Kaaterskill Falls and North Point - Fall Foliage in the Northern Catskills

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Published 2021-10-19

Welcome to the Kaaterskill Falls Wild Forest, home to some of the most breathtaking and recognizable scenery in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Here in these enchanted forests, the magical home of legendary Rip Van Winkle, one will find the world famous Kaaterskill Falls, miles of hiking trails, and inspirational views. I spent 24 hours at North/South Lake Campground and was able to document only some of the plethora of sights to be found here. I started in the morning with a trip to the falls which were bustling with tourists and leaf peepers, as the fall foliage was at or near peak conditions. I took in the views from an observation deck, directly from the top of the waterfall, and than from a mid point in the two tiered falls. I also ventured all the way down to the base - very steep steps- which was packed in with so many people that filming was simply impossible. All four vantage points are utterly spectacular and Kaaterskill will be a sight you will not forget in any season. Indeed the scenery of the region has inspired artists for generations and the first great movement in American art - The Hudson River School - was formed through impressionist landscape images of the sights found here. After visiting the falls I set up a simple camp for the night and rested a bit, before my second excursion of the day, the hike to North Point. It was a very wet but beautiful trek up the hillside to an overlook of the lake and campground below, in addition to the Hudson Valley several thousand feet below and in the distance. North South lake lies on the edge of the Catskill escarpment, meaning the very edge of the mountainous range where the rugged hills sharply drop off to the expansive valley below. The afternoon hike started with a stop at Ashley falls, a modest waterfall spilling over some large rocks and creating many tiny mini falls. After crossing an old school footbridge the trail began to climb through mixes of brightly colored hardwoods and darkly shaded conifers. Seasonal flows of water poured over rocks and tiny embankments and the trail took on a magical feel as the mountain seemed to be pouring out fresh natural spring water from all over. The last 1/3 of a mile became steep but manageable before finally opening up to a large open area with expansive views in multiple directions. North Point is a simply wonderful spot. I spent a good bit of time here in the fading afternoon light before racing down to the lake to catch a peaceful sunset. So much more to be seen here, I just didn't have time to see it all, and I would highly recommend checking out this location if one has the opportunity.

MUSIC - Into the Forest by Jakob Ahlbom
Summer Memories by Gavin Luke
Breathing Planet by Doug Maxwell
The Sound of Arrows by Bonnie Grace
Broad Horizons by Francis Wells
Tranquility Lane by Dawn,Dawn,Dawn
Enchanted Journey by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc…

Artist: incompetech.com/

CAMERA - GoPro Hero 8 4k 24fps
DJI Mini 2 4k 24fps

SOFTWARE - Wondershare Filmora

THUMBNAIL - Canva

The first person to mention the time when Rip Van WInkle appears in the video will get a shoutout in a future video. Happy Hiking my friends.

All Comments (21)

@whitelight999 2 years ago

Woodsman sent me. Beautiful video great commentary. Thanks.
@kateclark7250 2 years ago

I can't say enough about this place and this video, Gator. The beauty of the forest, the falls, the autumn colors... drone shots... music... and the little elf (gnome? Dwarf?) that popped up all soothed my weary heart. Thank you for this and for your company, Gator.
@hikingwithaaron 2 years ago

Your filming just gets better and better every video. The drone shots were epic. They really show off the beauty of the mountains and the gorgeous colors. You sure did hit it at peak season. Your shots of the waterfalls were beautiful. That sunset shot over the lake was the perfect way to end the film. Just beautiful. Look, I'm saying that too.
@retaylor6587 2 years ago

Excellent, again...I am only sorry that Youtube will only let me give it one thumbs up;
@LouisaLove50 2 years ago

Is very very Beautiful 🥰🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃👏👏👏👏👏👏I loved the fall time and different colors the leafs but is the best exercise 🏃‍♀️thank you very much for this video , Yesterday we were walking there✨✨✨✨🏃‍♀️🥰🍁🍂🍃🍁🍂🍃🍂🍁🍃
@ianrumnock6837 2 years ago

🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼. Just wow
@jamesd6221 2 years ago

Beautiful film and location! Loved the presentation and music choices too. Saw Rip at 12:15:)
@debbiehills2928 1 year ago

WOW - thank you for the video and the music! great life!😁
@2bkind2u 2 years ago

Fantastic place. (We got nothing comparable here in the midwest.) Fantastic travelog. Another amazing WZ youtube. Thanks. Somehow missed this when it came out. Oh yeah, we were doing French Creek S.P./Hopewell Furnace, etc. at the time.
@randomadventures2.0 2 years ago

Hey Gator, Tony here. The Falls colors were beautiful. That waterfall was amazing. As always really enjoy watching your videos. Looking forward to seeing your next adventure!
@a.c.993 2 years ago

Wow, what a beautiful video. Great Job. :)
@HienNguyen-qb8wp 1 year ago

I like your video, beautiful. Good job
@FabianAcebal 8 months ago

Beautiful fall colors! I live in NYC but I love autumn in upstate New York. Kaaterskill Falls is definitely on my bucket list.
@thekeystonehiker8661 2 years ago

Fantastical. You are very good at this. I love watching any of your videos. You send a message in each one. Hike on my fellow hiker, hike on
@javierorozco3448 2 years ago

Bro your filming is incredible. Heading there next month can’t wait
@kevinsmith5288 2 years ago

Another great video! The waterfalls, fall colors, drone footage, and the music all comes together perfectly! Have to say I made it to The Thomas Darling Preserve twice since Saturday, thanks to your recent video. Beautiful place, and only twenty minutes from where I live! As a recent Philly transplant, it was my first real wooded trail experience. I lived very close to the Tookany Creek Park in Cheltenham Twp, and that was my respite during the dark days of Covid. Keep up the good work 👍!
@Kflem 2 years ago

Loved this! Catskills are gorgeous, especially in the fall. Enjoyed the cinematic elements to the video too!
@drizzy1525 1 year ago

Amazing video keep up the good work man
@504BigStud 11 months ago

Wonderful video!
@rbpat52 2 years ago

Beautiful beautiful Fall! So stunning and you captured it all so well Walter. Kudos to you for your outstanding cinematography and attention to detail. This channel is one of my absolute favorites. I’m telling everyone!