Hanging Rock Falls is a 155-foot series of steep tiered cascades on the Beer Kill in Ulster County, New York, in the hamlet of Greenfield Park about 2.4 miles northwest of Ellenville. A short but steep path from Ulster Heights Road leads down to the stream.
The falls
The falls form a nearly continuous chain of drops and steep cascades that fall about 155 feet in total through the Beer Kill's wooded gorge. American Whitewater, treating the falls as a multi-part obstacle on a kayaking run, estimates the complex at close to 100 feet.
Getting there
A small parking area sits on the west side of Ulster Heights Road, about 0.4 mile south of Marcus Road. From there a path heads downhill to a woods road; turn right and follow the woods road and then a path out to the Beer Kill. The outing is 0.5 mile round trip with 250 feet of total climb. Land ownership and access rules for the site aren't documented.
On site
Several falls can be reached along the stream, over bare rock that is slippery above a long drop. Downstream the gorge ends at a nearly vertical descent, the suggested place to stop. For paddlers, the 3.2-mile reach from Marcus Road to Ellenville is rated class IV–V(V+) with several portages, including a carry around Hanging Rock Falls.
History and name
The Beer Kill takes its name from its slightly yellow water, which foams as it runs over the rocks.
Nearby
Fantinekill Falls is about 1.1 miles away, Honk Falls on Rondout Creek about 2.5 miles and Napanoch Falls about 2.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.