Are there fees or permits required for Buttermilk Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Buttermilk Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Buttermilk Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Buttermilk Falls.

Nearby gauge (Kinderhook Creek) · 463 ft³/s · Higher than usual

Buttermilk Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Buttermilk Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Buttermilk Falls.

New York

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Also For 23 other waterfalls also named Buttermilk Falls, see below

Before you go

These falls are not on public land and have no public trail. Do not trespass.

Photo Credits (5)

Dougtone CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr

About Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls is a small, little-documented cascade on a tributary of Claverack Creek in the Town of Claverack, Columbia County, near the hamlet of Red Mills. It is a USGS-named feature, but it has no established public trail or published height, and it is not inside any public park or preserve.

Trail & Hike Details

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Buttermilk Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Buttermilk Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, and Fall. Winter access may be limited.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 1 hour ago Strong

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Kinderhook Creek, 8.1 miles away, not on Buttermilk Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

463 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

Higher than usual for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

61 107 448 971

Based on 55 years of record

2.98 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

The water is flowing higher than usual for this time of year.

About This Gauge

This gauge is on a nearby waterway and may not reflect exact conditions at the falls.

KINDERHOOK CREEK AT ROSSMAN NY

USGS 01361000

8.1 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 329 sq mi

Altitude: 24 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge KINDERHOOK CREEK AT ROSSMAN NY (13 km away).

Moderate confidence

Strong right now

463 cfs

↑ Rising

Today

Strong

463 cfs

10/10

Tomorrow

Strong

449 cfs

10/10

Tue

Strong

429 cfs

10/10

Wed

Strong

446 cfs

10/10

Thu

Strong

441 cfs

10/10

Fri

Strong

451 cfs

10/10

Sat

Strong

451 cfs

10/10

Best window: Today — strong flow, partly sunny (trip score 10/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from early March to mid May, peaking in April.

How we calculate this

This is a transparent outlook, not a precise forecast. We take the waterfall's current flow strength (how it ranks against its historical normal for today, from the nearest USGS stream gauge), carry that ranking forward along the gauge's seasonal curve, and nudge it for forecast rain. Confidence is highest for the next day or two and falls further out. Always check official conditions and your own judgment before visiting — high flows can be dangerous.

Know when to go.

Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Claverack-Red Mills hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Buttermilk Falls Frozen?

Updated about 17 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately north-facing, shaded strong flow slows freezing

Buttermilk Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 37°F to 33°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 538 ft³/s

Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.

Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail. See every frozen waterfall in New York.

Weather Forecast

The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR

Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.

The bare-earth surface loses about 87 feet through the falls, but gradually, the profile of a cascade rather than a plunge. The ground at the falls is roughly 275 feet above sea level.

The ground changes about 25 feet in the 500 feet above the falls and 67 feet in the 500 feet below. The falls face northeast and stay mostly shaded, with soft, even light all day.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Buttermilk Falls near Claverack-Red Mills, New York, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Buttermilk Falls near Claverack-Red Mills, New York, showing about 87 feet of drop, a long cascade, facing northeast

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.

Ground elevation: 275 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 87 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: Northeast; Mostly shaded, so the light stays soft and even all day.