Plattekill Creek

The Plattekill drains a pristine corner of the Catskill Mountains. It is worth exploring even if you have no intention of ever paddling this gem of a creek. The first time I ever saw the Plattekill was on a fall day after a hurricane had dropped several inches of rain in the area. Finding the Kaaterskill too high, we decided to explore this tiny drainage and I was blown away by the beauty of the area. Rising out of the lower Hudson valley, the Catskills lurch precariously upward in an improbable feat of nature. Falling off the eastern side of these mountains near West Saugerties is the Plattekill, which makes an impressive and sudden descent to the valley floor. The topography of this drainage is quite remarkable. There are numerous tiny creeks that feed into a giant bowl or cove, so to speak, and each falls precipitously several hundred feet before joining together to become the Plattekill proper. After a major rain event, you will be hard pressed to find so many large waterfalls in a relatively small area.

It is very probable that there are some runnable drops upstream of the major gradient (ie; 800fpm or more), but the run is best approached by hiking up from the base of the access road which winds its way to the top of the mountain, rather than parking at the top and hiking down. This has been attempted and is decidedly not recommended. Rope work is required and the gradient is too steep until you get closer to the valley floor. (Note: see below for an update, with access issues.)

Hiking upstream for about one mile, you will encounter several rapids of a pool-drop variety ranging in difficulty from Class III-V. They are almost all waterfalls. The gradient for this mile is 360 feet, but the first half mile is less steep than the second half. As the trail begins to disappear, the gradient will increase even more. You have now entered exploratory terrain. Good luck. If there is anything runnable from this point upstream, it will certainly be

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