Catskills Waterfalls & Mountain Trails from NYC — World Cup 2026 Guide

The Catskill Mountains rise west of the Hudson River, covering roughly 700,000 acres in the Catskill Park. The highest peaks top out just under 4,200 feet. The landscape is characterized by deep mountain cloves, exposed rocky summits, and waterfalls that rank among the most dramatic in the Northeast. Hudson River School painters — Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Asher Durand — turned this landscape into the subject of American art.

Kaaterskill Falls

Kaaterskill Falls is the highest waterfall in New York State — a two-step cascade dropping 260 feet total through a hemlock-lined gorge in Greene County. The upper falls, at 175 feet, were painted by Thomas Cole and have appeared in more landscape art than any other waterfall in North America. The trail to the base of the upper falls is about 0.8 miles from the parking area on Route 23A west of Haines Falls.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Minnewaska sits on the Shawangunk Ridge, adjacent to the Mohonk Mountain House preserve. The park features sky lakes — ice-cold, impossibly clear ridge-top ponds surrounded by pitch pine and blueberry scrub — connected by carriage roads open to hikers and cyclists. Lake Minnewaska itself is one of the most photogenic spots in the entire region.

Slide Mountain & Peekamoose Blue Hole

Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills at 4,180 feet, accessible by a 5.2-mile roundtrip trail. The Peekamoose Blue Hole, on the Rondout Creek, is a natural swimming hole of almost Caribbean clarity — icy, deep, and popular enough to require a permit system on summer weekends.

Getting There

Take the New York State Thruway (I-87) north. Exit 19 (Kingston) for Woodstock, Phoenicia, and the central Catskills. Exit 20 (Saugerties) for Kaaterskill Falls. New Paltz and Minnewaska are at Exit 18. A car is essential.

Where to Stay

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