Verkeerder Kill Falls is a single 85-foot plunge on the Verkeerder Kill in Ulster County, New York, in the Shawangunk Mountains, amid the dwarf pitch pine barrens of the Sam's Point Area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve. It serves as the turnaround point of a long, sunny ridge hike from Sam's Point.
The falls
The stream drops in a vertical curtain; lidar surveys give about 85 feet. Earlier surveys listed 97 feet. Other figures circulate: older park reservation records cite 187 feet, and a 2025 measurement with an inclinometer came out at 79 feet. In high runoff the fall shows as a white plume.
Getting there
The trailhead is the Sam's Point parking area at 400 Sam's Point Road in Cragsmoor. The round trip to the falls measures 5.9 miles, or 7.1 miles with a side trip through the ice caves, following the teal-blazed Verkeerder Kill Falls Trail over moderately rocky ground with some minor scrambling. The route forms part of the Long Path.
Parking costs $10. On weekends and holidays from April 18 to November 15 a parking reservation is required, in a morning session from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or an afternoon session from 2 p.m. to closing, with 70 permits per session; bookings open 14 days ahead. Empire Pass holders pay no fee. The site opens at 9 a.m.; don't park on the shoulders of the surrounding roads. The falls themselves stand on private property, and the park asks visitors to stay on the trail.
When to go
The cascade can shrink to a trickle in summer, while after heavy rain the rock crossing at the top becomes harder.
On site
The trail crosses the Verkeerder Kill on rocks right at the brink of the falls; a short offshoot leads to a rock overhang with a view of the drop, and the falls can also be seen from the base. Much of the walk runs through dwarf pines with little shade, so carry water and sun protection. Restrooms are next to the visitor center at the trailhead.
History and name
Historical records preserve an older name, Katy Kill Falls.
Nearby
Louis Ravine Falls is about 2.7 miles away, Stony Kill Falls about 3.3 miles and Palmaghatt Falls about 3.5 miles. Sam's Point and the ice caves can be combined with the falls on the same hike.
Distances are straight-line.