by STEVE WINSTON
Written for Bob Malkin and Barbara Pokras
Owners, The Waterfall House
Woodstock, NY
www.waterfallrental.com
Many early-American writers called this the most beautiful spot in the world. And many early-American painters were so taken by its beauty that they moved here to paint it.
AUTUMN VIEW FROM THE WATERFALL HOUSE
The place that brought them all here is called the Kaaterskill Clove. Situated in New York’s Catskill Mountains, this is a deep-green mountain ravine of astounding beauty, covered with dense forest and pierced by tumbling waterfalls everywhere you look.
The biggest falls of all is called Kaaterskill Falls. It actually has two vertical drops, and its rushing waters drop down some 286 feet over two shelves of rock. It’s higher than any waterfall in the state – including Niagara. And when the sun sets over the distant ridges, or the mist rolls in through the Kaaterskill Clove, you’ll realize that those writers – like Mark Twain, Herman Melville, James Fenimore Cooper, and Washington Irving – and the renowned painters such as Thomas Cole and Frederick Church, must have been right. This, surely, must be the most beautiful spot on Earth.
The sense of awe that these writers and artists felt upon seeing the Clove has been handed down to all of us. For example, in James Fenimore Cooper’s “The Pioneers,” Leatherstocking remarked that you could ‘see all of creation’ from the top of the falls. And the artworks of Cole and Church – as well as the other painters who joined them in creating “the Hudson River Painters” style – are now on display in prestigious museums all over the world.
Today, people are still climbing to the top of Kaaterskill Falls, to sit where the painters sat when they created their works. It’s not an easy climb; it’s steep and it’s wet and the footing is unstable and the weather can change quickly. But, for those in good shape and used to hiking and climbing – and, sometimes unfortunately, for those who aren’t – this is a siren song that keeps on calling.
Benjamin Genocchio, of The New York Times, recently described the lure as “the prized view…that by the late 19th century had become an iconic view of the northern Catskills, celebrated in the work of the Hudson River School painters.”
The falls are on public land, and they can be reached by the Kaaterskill Falls Trail, a climb of nearly a half-mile from the only road through the Clove, NY 23A. As noted earlier, the trail is steep and the rock unstable. In addition, there’s a short walk on the road – which has very narrow shoulders and cars whizzing by – to the trailhead. One alternative – again, if you’re cautious and in fairly-good shape – is to drive up to the site of the old Laurel House Hotel, which first opened in 1852. The hotel closed down in 1963, and burned down in 1967. But its magnificent location – at the top of the falls – made it a haven for the rich and famous for more than a century.
To drive to the top of Kaaterskill Falls, get off NY 23A at North Lake Road. Go about two miles to Laurel House Road. Continue on Laurel House Road about a half-mile; you’ll come to a trailhead that’s about a quarter-mile long, and leads directly to the falls.
And when you stand on top of it, you’ll probably feel the same way that Leatherstocking did…as you gaze upon “all of creation.”
It’s a scene that you’ll remember as long as you live.
The best place from which to explore the Kaaterskill Clove – and the surrounding Catskills – is a vacation-rental home called “The Waterfall House.” Near the picturesque (and now-famous) village of Woodstock, The Waterfall House is set amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the Catskills. And it’s perhaps the only vacation rental in America known to have a major waterfall in its backyard…Niobe Falls, an arm of Kaaterskill Falls, sits right behind the house.
The Waterfall House is a Victorian country home, at the end of a picturesque, leafy road. It’s charming on the inside and blessed with strikingly-beautiful views on the outside. The house has been furnished with authentic country antiques and crafts, along with eclectic items from the collection of husband/wife owners Bob Malkin (founder of New York’s prestigious ThinkBig! Gallery) and Barbara Pokras. There’s a cozy wood-burning fireplace. And there’s a wraparound outdoor deck right over the river, where guests can watch – and listen to – the falls. (845) 246-6666; ; http://www.waterfallrental.com.
It’s a wonderful place from which to explore the region…and to see if you agree with those earlier visitors that this is the most beautiful spot in the world.