Difficulty: 5 out of 10 (steep, rocky, short hike)
Highlights: Tallest two-tier waterfall in New York
Distance: 2.0 miles, up-and-back
Total ascent: 527 ft
Max elevation: 1,946 ft above sea level
Approximate roundtrip time: 1.5 hours
This is one of the most popular hikes in the area, in part because everyone likes waterfalls, and in part because it’s a relatively short hike to a huge, 260-foot payoff, divided over two drops.
Another highlight along the way is the smaller-but-still-awesome Bastion Falls, which flows past the trailhead and is easily visible from the road.
A major lowlight for this hike is that it encompasses perhaps my least favorite trail section in the entire Hudson Valley, which is the 5-minute walk from the parking area to the trailhead along Route 23A. There’s no good shoulder to walk along, and this road can be very busy. The last time I did this hike was with my wife and son, late on a Friday afternoon in November, and it was like I-95 out there. We hustled to get off the road as quick as we could, slightly harried and very surprised at the volume of traffic in a pretty remote area. Drivers here are generally respectful, and they expect to see hikers along this section, but to me, it’s not an ideal way to start and end a hike. Please be very careful here.
While you may feel like you’re starring in a live-action version of Frogger to get from the parking area to the trailhead, once you’re there, this hike is pure awesomeness, hugging the energetic Spruce Creek the entire way as it cascades down the hill. (If you visit in late summer, you might find things not nearly as energetic. The falls can slow to a trickle, so you’d be best to come here in a different season, or after there’s been some decent rain.)
People often underestimate this hike since it’s officially only a half-mile to the falls from the trailhead. But it is steep and rocky, and if you feel like you’re climbing a staircase along some of the sections, it’s probably because you are.
This is a quick hike, but it is not an easy one. Leave the flip-flops at home. But definitely bring the camera.
Somewhere in America 