Best Viewpoints in the Catskills

This collection highlights the geological and historical landmarks along the Catskill Escarpment, primarily concentrated around the North-South Lake area. These sites served as the foundational subjects for Hudson River School painters like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The list includes the 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls, the historic foundation of the 19th-century Catskill Mountain House, and numerous rocky ledges offering expansive views across the Hudson River Valley to the Berkshire Mountains.

Kaaterskill Falls

Kaaterskill Falls is a two-stage waterfall on Spruce Creek in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York, between the hamlets of Haines…

Catskill Mountain House Site

The former site of a 19th-century luxury hotel. The open ledge provides a panoramic view of the Hudson Valley and was a central subject for early American landscape painters.

Artists Rock

A prominent sandstone ledge on the Escarpment Trail overlooking the Hudson River Valley. It was a frequent subject for Hudson River School artists.

Sunset Rock

A rocky outcrop providing an iconic vista of North and South Lakes. It is one of the most photographed and painted locations in the Catskill Park.

Inspiration Point

A cliffside viewpoint on the Escarpment Trail offering a clear perspective of the Kaaterskill Clove and the surrounding high peaks.

North Point

A high rocky plateau on the Escarpment Trail featuring expansive views of the Hudson Valley, North-South Lake, and the distant Taconics.

Huckleberry Point

A flat rock overlook reached via the Huckleberry Point Trail, offering views of the Hudson Valley and the rugged peaks of the Devil's Path range.

Newmans Ledge

A sheer cliff on the Escarpment Trail located north of Artists Rock, providing an unobstructed view of the valley below.

Kaaterskill Falls overlook

An accessible viewing platform located at the end of a gravel path, providing a direct view of the upper tier of the 260-foot waterfall.