Amazing easy/moderate hike in. No idea it existed and not that far away from Troy/Albany…read more Surprisingly big waterfalls and rock formations. Was told cause of all the rain it was not normally as high. Really peaceful. Thankfully no trash or other distractions from people. Will be back many times I'm sure.

I almost don't want to write a review for this conservation area because then it could become…read moreinundated with people. Simply put, you don't have to walk very far for some incredible views. We visited right after a heavy summer rainstorm so the trail right down to the falls was a bit hard to traverse (high water, slippery rocks, etc) but it was worth the treachery. But you don't have to hitch yourself down to get the full magic of these falls, you can also go for a slightly longer walk to see them at eye level. If you're visiting close to the Hudson area, a visit to the High Falls Conservation Area should be on your list! Then grab a drink in town.

My first time there the views are gorgeous nice trails. And love it will go back again what A…read moreplace to see It's gorgeous

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.

It took me three attempts over three days to make it all the way to the waterfall, but it was so…read moreworth it! I took this journey at the start of February, and there was tons of snow on the ground. On the first day, I arrived at the Massachusetts parking lot around 3 PM I figured I had a good two hours before sundown. I turned back after walking a short way down the trail because it was so steep, I thought I was going to tumble into the river. When I got back, I watched a video of someone hiking on the Massachusetts side, and I realized that the trail is normally full of stairs This makes sense because it's very steep and that's why it's so short but because of the snow, the stairs are covered up I would definitely not recommend using the Massachusetts side in the winter On the second day, I got to the New York parking lot around 2 PM. I made it about halfway down the much more gradual and scenic trail before I turned back. I turned back because the sun disappeared behind the mountain, and it was dark and windy On the third day, I got to the New York side at 11 AM. This time I realized that the top of the trail is just always dark and windy because it's in a corridor between two mountain peaks. So I pressed on. It took me about one hour to get to the end of the trail. I walked pretty slowly and stopped to look at nature a lot. If you are not someone who is super confident staying on the path in the forest, these are fairly easy trails because it's just a straight line the whole way there and you are following the river the whole time. I'm so glad I didn't give up because the falls are one of the most beautiful magical things I've ever seen Instead of water flowing down through the ice, it was snow and slush bursting through the sections of the frozen waterfall the water exploding into 1 million tiny snowflakes from the top to the bottom I plan to come back here in the summer with my kids and I think they will really love it.

Bash Bish Falls was just as beautiful as everyone says it is! The hike was worth every step, and…read moreseeing the waterfall in person was amazing. There's just something about being surrounded by nature that fills my cup. I LOVE to hike so this was my happy place. Even better, we got to share the experience with friends we've had for 24 years after meeting on a cruise. Good friends, beautiful scenery, and another memory made together. That's my kind of day. You can go I on the MA side which has lots of stairs but is a shorter walk or do the NY side with a short 3/4 mile hike to the falls.

We took a long weekend to spend some quality time with our adult children and their spouses plus…read moregrandparents. This was the perfect place! The measures taken for Covid Compliance were impeccable. All staff practiced social distancing and wore appropriate PPE's which made the guests feel safe, relaxed and confident in the team working hard for our safety and theirs. The restroom facilities were great! They were very clean and the showers had a strong flow of hot water. The trash receptacles were never over full confirming that the staff were monitoring the facilities regularly for cleanliness. As an added bonus, there are numerous water stations throughout the camping area making it quick and easy to refill water jugs to bring back to the campsites. The lake is not very big, but offers kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming in a contained area. The beach had clean sand and multiple trash receptacles. If you plan to swim, we recommend wearing water shoes when you go in as, with any lake, the bottom can be a bit rocky and slimy. LOL Management made rounds at dusk to ensure the guests were all set for the night. His parter, a beautiful Newfoundland (I think) lies in the bed of the pickup and is so well trained and mild mannered you wouldn't even know he was there. The respect and care shown to the guests is impeccable. The only downside was the total number of kayaks available to rent if you have a larger group. Having said that, the number of kayaks and canoes combined is certainly in ratio with the size of the lake. Overall, we found the entire weekend a huge success! The team of workers were respectful, informative, accommodating and so very friendly. Their interactions with each other as well as the guests put everyone at ease and made you feel so at home and welcome. We would highly recommend this as an excellent place to visit without hesitation. We will be back!!

Clearly past its prime. In brief - if you are looking for a place to chill by the water or swim, I…read morewould skip Rudd Pond and head for the nearby falls. This park is clearly past its prime. Although from the look of things, they might be doing some renovation. The changing rooms were boarded up and the sand was infested with ground bees that the kids dodged to get to the water. Once they got in, we advised them to just keep moving because not only were the blue gill interested, they were aggressive. I am not talking about gentle dermabrasion on your legs by fish, I mean hard bites on the thighs and toes if we paused in the water for too long. I know they are usually hungry and curious but wow. It seems like plenty of people have thought it wise to throw them bread over the years and now they just assume you are the bread.

This is an extremely good walk/hike. "Easy" in terms of difficulty, this trail starts off on an…read moreeasy 1/4-mile walk down a meandering crushed-gravel path to a wooden gazebo, then down some grassy hills to the Hudson River "lookout" point. From there, you can venture into the woods for a 3/4 to a mile "easy hike" surrounded by trees, trickling stream & a few furry animals, like squirrels & chipmunks, collecting acorns. Kid friendly, this is a great walk/hike for the whole family.

Dreamy any walk you choose to start on during any season. Beginner's level. Nice view of the Hudson.read more

Wow, talk about a beautiful drive to get here! Completely isolated with the surrounding town…read morebringing you to the past. The narrow zig-zag roads getting here from the east are a blast to drive on. Taking the devil's path is no joke if you're doing the whole trail. Highly suggest packing light for the hike. Totally regretted my 35lb backpack setup. The elevation spikes and drops will put your knees and ankles to the test. The look out points are gorgeous. Each one deserves to be taken in during a break. The biodiversity is incredible here. You'll notice the nature changes at different points of the hike. Including the areas casted in darkness from the dense trees. The next drinkable source of water from the beginning is a far distance so make sure you pack accordingly. The devils tombstone is the halfway point which is where most people set up camp. Cant harp enough... snacks, snacks, snacks. Stay safe if you choose to part take on this hike! One of the best hikes I've been on.

The infamous Devils Path! This trail is infamous for being extremely difficult. Is Devils Path…read moredifficult? No and yes! For any experienced hiker doing any of the shorter trails it is fairly straight forward and I'd say fairly easy (for an experienced hiker). What makes DP extremely hard or difficult is when you attempt the entire length in one day. You go up and down five mountains throughout the trip and while any experienced hiker will say going down the mountains can be worst than going up, after you are on your way up the 5th mountain doing DP you will welcome downhill really fast. LOL! I hiked Devils Path with a group of 4 strong experienced hikers for a day trip. We started at Prediger Road, left a car in the middle of our planned route at Stony Clove Notch and finally we left car at our end target Spruceton parking lot. We had lunch at Stony Clove where we refilled our water supplies with the water spout we found there. We assessed our personal abilities and decided we were all in excellent shape and able to keep pressing forward to complete our goal to finish DP in one day. Best advice I can give anyone that is daring to attempt this in a single day is (1) be experience with the distance having done at least 15 miles minimum in the past and (2) bring FOOD, lots of food (leave the diet at home). Also, plan a bail out point in case you realize the distance is too great for you. Devils Path to me isn't so much a hard trail to do but it most certainly is a trail that will test your endurance to the max! My group did car spotting at 4:30am, started our journey about 6:30am and completed the full trail about 6:45pm just before sunset. Would I do this again? Probably not but I am proud to be in the small percentage of people to have completed this in a single day. The sense of accomplishment is resounding. I COMPLETED DEVILS PATH IN ONE DAY!! Woohoo!! :o)

I hiked this mountain on October 18, 2024. I hiked Bear Mountain trail. Bear mountain did not…read moredisappoint. The fall foliage was beautiful. So many yellows and oranges. The was one little fly that we seem to make friends with. The scrabbles were good and a nice mix up to the trail. The trail was well marked and maintained. We were able to stand on the CT/MA line. The trail was about 6.5 miles long.

As the tallest peak in Connecticut (2,300 ft.) Bear Mountain has to be one of my favorite CT hikes…read more There are several ways up to the summit, all of which are steep, long, and strenuous. On our most recent visit, we used Lion's Head. Although it's a bit longer than the Undermountain Trail, it's less vigorous and I think it has some really spectacular views. This is the perfect spot if you love panoramic overviews. From several lookouts, you can actually take in some great long-distance views. The southern part of Connecticut spreads out in front of you with the rolling Litchfield Hills to the south, Twin Lakes east, Massachusetts north-northeast, and surrounding mountainsides, farmland, woodlands, and small towns fill in the pieces of this picturesque puzzle (no western views). If you use Lion's head to reach the summit of Bear Mountain, it's a 6-mile round trip. As you near the top, the Appalachian Trail appears and is marked with white hash marks whereas the Lion's Head trail is marked by blue hash marks. Keep this in mind for your return trip or you be going off course! FYI: Park at the dirt parking lot on Bunker Hill Rd on the labeled "hiker parking" lot. All in all, the hike(s) up to Bear Mountain are tough and challenging even for the average day-hiker. With some patience, plenty of water and snacks, some determination and good company, Bear Mountain will be a great day-hike for any level. If you're feeling fancy, bring a bottle of wine and actual food and have a picnic at the summit. And if that still isn't enough, don't forget the journey's reward -- great overviews, Appalachian Trail access, title of hiking Connecticut's highest peaks, waterfalls, and woodlands.

Love hiking here! If…read moreyou're in this part of the Catskills, I highly recommend this trail. It's easily accessible and an easier hike to do. The trail is well-groomed and very walkable. There aren't any scrambles or large boulders, which is good.. The view from the top is pretty epic, and the fire tower which has been closed every time I've hiked the mountain has great views too. I would highly recommend this hike.

This place is absolutely amazing! I've hiked all the Catskills mountains three times over through…read morethe years and I had never been to overlook because there was no reason to but I had heard so much about this location I just had to visit and satisfy my curiosity on why this place is so popular. First off the parking lot is medium sized and parking on the road (even off the road) is risky because certain spots you are not allowed to park so arrive early, get a legit parking spot and save yourself the wasted trip or the hassle of returning to your vehicle to a ticket or it completely gone (towed). The hike up and back for Overlook is approximately 5 miles so everyone is spot on mentioning the distance. It's fairly steep all the way up and while you don't have any views on the way up, you do encounter some old ruins which is a neat break along the way. Once you do make it to the top you are met with a small shed that has some very minor historical information inside and on peak weekends you'll find stewards that can assist with information about the area and hiking tips. The fire tower can't be missed to the left after the small shed and the view is to the right of the shed. I have to say, I've been atop many mountains and it's been a long while since I've had my breath taken away but when I saw the view at Overlook it was breath taking. What made the view so beautiful and different than other mountains I've hiked is that the view is expansive with no mountains obstructing so you can see as far as the eyes can see. It's truly a remarkable view being so high up and seeing so far out. This mountain is known for its rattlesnake population. Sadly I never got to see one because I always hike in the early morning hours and they normally come out at around high noon when the sun is the hottest.

Really perfect spot for a November walk; gravely trails so no worries about ticks or twisting an…read moreankle in a rabbit hole. Stunning views. Well maintained and map available. No bathrooms so go somewhere before you arrive or take the risk behind a tree. Seem to be some lax dog owners around today though; could you at least kick the piles off the trail???

We had never been here despite living in this area forever. We took a picnic lunch and the kids(4…read moreand 8.) The blue trail is a nice easy walk, flat with a well maintained gravel walkway. It looks like the green trail is a bit more challenging but we didn't check that out. Beautiful fields of wildflowers teem with monarch butterflies and giant dragonflies. The mountains lurk blue in the distance. Lovely wooden benches dot the trail and one sits near a nice overlook. There's a beautiful gazebo and a picnic shelter perfect for lunching.