Kaaterskill Falls is a waterfall in Greene County, New York at about 585 m (1,919 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Palenville, about 4.1 km (2.5 mi) away (Kaaterskill Falls lies WNW of town).
Kaaterskill Falls is a two-stage waterfall on Spruce Creek in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York, between the hamlets of Haines Falls and Palenville in Greene County. The two cascades total 260 feet (79 m) in height, making Kaaterskill Falls one of the highest waterfalls in New York, and one of the Eastern United States' tallest waterfalls. The waterfalls are one of America's oldest tourist attractions, being depicted or described by many books, essays, poems and paintings of the early 19th century. Beginning with Thomas Cole's first visit during 1825, they became a subject for painters of the Hudson River School, setting the wilderness ideal for American landscape painting. The Falls also inspired "Catterskill Falls", a poem by William Cullen Bryant.From the Wikipedia article “Kaaterskill Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kaaterskill Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 57° ENE | 8:37 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:28 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Kaaterskill Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:38 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 61 | 70 | 72 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 92 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | -21 | -17 | -16 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 44 | 44 | 32 | 17 | -3 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this waterfall
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kaaterskill Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
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Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kaaterskill Falls?
What time is golden hour at Kaaterskill Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kaaterskill Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kaaterskill Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kaaterskill Falls?
How far is Kaaterskill Falls from Palenville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.