On an unseasonably warm day in the beginning of November, I had an urge to sit by a scenic waterfall. I didn’t have time for a hike, so I looked for a place that has a parking lot close by. I came across Philipstown Park in Garrison, NY. The park itself was mostly just a sports field.

The path to the waterfall began at the far end of the parking lot, near a sign reading “Trail of Trees”. The path was covered with fallen leaves and was hard to follow. It led to a basketball court. Diagonally across the court was the entrance to the path to the waterfall. We stopped to listen, and could already hear the waterfall.  The path went downhill with steps made of cut tree branches and leads to the waterfall. Since there were many leaves and many recent rainstorms, the path was very slippery. On the way down, we enjoyed beautiful views of the nearby mountains. This path was also not easy to follow due to the many leaves but we managed. I’m not sure if the path continues all the way down to the bottom of the waterfall since we stopped at a spot from which we were able to see the waterfall, after about five minutes of walking, just before the path seemed more dangerous. Our view was partially blocked by trees but even so it was beautiful.

The waterfall – actually there were two falls, and they were magnificent. I’m not sure if the second one was there because of the recent volume of rain or if it had always been always there. The area was quiet and secluded. It was serene and peaceful – just what I needed.

Posted: November 27, 2017

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