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Information about Lower Viola Falls: |
Name: Lower Viola Falls |
County: Greene |
Region: Kaaterskill Clove |
Location: Hillyer Ravine |
Order within west side of the ravine: 8th of 12 drops (1=highest elevation) |
Order within waterfall: 1 of 1 (1=highest elevation) |
Total Height: ~90' |
Top Elevation: ~2,000 |
Bottom Elevation: ~1,900 |
Type of Waterfall: plunge |
Number of Drops: 1 |
GPS location: (top of waterfall) |
WGS84 location: (top of waterfall) |
UTM location: (top of waterfall) |
Named: 1800's |
Previous or Alternate Names: none known |
Description: Lower Viola Falls is hard to access. Getting to the top and bottom is very difficult and dangerous. You can get to the base of the waterfalls by carefully hiking down the west side of the falls. You need to hike west of the ravine to find the easist access below. Then hike east below the ledge. Access to the top of Lower Viola Falls is difficult and dangerous too. Hike down the east side of the Hillyer Ravine to Middle Viola Falls. Then follow the ledge east until you find a difficult route below the upper ledge. Ropes required. Then carefully hike down to the top of Lower Viola Falls. Be careful around the top. See better description of access below. |
Hiking Distance: ~7.5 miles (round trip) from Palenville. |
Hiking Distance from Trail: Maybe 1/2 mile (one way) from Viola Falls on the DEC 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 down east side of Hillyer Ravine - Then climb (with rope) into cirque - Then hike down to the top |
Final access to bottom of waterfalls: Carefully descend on the west side of the falls. Find best route below ledge between Wildcat Falls and Lower Viola Falls. Then travel east below ledge. Very dangerous, so be careful and don't take any dangerous risk. |
Digital Mapper:
Topo
Terrain
Satellite |
Known Access Safety: Mossy and slippery rocks - Difficult and dangerous access - Ropes and harness required |
Access Methods: Hike |
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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. |
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 |
3.07 | 2,183 | Viola Falls |
~3.60 | ~2,000' | Leave trail and start bushwhacking. Follow Hillyer Stream on the LEFT side (west side). Find best way below the ledge between Wildcat Falls and Lower Viola falls. Once below ledge travel east below ledge. Be CAREFUL! |