For our anniversary, Natalie and I made the roughly two-hour drive from Norwalk to Kaaterskill Falls in New York’s Catskill Mountains. We spent the day hiking 8.7 miles, surrounded by waterfalls, forests, and incredible views. The park is free to visit, close enough for an easy day trip, and absolutely worth the drive.
If you’ve never been to Kaaterskill Falls, I hope these photos inspire you to visit. And if you have, maybe they’ll remind you why it’s worth going back.
This is Kaaterskill Falls, the payoff at the end of our hike! You have to climb down about 200 feet to reach the bottom, then hike all the way back up, but it’s worth every step. It’s the tallest waterfall I’ve ever seen, and the water was ice cold. Absolutely stunning.
Not totally sure what these are, they reminded me of pea shoots. Whatever they’re called, the light hitting them made them glow like this.
This one landed on a thistle and let me get close enough to see every detail on its wings. It’s a great spangled fritillary, and it stuck around long enough for a whole little photo shoot before it took off.
I laid flat on the ground to get this shot of the underside without disturbing it. The light coming through the gills made them almost glow, and up close, they look like something out of a completely different world.
This was near the top, at Inspiration Point. Turkey vultures were gliding around on the wind currents the whole time we sat here, and I couldn’t quite catch one in frame, but the view was enough.
This little spiny puffball was tucked into the moss and lit up perfectly when the light hit it.
This is probably the best chipmunk photo I’ve ever managed to get. He sat there snacking for a good while and barely noticed me, though I did catch a bit of a spiderweb in the foreground.
I was scrambling up a steep section of trail on my hands and knees when I stopped to catch my breath and noticed these four little leaves lined up in perfect light. Backpack off, camera out, and I shot this right there on the incline.
Just the top drop of the falls, seen straight on. Mist was everywhere down there, and rainbows kept flickering in and out of it, though I never quite managed to catch one in a shot.
This little forest of reindeer moss was growing right at eye level on a rock, backlit by sunlight coming through the trees. Get low enough and it looks like its own tiny landscape.
It had just rained, and mushrooms and fungi were popping up everywhere along the trail. This one caught my eye because of the light hitting the cap.
Spiderwebs were strung between the ferns everywhere along the trail, catching the light just enough to be visible. I loved how delicate they looked against all that green.
One more from Inspiration Point. I love how you can see the shadow of that cloud rolling right across the ridge. It was sunny but with a cool breeze cutting through, one of those perfect moments where you just stop and take it in.
A few things worth knowing before you go. The falls drop 260 feet from top to base, and if you want to see them up close, be ready to hike down (and then back up) a steep grade. Sturdy shoes are a must, since the trail gets loose and rocky in spots. And skip the roadside parking on Route 23A; the Laurel House Trailhead is a safer bet, just a short walk from the top of the falls.
I hope those of you who love hiking find a chance to make the trip.
And if you’ve got a favorite day trip spot within a few hours of Norwalk, tell us about it in the comments below: a hiking trail, a waterfall, a quiet beach, or anywhere else worth the drive.
— Ashley RK Smith
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