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 (Myrtle Brook) · 4 ft³/s · About average

Buttermilk Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Buttermilk Falls?

Yes, dogs are allowed at Buttermilk Falls. Dogs are allowed on DEC Forest Preserve land; DEC asks that you keep your pet under control and leash it when others approach.

New York • 549 ft

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

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

Kaaterskill Wild Forest SCA · SDC

Before you go

The trail reaches only the top of the falls, 4.8 miles each way. The ravine below is steep, loose rock and reaching the base needs ropes and a harness.

Photo Credits (5)

seanaes CC BY-NC 2.0 · Flickr

Dougtone CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr

Difficulty

Hard

Trail Length

9.6 miles

Trail Type

Out And Back

Elevation Gain

1,600 ft

About Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls is a long chain of nine drops totaling about 549 feet as Buttermilk Creek plunges down Buttermilk Ravine into Kaaterskill Clove in Greene County's Kaaterskill Wild Forest. The Long Path crosses the brink of the upper drop 4.8 miles from either the Harding Road trailhead in Palenville or the Steenburg Road trailhead off Platte Clove Road; the ravine below is extremely steep and unsafe to descend without technical gear.

The Setting

Buttermilk Falls sits at 2,064 feet within Kaaterskill Wild Forest, in the hills of New York. At 549 feet, it is among the taller waterfalls in New York.

Height: 549 feet

Nearby Falls Worth Visiting

Kaaterskill Falls (260 ft) lies 1.3 miles to the northeast. Also nearby: Glen Falls (25 ft, 5.9 mi).

Kaaterskill Falls Glen Falls

Trail & Hike Details

9.6 mi distance 1,600 ft climbed

The Approach

The hard 9.6-mile out-and-back trail gains 1,600 feet of elevation on the way to the falls.

Trail Description

From Palenville the Long Path (blue DEC markers) climbs to a junction at about 3 miles where a 0.5-mile side trail leads to Poet's Ledge, then continues west past Wildcat Falls to the top of Buttermilk Falls at 4.8 miles. That makes about 9.6 miles round trip with roughly 1,600 feet of climbing. From the south, DEC lists the same 4.8 miles from the Steenburg Road Parking Area off Platte Clove Road, a route that tops out near 3,000 feet on the north flank of Kaaterskill High Peak.

What to Expect

The falls plunge a dramatic 549 feet. Dogs are welcome.

Accessibility

The trail involves steep, uneven terrain with significant elevation change and is not accessible to mobility devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Buttermilk Falls?

✅ Dogs are allowed
Dogs are allowed on DEC Forest Preserve land; DEC asks that you keep your pet under control and leash it when others approach.

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

Spring and after heavy rain, when Buttermilk Creek runs high. The creek can run low in dry summer weather.

Seasonal Access

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

Safety Information

Don't try to descend into Buttermilk Ravine from the trail. Its walls are 45 to 70 degree slopes of loose, moss-covered bluestone that can start rock slides, and reaching the base takes ropes and a harness. Cell phones and GPS units may not work in the ravine.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 1 hour ago Strong

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Myrtle Brook, 8.7 miles away, not on Buttermilk Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

4 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

About average for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

1 2 8 13

Based on 10 years of record

4.18 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

Flow is about average for this time of year.

About This Gauge

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

MYRTLE BROOK AT STATE HWY 214 AT EDGEWOOD NY

USGS 01362322

8.7 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 2 sq mi

Altitude: 1,519 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge MYRTLE BROOK AT STATE HWY 214 AT EDGEWOOD NY (14 km away).

Moderate confidence

Strong right now

4 cfs

→ Holding steady

Today

Strong

4 cfs

10/10

Tomorrow

Strong

5 cfs

10/10

Tue

Strong

4 cfs

10/10

Wed

Strong

4 cfs

10/10

Thu

Strong

3 cfs

10/10

Fri

Strong

3 cfs

10/10

Sat

Strong

3 cfs

10/10

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

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from late 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 Palenville 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

Buttermilk Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 32°F to 29°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 4 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 ground through the falls loses about 264 feet in steep steps rather than one leap. The full 549 feet the falls are listed at is spread over a longer run than this window: along the whole mile-long profile the ground drops about 934 feet. The ground at the falls is roughly 2,154 feet above sea level.

The whole reach is steep: about 104 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the falls and another 207 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 Palenville, New York, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Buttermilk Falls near Palenville, New York, showing about 264 feet of drop, a steep tiered drop, facing northeast

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

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

Ground elevation: 2,154 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 264 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: Northeast; Mostly shaded, so the light stays soft and even all day.

Ground profile through the falls

A slice through the lidar ground surface, from above the falls to downstream (heading northeast).

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Location & Access

Getting There

The Harding Road Parking Area is just off NY 23A in Palenville, about 5 miles west of NY 32. From the lot, walk west along 23A to Malden Avenue and follow the trail past the barriers onto the Long Path. For the southern approach, start at the Steenburg Road Parking Area off Platte Clove Road.

Get Directions on Google Maps

Parking

Use the DEC Harding Road Parking Area off NY 23A in Palenville or the Steenburg Road Parking Area off Platte Clove Road. The Town of Hunter bans parking in all Route 23A pull-offs in Kaaterskill Clove from May through October, and illegally parked cars are ticketed and towed. Don't park on Malden Avenue.

Elevation

2,064 feet above sea level

Coordinates

42.175367° N, -74.071804° W

Land Management

Kaaterskill Wild Forest SCA

Managed by SDC

Visitor Tips & Gear

Allow most of a day; local hikers report about 7 hours for the round trip from Palenville. The first stretch of the Long Path out of Palenville crosses private land, so stay on the marked trail. Carry enough water for the whole hike.

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This challenging 9.6 miles trail gains 1,600 ft in elevation — come prepared with proper hiking boots and trekking poles. Sun exposure on the trail makes good sun protection a must in summer.