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Trailhead: Laurel House Road Parking Area
Laurel House Road
Haines Falls, NY 12436
People have died at Kaaterskill Falls, and serious injuries happen regularly. Stay on the marked trails. Going off trail or into closed areas can be fatal. It is illegal to approach within six feet of a cliff edge outside marked trails, with a fifteen-foot buffer above Fawn's Leap, and entering the water within 150 feet upstream of the top of the falls is prohibited.
The short gravel path to the observation platform is the easy option and suits most families. The descent to the base of the lower tier is rocky and rooted, and the climb back out is considerably harder than the way down.
Park at Laurel House Road, Schutt Road or North-South Lake Campground. The Molly Smith lot on Route 23A is closed, and parking along Route 23A is unsafe on blind curves. Flash flooding is possible; be ready to move to higher ground. Backcountry emergencies: 833-697-7264 or 911.
Conditions change quickly in the mountains. Check the forecast and current trail conditions before you go, tell someone your plan, carry a map, water and a headlamp, and turn back if the weather closes in.
