Will New Rules Make Kaaterskill Falls Safer and More Enjoyable

Will new rules make Kaaterskill Falls safer and more enjoyable? That's the goal of new regulations put in place by the NY Department of Conservation. A "substantial increase" in the number of annual visitors prompted the changes to protect the areas natural beauty as well as hikers and campers.

Kaaterskill Falls, the highest waterfall in New York, has grown in popularity because of it breathtaking double tier falls and sheer beauty. The growing number of visitors has increased the number of accidents and close calls because of the many cliffs. And with more people comes more nuisance complaints.

The new regulations will attempt to alleviate both of those problems and others. And they are in place for all 4 areas of falls, Kaaterskill Falls Riparian Area, the Kaaterskill Clove Riparian Corridor, the Platte Clove Riparian Corridor, and the Colgate Lake Wild Forest Area.

In all four areas:

• campfires and portable stoves are banned except in designated campsites.
  no glass containers except for the storage of medicines.
  must use headphones with audio devices except at designated campsites.
  at the campsite, audio cannot be heard outside of the immediate site.
  No alcohol outside of the campsite, except when transporting it to the site.

Other regulations include common sense suggestions, like not going within 6-feet of cliff edges except on marked trails. Also not entering the stream within 150 feet of the falls. At Kaaterskill Clove and Platte Clove, unless you're camping, hunting, or fishing, park hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

Read more on the new regulations at the DEC's website.

SOURCE: NY Department of Conservation

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