We woke up to rain this morning and hit the road fairly early.  With the somewhat inclement weather, I figured it might be a perfect time to visit Kaaterskill Falls.  This area of the Catskills is usually packed because of its popularity and the easy walk to the viewing platform above the falls.  When we arrived at the parking lot on Scutt Road, there was only one other car.  We headed into the woods and hiked through a light, steady rain for about a mile until we reached the platform and the falls came into view.  

Seeing the falls in dense fog and mist was spectacular.  They had this ethereal, almost ghostly appearance, and there wasn’t another soul around.  We had the entire moment to ourselves, able to soak in the tranquility of a place that’s normally crowded.  Moments like this make me so glad I decide to get out, even in the rain and less-than-ideal hiking conditions.

With wet rocks, slippery moss, and fallen leaves, we chose to keep the morning relaxing with an easy walk instead of anything strenuous.  After leaving the falls, we hiked over to the North/South Lake area and followed a gravel path along the lake to the campground.  The campground was closed for the season, void of the usual activity and the dense fog made it feel like we were walking through a dream.  Everything looked like a painting.  I could see why artist and environmentalist Thomas Cole who founded the Hudson River School of American landscape painting was so inspired by this area.  Some of the trail even had interpretive signs from the Hudson River Art Trail highlighting the very views that inspired Cole.

I took so many photos on both my phone and my Lumix.  Thankfully, I had my phone as a backup because, just like the previous day, my SD card corrupted and wiped out all the images.

Regardless, it was an absolutely lovely morning and such a peaceful way to wrap up another Catskill weekend.

Click “Read More” below for more photos.