There are some places we return to again and again, despite knowing the trails by heart. We are not bored when we retrace our footsteps, because these places still steal our breath.
The Peter’s Kill trail is one of our favorites, and in heavy rotation.
Starting from the parking lot, we take the Red trail and follow it up the creek. If the water is low, we are able to hike along the creek; if there is a lot of volume, we take the high path around the creek up to the top of the waterfall.
If you follow this path all the way up to Route 44/55, it is a spectacular show: waterfall after waterfall.
There are some tricky spots on this hike: some slippery rocks, a narrow path that you may require climbing over fallen stumps. There is also a likelihood of seeing some of the local species of snakes: copperhead, rattlesnake, black rat snake, northern water snake. Make sure you look carefully at the trail as you step in narrow places.
Overall, it’s about 2 miles from the parking lot to the road, and the descent is definitely trickier than the ascent. Small children often like to climb on the rocks, but moss-covered rocks in this area are notoriously slippery. I’ve rescued a child from a roaring creek, and it was a chilling experience!
Overall, though, the views can’t be beat, and the waterfalls are so magical that we return over and over again to our “happy place.”
When you drive back through New Paltz. make sure to stop at one of our favorite restaurants for some amazing food: Mexican Kitchen has fantastic tacos and is affordable. We also love to follow it up with some ice cream at Twistee Cone.
Have fun!!
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