Stream Verkeerder Kill

Greater watershed Shawangunk Kill → Wallkill River → Rondout Creek → Hudson River → New York Bay

Height Like... 30m/98ft ish? Possibly a little more

Form Mostly freefall with lots of lacy mini-ledges

Volume Ethereal

General location On the less fashionable side of the Gunks

Specific location Trail starts in Sams Point Preserve, falls located in Minnewaska State Park I think

Trail access 1-2 hours on a well graded, gentle, but rocky track

 

Verkeerder Kill Falls is probably the nicest waterfall in the Gunks, wispy and beautiful; unfortunately the only viewpoint is situated about a hundred and fifty feet above the creek, with sheer cliffs preventing scrambling down to the base for a better view. Nonetheless, the hike is probably about three quarters of the appeal of this waterfall. Apart from an initial climb it follows the top of a ridge through stands of rare dwarf pines, offering great views of the Gunks and the Hudson Valley, dependent on weather. The scrubby vegetation and lack of big trees along the top of the ridge give one the feel of being in a high alpine environment, despite the elevation not being much more than 300-400 meters. There's also an optional side track to some ice caves, and other attractions in the area, which I haven't explored.

 

This is still the Gunks, so my comments on the volume of Awosting Falls apply here as well; the photos above date from the end of a rather dry May (a couple of rainy weeks before finding Awosting Falls flowing with such force), so one could expect the falls to be little more than a trickle by August and September. Still, the hike on its own is worth doing, even if the falls are disappointing.