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.
- Photo Gallery: Platte Clove
Tags:
Hike,
Platte Clove,
Waterfalls
This past summer I purchased two books from Amazon.com (Catskill Region Waterfall Guide
, Catskill Mountain Guide) regarding the Catskill Park & Forest Preserve. My family has been driving through this area for over 30 years to get to our cabin located just to the north of the Catskills. With the two new books and a map I explored several new areas of the Catskills.
On one of my lone trips I found Plattekill Falls located in Platte Clove Preserve in the town of West Saugerties. It is a waterfall that measures about 80 feet high. The hike to the falls was very simple and it brings one down to the base of the falls. After taking several photos of Plattekill Falls I walked further up stream. It takes a bit of climbing over very big boulders and walls of stone but the end is another waterfall that probably measures well over 120 feet in height. This time I was not at the base of a waterfall but at the top of a waterfall. I was a bit skittish to stand very close to the top of the falls as it took some climbing to get to actual top (of the falls). Plus I was alone and the rocks were very wet.
I told my father about this place and he seemed a bit skeptical of the area as to its existence and the way I described it. A week later we explored the area together. Upon reaching the first waterfall we met a young couple. As they were there first and to give them privacy we traveled further upstream to the other waterfall. I do not yet know the name of this waterfall and have searched several different resources. Also this was the rugged area I wanted to show my Father.
This time I made it to the end of the falls and looked over the ravine known as Platte Clove. The ravine is very steep and the fall from the falls would mean certain death due to the height and the rocks below. After exploring the area and taking several photos we made it back to the base of the original falls, Plattekill Falls. We found out the couple just got engaged under the falls.
I was fortunate enough to photograph a few photos of the two in the area after hearing the good news. Kevin Kraft is a musician and visitors to his website are able to download samples of his songs www.kevinkraft.com.
About Plattekill Falls:
Plattekill Falls is a large, plunging waterfall exceeding 70 feet in height, formed near the top of the clove. It is contained in a section of the ravine where steep walls loom to the south and sloping walls extend to the north. Just above the top of the waterfall are several small cascades that are not visible below. (Catskill Region Waterfall Guide- Russell Dunn)
- Photo Gallery: Plattekill Falls
- Photo Gallery: Platte Clove
Tags:
Platte Clove,
Plattekill Falls,
Waterfalls
