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.

I was visiting in the area and looking for a place to walk without walking on the side of the road…read more Anchor Diamond Park is clean, well maintained and has great signage. Any swampy areas have boardwalks.

Great park with so many trails! Stumbled on this park with my dog on a beautiful, sunny winter day…read more What an exceptional find with a tremendous history dating back to the 1790's!!! The trails are very well marked with signage to help navigate each section. Stop and see the ruins of the original house that was built around 1790 and read the history of this piece of land. Very impressive. The park is also great for cross country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. And its dog friendly (pack out what you bring in and clean up after your doggo)

I have logged many-a-mile on this trail over the years; most often between Kiwanis and Aqueduct…read moreParks. I especially enjoy starting near Schenectady Community College - an easy-to-spot local landmark with lots of room to park for group run meet-ups, a small track space perfect for timing splits and speedwork, and plenty of benches and grasses spaces for stretching and chatting before/after a walk, run, bike, or blade. The path varies in flatness, tree cover, nature-views, and frequency of traffic crossing, offering a nice variety for any activity. I've spotted loads of unthreatening wildlife while on the path, including turtles, deer, snakes, ground hogs, beavers, and many different birds, squirrels, and enjoy being near the water and especially stopping at the locks to stretch, rest, or fuel mid-long run, too. [extra garbage cans, tables/benches, and proximity to other humans makes it feel like a safer space to slow, perhaps?] I am hopeful that the Color the Canal project will return for the third year in 2021, which creates visual and sculptural art to welcome the CEC cyclists riding from Buffalo to Albany each July.

My wife and I walked the portion between Watervliet and Albany recently and it was a pretty nice…read moretrail. Much of it was in the woods along an old railroad right-of-way, so there were plenty of trees providing shade. A couple of clearings allowed for sightlines of the expressway but it wasn't too noisy. One area had a bench, picnic table, and informational display about the location of the old Troy Iron Works. A few areas had cutaways in the trees for sightlines to the river. I wish there was more to see or do along the trail, and it would have been appreciated to have some more benches or tables or whatnot to rest on. But, the area in Watervliet where the parking lot is had a couple of tables.

Very friendly staff at front gate beautiful lake to swim in and camping available as well.read more

This is a gorgeous state park on the northeast edge of Otsego Lake. My wife, two teenage sons (15…read moreyrs, 13 yrs), and I came here with our miniature poodle for a quick visit during a 4-night stay in Sharon Springs, NY. We came here every day to enjoy the lovely view of the lake, take a leisurely stroll with the dog, and spend an afternoon fishing (for my 15 year old son). It's about a 15-20 minute drive from Cooperstown along the east shore. At the main entrance, you'll pay a $7 admission fee per vehiecle, or you can just show your NY State Parks Empire Pass card. This is a gem of a park that is well worth the price of admission. First, it feels open and spacious with nice hiking trails. Second, the view of Lake Otsego is lovely. You may see a few kayakers or windsurfers on the lake depending on weather conditions. If you have young children, this is a must-visit place as there are kid-friendly playgrounds. Third, the lake is shallow and calm by the beach, but the water temperature can feel a bit chilly. In the summer, they have lifeguards available starting at 11:00am. Finally, the park has a concession stand which sells basic snacks, hot dogs, and drinks. It's also worth it to take a short walk up the hill to see Hyde Hall and the view of the lake from there!

What a beautiful waterfall and trail. I don't think many folks know about it (may actually be a…read moregood thing so it doesn't get overly attracted; but maybe bad for business's around? - unsure). There was free parking across the park, and there was a lot of rich history around this park. Hope to come back when there is possibly a high water wave. Highly recommend.

A classic stop if you live nearby or are driving through! I've been before but it was a whole new…read moreexperience today brining my kids for the 1st time. They were absolutely impressed and got a little exercise with all those stairs! A must see!

What a gem. We have been visiting Plotter Kill for over a year and the changing seasonal characters…read moreof the part are just one of the many draws for us. The place is deceptively vast and you could easily get lost in it - not literally and in the most delightful ways. First off, parking is usually no problem since the parking lot fits about 20 vehicles, although there has been one occasion where it spilt over to the main road in the summer. The short trail from the parking lot to the first two forks is gorgeous with tree shade and mostly gravelly than the majority of the trails which are more natural. The creek and the falls are beautiful, although water level can be quite low in the summer and early fall. All in all this is a great park suitable for most people to navigate, and I'm glad for another natural reserve like this.

Gorgeous scenery here, but we had some issues with the trails/trail maps that I suspect weren't…read morecompletely down to my being bad at reading them. What's shown on the map at the entrance doesn't seem to conform to reality, and many trails are very obviously blocked off with warning signs, end in abrupt dead ends, or head off in directions that don't seem to reflect what the map shows. The blue trail on the map brings you past several waterfalls, but the real one seemed to reroute you away from the water and onto a muddy track through the woods heading in the opposite direction. This might have eventually led back in the direction of the falls, but we decided to turn back from when the mud got tough to deal with. To find the interesting bits in my pictures, we went to the first observation point on the blue trail, doubled back to take the bridge to the red trail, then went past there and took the yellow trail to the water before heading back to the parking lot, with a few accidental detours in between. With all of the backtracking and wrong turns I'd guesstimate that we walked a total of about three miles, but if you were more systematic about it you could probably do it under two. However, the short dead-end yellow trail especially was very steep and somewhat challenging for keeping our footing on the downhill, so appropriate hiking/walking shoes are still a good idea. Don't come here in flip flops! All in all this was still totally worth it, but I'd be really happy to learn that they've managed to re-open the trails that have been closed (for safety reasons?) and/or updated the maps to make it a bit easier to hit the scenic highlights.

Great little hike to the cascades which were beautiful. At the peak the pools are deep enough to go…read morein about knee deep. Water is cool and refreshing.

It was a bit difficult to find accurate directions to arrive at the trailhead, which is located at…read morethe end of a residential road. Online sources say to park at the YMCA nearby. The YMCA is permanently closed, and instead we found an elementary school where you can park, alongside which you begin through a short woodsy path and then must walk maybe 1/4 mile through the neighborhood before discovering the trail. The hike is a beautiful gentle up and down through the woods and along a river. It's only about 2 miles in-and-back, mostly very easy, but has a few tricky but fun spots where you may have to navigate over a tree trunk or carefully walk over rocks/uneven terrain at the edge of a shallow point in the river . The waterfall is a nice feature where you can sit and enjoy the sound and vibe before you turn around to head back.

We were out for a drive and saw the sign for the park and decided to stop. The park was officially…read moreclosed to cars but you can park in the small lot in front of the gate. It's a little gem of a park, an old marble quarry and some quirky wooden walkways and bridges that look down on the Hudson brook. The brook has created some unusually rock formation that you can look down on your walk. There's also some nice hiking trails on the other side of the park from the waterfalls.

Been to the Berkshires MANY times but never to this wonderful find in North Adams -- just a short…read moredrive from Mass Moca. This unspoiled gem of a state park is a must see for anyone who loves natural beauty and the outdoors. Only open in season so check dates on their website before coming. Highlight is the photogenic white marble dam and waterfall that is best viewed from one of the bridges or platforms. Many types of interesting rocks and walkways that take about an hour to explore. Picnic areas surrounded by majestic trees everywhere. Oh, they waived the $10.00 parking fee that day -- maybe because it was early October and the leaves had not turned yet? (which also kept the crowds down to a few dozen). Can't wait to come back next year to see the fall colors.