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Information about Twin Viola Cascades: |
| Name: Twin Viola Cascades (Proposed) |
| County: Greene |
| Region: Kaaterskill Clove |
| Location: Western Hillyer Ravine |
| Order within west side of the ravine: 5th of 8 waterfalls (1=highest elevation) |
| Order within waterfall: 1 of 1 (1=highest elevation) |
| Total Height: 41' (GPS inf 2011) |
| Top Elevation: 2,274 |
| Bottom Elevation: 2,233 |
| Type of Waterfall: cascade |
| Number of Drops: N/A |
| GPS location: N42 10.037 W74 03.598 (top of waterfall) |
| WGS84 location: 42.167283, -74.059967 (top of waterfall) |
| Deg/Min/Sec location: N42 10 02, W74 03 35 (top of waterfall) |
| UTM location: 18N 577647, 4668777 (top of waterfall) |
| Named: 2011's |
| Previous or Alternate Names: none known |
| Description: These waterfalls have a twin right next to them. Just before these waterfalls the water splits in half. This causes two separate sets of waterfalls. At the bottom of the waterfalls, they both come back together. They have a number of drops, but they are considered cascades. These waterfalls can be seen from the DEC trail, and they are very close to Viola Falls. |
| Hiking Distance: ~7.5 miles (round trip) from Palenville. |
| Hiking Distance from Trail: Top of the falls are on the trail |
| Trail Information: Waterfalls & Poet's Ledge hike |
| Time: Average 5 hours round trip |
| Elevation Gain: 1,600 from Rt 23a. |
| Difficulty: Easy - You can access the top from the DEC trail |
| Final access to top of waterfalls: Hike |
| Final access to bottom of waterfalls: Hike |
| Digital Mapper:
Topo
Terrain
Satellite |
| Known Access Safety: Mossy and slippery rocks on the right side of the falls |
| Access Methods: Hike |
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Maps, Profile, and GPS files |
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Directions to Trail Head from New York State Thruway (Easist, not the shortest): |
| Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill). |
| Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road. |
| Go approximately 1/4 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 3.0 miles on Rt 23A . |
| When you come out of Palenville, you can park in 3 different areas. (1) Park just before bridge (west bound lane); (2) Park 1/4 mile past bridge; (3) Park 4/10 mile before bridge in DEC parking lot. |
| You cannot park at the trail head! |
| Do NOT park by the red building next to the bridge. |
| Do NOT park on Malden Ave or in someones driveway on Malden Ave. |
| Do NOT drive up the dirt entrance road to the trail head - this is PRIVATE property - AND there is NO place to park or turn around once you get to the trail head. |
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Comments about this Hike |
| Twin Viola Cascades are located just above the DEC Trail from Poet's Ledge to Buttermilk Falls. The trail runs right across the top of Viola Falls. This waterfall is a short waterfall. These falls have a twin waterfall right next to the main waterfalls. The stream breaks apart at the top of the falls, and come back together at the bottom of the falls. |
| Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| 0.00 | 680 | Parking - From Route 23A turn onto Malden Ave - Walk past double guard rails (watch out for poison ivy on left side of road). |
| 0.62 | 680 | Walk up wide dirt driveway about 250 ( look for green Long Path trail marker on tree - hard to see from Malden Ave) - Turn right and walk up narrow dirt driveway past metal gate (If gate is closed, walk around gate). |
| 1.01 | | Road branch - Go straight |
| 1.27 | | Road branch - Go Right |
| 1.33 | 1,255 | Road Branch - Go Right - leave dirt road and continue onto the foot path |
| 1.40 | | Leave private land onto public land |
| 2.13 | 1,955 | Level off for a while |
| 2.31 | 2,067 | Giant steps |
| 2.34 | 2,102 | Ledge #1 (views) |
| 2.44 | 2,264 | Rock-in-the-Path |
| 2.52 | 2,325 | Reach top of moderate ascent - Levels off after this for several miles. Total ascent of 1,661. |
| 2.57 | 2,317 | Start of Boreal Forest (Watch for black bears at this point) |
| 2.63 | 2,341 | Trail Branch - go right to Poets Ledge (0.44 miles) - Yellow trail markers |
| 2.98 | 2,187 | Mossy Notch |
| 3.07 | 2,145 | POETS LEDGE - Outstanding View! - Enjoy. Be careful of the opening between the rocks on the ledge. It is a 30 fall. There are blueberry bushes around the ledge, which bears can be very possessive of (end of June - early July). |
| 3.74 | 2,183 | Viola Falls |
| 7.48 | 680 | Return back to Rt 23a. |
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