Diamond Notch Falls

LEXINGTON WEATHER

Number of falls: 2 parallel falls (the “twin falls”), although in rare high-water flow they can merge into one.

Size/Types: The left falls is a combination horsetail cascade (on the left) and overhanging plunge/cascade on the right. The right falls plunges about half-way down and cascades over a few ledges. Both are about 15 ft high. A small wading pool is below the falls. There are a few small ledges upstream.

Best time to visit: Year-round, but most photogenic in fall after a period of rain.

Flow: Low, but generally consistent. Long periods of dry weather may bring it to a trickle. Typically late summer, early fall.

Waterway: West Kill Creek rises in the valley just a mile and a half east of here at Hunter Mountain. From the falls here, it flows 6 miles west to the hamlet of West Kill where it turns north, merging with Schoharie Creek after 3 miles. Schoharie Creek takes the water north to the Schoharie Creek Reservoir and exits to the north heading to the Bleheim-Gilboa Reservoir shortly after. Both are a water and power source for NYC.  From there it continues over 36 miles north to the Mohawk River at Fort Hunter near the city of Amsterdam, NY. The Mohawk flows east through Albany and then empties into the Hudson River, which flows south to NYC and into the Atlantic.

Time: About 30 minutes to hike from the parking area to the falls. So an hour round-trip. This is a part of a larger trail network, so you can take longer and explore. There are alternate routes to the falls that are a bit more strenuous and take upwards of 3 hours. These approach from different parking areas. This page only covers the most direct route.

Seasons/Hours: Open all year, day and night. There are no lights in this wilderness. You can set up a primitive campsite at the lean-to to the south along the Diamond Notch Trail.

Admission: Free.

Handicap Accessibility: Trails and most facilities in the wilderness are not accessible.

Pets: Allowed on a leash.

Swimming: You can wade in the pool below the falls.

Camping: Primitive camping is allowed in the wilderness at the lean-tos.

Accommodations/Attractions: Hiking; Primitive camping; Cross-Country Skiing; Snowshoeing; Fishing; Hunting; Trapping. There are no restrooms or restaurants nearby. The closest is going to be in the village of Lexington (about a 20 minute drive).

The Hunter Mountain Ski Center is just northeast of the falls.

Diamond Notch Falls tumbles through a narrow, moss-clad cleft in the Catskill escarpment. Two side-by-side sheets of water—each roughly 15 feet high—pour over inclined bedrock, framing a dramatic V-shaped “notch.” Dense stands of hemlock and oak rise on either side, their roots clinging to the rocky walls and shading the pool below. Upstream, West Kill Creek threads through a steep, glacially carved gorge punctuated by smaller cascades and boulder gardens as it descends from Hunter Mountain.

Below the falls, the stream widens into a shallow pool that balances out the landscape from the man-made wooden footbridge above the cascade. The wild, remote setting—accessed by an old CCC logging road—makes the falls one of the Catskills’ most secluded yet photogenic sites. It strikes a good balance of accessibility and remoteness and is a great find for both the waterfall enthusiasts and those hiking through the area and in need of a peaceful rest stop.

Hunter-West Kill Wilderness is a 19,250-acre expanse of rugged ridges, glacially carved notches, and dense hemlock–oak forests tucked into New York’s Catskill Park. It contains the headwaters of the West Kill Creek, which descends from roughly 3,800 ft on Hunter Mountain to Schoharie Creek. Established as wilderness in 2008 under Article 14 of the New York Constitution, the area retains remnant 1930s CCC–constructed logging roads and lean-tos, and is managed to maintain its “forever wild” status.

“Diamond Notch” which was registered as an official USGS name in 1801, is the name of a wind gap (a dried valley) between West Kill Mountain and SW Hunter Mountain, south of the falls.  This valley was carved long ago by water erosion, but geological events eventually diverted the water into West Kill, leaving the valley dry.

Mills were known to have operated along the kill from the hamlet to the falls, although I could not find any evidence of a mill being in operation at or above the falls. By 1856, nearly 20 estates existed along this stretch, with several running small to moderate milling operations, mostly saw mills, processing lumber from the surrounding forests.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps widened logging roads and built lean-tos in the valley. Those roads became hiking trails when—under Article 14 of the New York Constitution—the 19,250-acre Hunter-West Kill tract was designated wilderness in 2008. State purchase and private land gifts secured the ridgelines, ensuring that the notch and its twin falls remain protected from logging and development.

Difficulty: Moderate — uneven footing, short climbs.
Markings: Blue blazes.
Distance: Just under a mile one way.

How to get to Diamond Notch Falls

From the parking area head east down Spruceton Rd, past the cabin with West Kill on your right.  Follow the blue blazes as the red becomes more of a woodland trail.

At about 0.8 mile you will come upon a wood bridge and junction with the Red Trail. The falls are just downstream from this bridge. Follow the path to get down to the base of the falls.

Return to the parking area the way you came.

Maps: Interactive; Trail Map (PDF).

Shoot wide and from the side

• Bring a wide angle lens to have a chance of capturing both waterfalls, the bridge, and the pool all in one scene.
• Most compositions are straight on. Try a new angle and shoot perpendicular to the falls, looking past one to the other.

Get your feet wet

• Angles from the trails are great, but just one or two steps into the creek make them better.

Silky water effect

• To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allows your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls.  Check out the article for all of the details.
• For larger falls with ample water flow, shoot shorter shutter speeds, or you risk softening the feel of power. 1/5 to 1/3 of the second is just enough for this one.

More tips

• See the Articles for more photography tips.

New York State DEC
Region 4 Sub-office
65561 State Highway 10 Suite 1
Stamford, NY 12167
Phone: 607-652-7365