This was my first venture into the lower section of Platte Clove. I parked my car at the bottom of Platte Clove Mountain Rd along the 6 foot fence. The early part of the trail is very easy and one can reach 4 or 5 waterfalls within an easy 30 minute walk. The waterfalls range in size from 3 feet to nearly 20 feet. After this relatively flat section the mountainous ravine of Platte Clove closes in and it becomes very difficult at parts to hike. The boulders are tremendous and there are many.The last photo in the series is of a waterfall about 50 feet in height- maybe taller. It took me nearly 1.5 hours to get to this point- which is only 1.5 miles. (I did take some breaks to take photos.)
I used my GPS receiver to get waypoints and distance to the Devils Kitchen parking area which is located on upper portion of Platte Clove Road. According to my GPS receiver I made it to within .2 miles of where the parking area is located. The parking area is another 400 feet up and at sections the ravine becomes nearly vertical. There is a waterfall that can be seen from Devils Kitchen that may measure taller than Plattekill Falls (80 feet). At this time I do not know the name of this waterfall.The hike was amazing and it is somewhat like hiking in Utah. My trip took place before all the heavy Fall rain of 2005 so the creek was a bit sluggish.
Tags: Hike, Platte Clove, Waterfalls