We hiked past Diamond Notch Falls up to West Kill summit in the Catskills, and had a real memorable time doing so. The short easy trail from Spruceton Rd. to the falls followed a creek gushing with water and great little cascades until the falls itself.
Diamond Notch Falls was a relatively short in height (15ft) but quite a beautiful sight. The double falls were bursting with energy, and with no one else around on this particular brisk afternoon we were able to walk down to the base and have the zen moment to ourselves.
A bridge brings you to the top of the falls and from here you have a great view and some options for where to travel next.
We decided to take the route to West Kill mountain, and it was a looong way up. It was a very well marked trail with lots to see along the way.
Once we finally got to the summit, which felt like a lot more than the 2.34 miles up, we were rewarded with some great views, and punished with some chilly snow.
Freezing and starving, we cautiously made our way down the mountain. The whole way down we talked about how much we were going to pig out at the Barnwood in the town of Catskill. It was a perfect spot to stop at, half way back home and close to the thruway. We got out of the rain (which we narrowly missed, luckily!), and got into the barn. We had an awesome waitress who quickly brought me hot cocoa that warmed me right up.
The pigging commenced and we ordered spinach alfredo garlic knots, onion rings, and chicken fingers.
This joint is known for their delicious junk food and we didn’t mind being gluttons for the evening after a strenuous hike. It was a great day, and neither of us moved from the couch when we got back to our cozy apartment.