately paid patrol to keep you off the miles of empty shoreline. The state beach and campgrounds does not have a boat launch and is about eight miles from the boat launch ( by water ) much longer by road . ..... good luck !

DO NOT SWIM HERE -- This lake is known locally as Snake Lake. Water snakes and copperheads are…read morenumerous. There are also snapping turtles. The water quality is also low sure to a nearby quarry.

When you get there, you can drive on the gravel road until it dead-ends into a parking lot with a…read moreporta potty. If that lot is full then you can park in the one that's right off route 28. The trail is nicely shaded. We saw orange newts galore. It had just rained the night before so it was a little muddy in spots. We hiked the yellow loop trail and it was perfect for kids ranging in ages 7 to 13. Very scenic. We left in the early afternoon when the sun came out. Many others were just getting there to swim in the lake.

Serene little spot in the Catskills of upstate New York. Perfect place to enjoy nature on the…read moretrails or on their surprisingly large lake. My girlfriend and I spent a few hours here on a Sunday afternoon in May. If you rent a boat you can keep it out as long as you want, and you have access to the whole property for the entire day. We spent awhile in kayaks and had the whole lake to ourselves for the entire time. We then spent some time down at the swimming hole and had that to ourselves as well. Everyone who works there was incredibly friendly and helpful. Beautiful day overall and the perfect end to a perfect weekend getaway.

Fantastic place with kayaking, a water hole, a light trail, picnic tables, and great friendly…read morestaff. Thank you Dana! Also, a nice niche store with ice cream, wine, and more.

This cave is actually Fulmer mine area. Enjoy the hike up the mountain. Extremely hot, that day so…read morewe stood at the mouth of the cave to cool down! Area known for being a source of hematite. Will hike around the area again as there are several trails to hike. Delaware river is at the base and got a nice view of tubers enjoying the river along the way. We'll have to try that too sometime.

Great hike! I would recommend this hike to everyone. Very nice views. We did the whole loop and was…read moreworth it

my daughter and I were visiting from California and searched for a calm, beautiful kayak ride,…read morefinally discovering I Paddle New York. We enjoyed a gorgeous two hour ride in a tandem kayak together on a still Monday morning, the only ones on the river for a couple hours! We stopped for a stroll on the nature preserve and some rope swinging. Our adventure was was lovely, still, and nourishing. thanks for a wonderful day!

Great time and Gaile was super nice to work with. I would definitely do this again!!!read more