Kaaterskill Falls Access to be Limited During Summer 2015

  |  July 2, 2015
kaaterskill falls

ACCESS DENIED. STEP AWAY, CITIZEN.

Here’s some news that might result in some very sad lovers of waterfalls and swimming holes. Portions of Kaaterskill Falls, one of the most popular natural tourist attractions in the Catskills, will be closed off to the public, thus declared the DEC, while work is done to improve the safety of the upper falls. Lots of people have died at the Falls, and we’ve hiked up13 and down the falls more times than we can count. It’s treacherous, especially if you don’t wear the right shoes (so many people wearing flip flops to climb to the upper falls. How many times have we told you? HIKING SHOES/BOOTS PEOPLE). The good news is, the lower falls trail will remain open during the summer. You just can’t get into the pool at the base of the lower falls and splash around. Meanwhile, the DEC plans build trails and even stone staircases to the upper falls, which will cost around $450,000. The upper parking lot will be close off. Bet your bottom dollar that trespassers will be ticketed. Kaaterskill Falls is located in Greene County, sandwiched between North/South Lake (another hugely popular tourist attraction) and Hunter Mountain/Tannersville. Could restricting the Falls impact tourism to this part of the Catskills? Will the state make a million-billion dollars in trespassing ticket revenue? We’ll have to wait and see.

Read the DEC’s full press release on Watershed Post, as well as a list of other waterfalls to visit in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Which leads us to the big question : What’s your favorite waterfall in the HV/Catskills? Heck, take it all the way out to the Berkshires and Taconics. We love a road trip. Let us know below! We’ll start: High Falls Conservation Area in Columbia County. Your turn.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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