Catskills waterfalls and artists’ towns: 3-day road trip, 8 stops

At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 98 km (61 mi) with 8 stops, from Kingston to Olana State Historic Site. About 1 h 05 min of driving in total.

Route description

Start in Kingston, the first capital of New York, with a stockade district and a waterfront on the Rondout. Take State Road 28 and 375 to Woodstock, an arts colony long before the 1969 festival, which actually took place 60 miles away.

Continue on State Road 28 along the Esopus Creek to Phoenicia, a base for tubing and hikes, then north on State Road 214 through Stony Clove Notch to Hunter, a ski town with a fire tower trail on Hunter Mountain.

State Road 23A plunges through Kaaterskill Clove, a steep, curvy road with hairpins. Park at the Laurel House Road lot to reach the viewing platform above Kaaterskill Falls; do not hike up from Route 23A. Nearby North-South Lake has a campground, a beach and the famous view from the site of the old Catskill Mountain House.

Descend to the town of Catskill, home of painter Thomas Cole, and cross the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Olana, Church’s hilltop house above the Hudson. Early October is peak foliage; book weekends in advance.

Stop-by-stop itinerary

In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.

Kingston

Start

Woodstock

19 km

Phoenicia

20 km

Hunter

19 km

Kaaterskill Falls

NatureHaines Falls, NY

A two-tiered 260-foot waterfall painted by the Hudson River School. Use the upper trail and viewing platform; the old creekside path on Route 23A is dangerous.

16 km

North-South Lake

NatureHaines Falls, NY

Twin lakes with a campground and beach below the escarpment; a short walk leads to the site of the Catskill Mountain House and its famous view over the Hudson.

2 km

Catskill

17 km

Olana State Historic Site

HistoryHudson, NY

Painter Frederic Church’s Persian-style hilltop house, set in a landscape he designed around views of the Hudson and the Catskills.

4 km

Catskills waterfalls and artists’ towns