Description

Start at the Sam's Point Area parking lot at the entrance to Minnewaska State Park.

The first part of the trail is along a gravel road, passing between steep cliffs rising up above you to the left and tall pines on your right.

Following the wooden signs, you turn off this gravel path after about 20 minutes, and start walking along a much narrower track that will take you through changing scenery and trees, along wooden boards and hopping across stepping stones, all the way to the top of Vanderkill falls. The falls themselves are spectacular - and a good point to pause for a picnic, if you can handle the vertigo.

The sun was out the day we went and there was a bright rainbow below us where the falls broke on the rocks.

For the return journey we followed the same route, with a minor detour out to check out sunset from Sam's Point on the way back.