Triple Falls

Information about Triple Falls:

Name: Triple Falls (Proposed 2011)

County: Greene

Region: Kaaterskill Clove

Location: Buttermilk Ravine

Order within ravine: 9th of 10 drops (1=highest elevation)

Order within waterfall: 1 of 1 (1=highest elevation)

Total Height: ~25' (GPS inf 2011)

Top Elevation: 1,155

Bottom Elevation: 1,130

Type of Waterfall: plunge

Number of Drops: 3

GPS location: N42 10.903, W74 04.055

WGS84 location: 42.181717, -74.067583

Deg, Min, Sec location: N42 10 54, W74 04 03

UTM location: 18N 577001, 4670373

Named: 2011

Previous or Alternate Names: none known

Description: Triple Falls is a small waterfall located just above Lower Buttermilk Falls at the bottom of the Buttermilk Ravine. There are 3 small drops, which provides it's name. These falls can be only be visited at any low water. You must cross the Kaaterskill Creek to visit or see them.

Hiking Distance: ~1 mile from the parking lot below Bastion Falls.

Elevation Loss: 300 from Rt 23a Parking lot below Bastion Falls.

Map No: VO: N/A - TC: Map #141 - NG: N/A - USGS: Kaaterskill Quad

Digital Mapper: Topo Terrain Satellite

Known Access Safety: Kaaterskill Creek can only be crossed at low water

Known Access Safety: Must bushwhack down to Lake Creek

Unattractions:Must bushwhack down to the old Rip Van Winkle Road

Access Methods: Hike

Maps

Directions to Trail Head from New York State Thruway (Easist, not the shortest):

GPS Coordinates to DEC Parking Lot: N42 11.137 W74 04.243 (WGS84: 42.185617, -74.070717) - Elevation is approximately 1,336 feet

Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill).

Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road.

Go approximately 3/4 mile

Take a right onto Route 23 West

Go approximately 6.6 miles to Cairo, NY

Take a LEFT onto Rt 32. McDonalds Rest. on corner.

Go approximately 7.7 miles on Rt 32

Take a RIGHT onto Rt 23A

Go approximately 5.0 miles on Rt 23A .

Park in the Parking Lot on the LEFT side (south side) of the road BEFORE Bastion Falls.

Comments about this Hike

Triple Falls is located just above Lower Buttermilk Falls at the very end of Buttermilk Ravine. Triple Falls are apporximately 25' high. They get their name from the triple drop to the falls. Because you can see all three drops, they are called Triple Falls. These falls can only be visited at low water level. But, to cross the Kaaterskill Creek the water level MUST be low.

Getting to the Lower Buttermilk Falls from the lower parking lot to Bastion Falls is a little tricky. Do NOT try to descend down the steep slopes by the parking lot. Instead, walk almost parallel to Rt 23a towards Bastion Falls. When you run out of land, start to descend at an angle. This will lead you down to Lake Creek. There is an old trail that runs parallel to Lake Creek. Head south down Lake Creek. Part way down, you will cross the old Rip Van Winkle Road. You will see the old bridge pilars. You can then follow the old Rip Van Winkle Road to the east. As you walk down the road, you will eventually see the Lower Buttermilk Falls. Remember that the old Kiersted Tannery foundation is directly across from Lower Buttermilk Falls. To cross the creek, you can wade through the creek at a shallow section, or find a place to rock hop across the creek. Once across the creek, you need to climb up to the old logging road. Then follow the road to the top of Lower Buttermilk Falls. Then go up the Buttermilk Creek until you reach Triple Falls. Triple Falls is just above Lower Buttermilk Falls.

You should NOT hike on the east side of the Buttermilk Ravine just above Lower Buttermilk Falls. There is a land slide that is dangerous. Especially, when the ground is wet or saturated. The area we are referring to is outside of the Buttermilk Ravine.

The Kaaterskill Creek is a Class V rapids during high water. After very large rain storms, the Kaaterskill Creek cannot be navagated with a kayak. At low water the water is usually around 1-1/2' deep and some current at the shallowest sections. At high water it can be 10-15' deep. The Kaaterskill Creek is well known to rearrange the rocks in the creek. It is capable of moving boulders that are 10' in diameter. Some of these rocks rip up ledge rock at the base of the creek. Entire cars have disappeared from the creek over the years.

Once across the creek there is an old logging road that runs across the top of the falls. You need to be careful about approaching the top of the falls because it is slippery.

Pictures of Triple Falls

Triple Falls
Photo by Catskill Mountaineer

Triple Falls
Photo by Detroit Publishing Co - 1905

Triple Falls
Photo by Catskill Mountaineer

S E C T I O N S

W E A T H E R

O T H E R