OK Slip Falls is a 130-foot plunge waterfall on OK Slip Brook in the Hudson Gorge Wilderness of Hamilton County, New York, in the Adirondacks east of Indian Lake. The brook drops into a wooded gorge above the Hudson River, and the falls are seen from an overlook at the end of a day hike from NY 28.
The falls
OK Slip Brook leaps in a single drop into a steep, forested gorge. When the land opened to the public, the falls were reported at 250 feet, a figure also listed by earlier surveys. Lidar measurements now place the drop at 130 feet, although state publications still describe the falls as over 200 feet.
Getting there
Parking is on the south side of NY 28, 7.2 miles east of the NY 28/30 junction in Indian Lake. From the lot, walk 0.2 mile along the highway to the trailhead on the opposite side, where there is a kiosk and trail register. The route shares the Ross Pond Trail for 0.5 mile and then continues another 2.6 miles to the overlook, with a final descent of about 230 feet. The hike covers 6.5 miles round trip with 584 feet of elevation change across rolling terrain. The trail briefly follows a private camp access road: stay on the route, as the inholding is closed to trespass, and watch for vehicles in summer. A separate spur continues beyond the falls to the Hudson River.
When to go
The trail remains open in winter to snowshoers. Traction spikes are recommended for icy bedrock in early spring and late fall.
On site
The first overlook looks across the gorge through the trees, and a second is just beyond it. An unofficial path beyond the second overlook drops toward the gorge; it is very unstable and extremely steep, so do not take it. The ground near the top of the falls is slippery. In July 2022 forest rangers found a hiker who had taken a wrong turn on the way to the falls and become lost near Whortleberry Pond, so hikers should keep to the marked trail.
History and name
The name comes from logging days: loggers called out a warning before releasing logs from OK Slip Pond down toward the Hudson. The land passed from private hands into public ownership, and the trail to the falls opened in 2014.
Nearby
Virgin Falls is about 2.4 miles away, Mink Pond Brook Falls about 2.7 miles, and Long Pond Falls about 6.3 miles.
Distances are straight-line.