Plattekill Falls
Hunter (Greene County)
Why we love it
Granted, it’s much shorter than Kaaterskill Falls, but Plattekill Falls receives a lot fewer visitors, meaning you might have it all to yourself. Located in the Catskills’ Platte Clove, whose rugged natural beauty inspired many Hudson River School artists, the falls is most impressive in early spring or after a heavy rain, when the water explodes over a 50-foot cliff into a serene pool at the base of a rock-rimmed canyon. Even when the flow dwindles to a trickle, the falls’ remoteness and the little (though cautious) effort it takes to reach it make a visit worth your while.
More to explore
In addition to this short trek down to the falls, the Catskill Center’s 208-acre Platte Clove Preserve features two trails that travel up the creek. One passes the ruins of a 19th-century boarding house.
Highlights
- 1/3-mile trail down a steep gorge (hiking shoes a must)
- Spectacular waterfall
- Gorgeous scenery
Directions, hours, etc.: https://catskillcenter.org/platte-clove-preserve
