New York City keeps its waterfall roster surprisingly close. Within two hours by bus or rideshare, the Catskills unfurl a circuit of plunging cascades that rival anything you'd find deeper into New England—Kaaterskill's 260-foot double drop, Awosting's moss-draped gorge, Buttermilk's tumbling ribbon through hemlock shade. You don't need a car or a multi-day pack. Bring good shoes, a swimsuit if it's warm, and enough water to keep you honest on the climbs.
Karpo can suggest which waterfall fits your vibe today—short and swimmable or dramatic and steep—and help you sort out the bus or rideshare logistics in real time.
Kaaterskill Falls: the showstopper
Kaaterskill is the tallest accessible waterfall in New York State and the one that shows up in every Hudson River School painting. The two-stage cascade drops 260 feet into a stone basin, and the trail—just over a mile round-trip from the Laurel House Road trailhead—is steep enough to remind you this isn't Central Park. The footing is loose rock and exposed roots, and the final approach involves a short scramble. Go on a weekday morning in late spring or early fall; summer weekends turn the small parking pullout into a scrum, and the trail gets conga-line slow.
The best vantage is from the viewing platform at the base of the upper tier, where you can feel the spray and hear the roar without clinging to wet boulders. Some people clamber up to the middle pool between the tiers—it's doable but slick, and every summer brings a rescue or two. If you're coming by bus, take the Trailways route to Haines Falls and arrange a rideshare for the last three miles; there's no sidewalk, so hitching a ride is common but not reliable. The falls run strongest in April and May, thin to a trickle by late August unless there's been rain.
Awosting Falls at Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Awosting sits inside Minnewaska, a preserve perched on the Shawangunk Ridge with white cliffs, glacial lakes, and carriage roads wide enough to lose the crowd. The falls itself is a narrow 60-foot ribbon that drops into a hemlock ravine—less dramatic than Kaaterskill but more atmospheric, especially when mist hangs in the trees. The hike from the upper parking lot runs about five miles round-trip via the Awosting Falls carriage road, mostly flat and graded for easy footing. Locals loop it with a dip at Lake Awosting, a clear, spring-fed swim spot a half-mile beyond the falls.
Minnewaska charges a per-vehicle fee, around ten dollars, but if you arrive by bus—Trailways runs to New Paltz, then you'll need a rideshare or bike the last twelve miles—walk-ins pay a smaller day-use rate. The preserve gates open early, and hitting the trail by eight means you'll have the falls nearly to yourself until mid-morning. In winter the carriage roads turn into groomed cross-country ski tracks; the falls freeze into a cathedral of ice, though the approach becomes technical without microspikes. Pack layers; the ridge is noticeably cooler and windier than the valley.
Buttermilk Falls: the swim-friendly option
Buttermilk Falls County Park, just outside Ithaca, is the outlier here—further west and technically in the Finger Lakes, but it belongs in any serious waterfall conversation within a day's reach of the city. The main cascade is a frothy 165-foot staircase that you can walk alongside on a paved rim trail, with ten smaller cascades upstream forming natural plunge pools. The lower pool is the most swimmable, cold and clear, ringed by flat rocks that double as picnic real estate on summer afternoons.
The park is free, which makes it a magnet for families and college students once the weather breaks. Arrive before ten or after four to claim a good spot. The rim trail is short—under a mile to the top—and mostly accessible, though it's slick when wet. If you're making the four-hour bus ride from Port Authority, consider pairing Buttermilk with Ithaca's gorge trail network; Taughannock Falls, another stunner, is twenty minutes north and reaches 215 feet. OurBus and Greyhound both run direct routes to Ithaca, and the falls are a quick rideshare or bike from downtown.
Getting there without a car
None of these waterfalls sit on a direct subway line, but they're all reachable with a bus ticket and a little flexibility. Trailways serves the Catskills from Port Authority, with stops in Haines Falls and New Paltz that put you within striking distance of Kaaterskill and Minnewaska respectively. From those hubs, rideshare apps work reliably on weekends; weekday service can be spottier, so build in buffer time. OurBus runs a weekend express to the Catskills that drops closer to some trailheads—check the seasonal schedule.
For Buttermilk Falls, the Greyhound and OurBus routes to Ithaca leave early morning and return late afternoon, giving you a solid six-hour window. Alternatively, some hikers pair waterfall trips with an overnight in New Paltz or Woodstock, both walkable towns with hostels and cheap motels. In warmer months, a handful of hiking shuttle services operate on weekends, offering door-to-trailhead drop-off for around thirty dollars round-trip; search for Catskill hiking shuttles or check the Catskill Mountaineer bus route, which runs seasonally and hits several major trailheads.
What to bring and when to go
Waterfall hikes demand real footwear—trail runners at minimum, boots if the forecast is wet. The approaches are rocky, often rooty, and unforgiving in sneakers. Bring two liters of water per person, snacks with salt and fat, and a packable rain layer even if the morning looks clear; ridge weather shifts fast. If you're planning to swim, pack a towel and a dry bag for your phone; the pools stay cold enough to numb your feet well into July.
Spring runoff—April through early June—delivers the highest water volume and the most impressive roar, but trails can be muddy and parking tight. Early fall, especially mid-September through October, offers crisp air, thinner crowds, and foliage that turns the gorges into Technicolor tunnels. Summer weekends skew hot and crowded; if that's your only window, start early and bring patience. Winter waterfall hikes are quieter and stunning when the ice builds up, but require traction devices and experience reading frozen trail conditions.
Practical notes
Kaaterskill is the shortest hike but the steepest; budget two hours including photo time. Minnewaska's Awosting loop runs about three hours at a relaxed pace, longer if you swim. Buttermilk's rim trail takes under an hour, but the swimming and picnicking can stretch an afternoon. Cell service is patchy on all three trails—download offline maps before you leave the city. Most Catskills trailheads lack bathrooms and water; fill up in town. If you're carpooling or ridesharing, confirm pickup times in advance; drivers sometimes flake when they see the remote trailhead locations. No permits required for day hikes, but Minnewaska's vehicle fee applies if you drive. Trails close at dusk; respect the gates.
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Ask Karpo first
Before you commit to a two-hour bus ride, text Karpo. It'll check current trail conditions, tell you which waterfall matches your fitness level and timeline, and flag whether the swimming holes are actually swimmable this week. New York City keeps its wild side closer than you think—Karpo helps you find it without the guesswork.
