Vernooy Falls

[Deb]

8/29
The allure of place names...
Vernooy Falls was like a deep secret hidden away in the southern Catskills. I'd always wanted to go. Even the guidebook warned that it was difficult to navigate that area: "These back roads are especially poorly marked."

It's been 20 years since I've driven the Reservoir Rd. causeway, and it was almost like seeing the Ashokan for the first time. It was lovely; a hot, shimmering day, the great expanse of water, the towering mountains. The water level was very low.

There were a few cars in the lot at the trailhead, but I met all the returning occupants in the first 20 minutes of the hike and had the rest of the day to myself.

This was a treat, as the area around the falls is well worth exploring. There were several deep pools upstream to swim in. I swam in them all. Just below the bridge is a 15-foot high stone wall, all that's left of a gristmill built by Cornelius Vernooy in the 1700s.
In the woods to the east of the cascades are the remains of a good-sized foundation. Considering the age in which it was built, this ruin is palatial, boasting two interior walls.

The Long Path runs north here, while a red-blazed trail crosses the bridge and continues to Greenville. At the junction of trails, by the register, were ripe blackberries.

On the return trip I took a right turn uphill on a woods road just a few minutes down the trail from the falls. There were impressive mounds of purple bear scat. In just a few hundred yards of climbing I reached the brow of a hill and a recent burn area. It was kind of shocking. There were dead, charred trees standing and fallen as far as I could see to the west, even over to the next ridge. There was also new growth: blueberries (ripe), brambles, American chestnut, chestnut oak, bracken and many plants I couldn't identify.

The guidebook mentioned a forest fire caused by a camper in 2001 that burned 850 acres. But that was back at the beginning (.4 ) of the trail. This was at 1.6 or so. I concluded that it must be the fire that burned 1000 acres between April 30 and May 5 of 2006. If so, it's amazing how quickly the area is recovering.

As usual I had a full litter bag. I passed on the derelict sleeping bag tossed in a thicket (too bulky), but did pick up some very unsavory stuff. Enough said.

Overall impressiion: A beautiful corner of the world. The drive across the Ashokan and down Sampsonville Rd. alone is worth the trip.

[mountainmeijin]

I wonder if that place is accessible from Lundy Road...I noticed it seemed to continue north from the old site of the abandoned village along the Vernooy Kill.

I tried to drive my Nissan up Mountain Road/Diamond Road off of Trail's End Road once to cut across to the trail once. I wound up ripping the exhaust pipe apart just forward of the catalytic converter and had to reverse for over half a mile back down the rutted old road with my little Japanese car sounding like a stock car with a chain-smoking habit. Gotta come back with a truck someday Ahh, good times...

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice report. I have been to the falls several times, but not since the most recent fire. IIRC, the area also burned in 2000, in addition to 2001 and 2006. The impressive ruins were a grist mill mentioned here. In 2002 I bushwhacked downstream about 0.6 miles from the Vernooy falls to another larger waterfall. That falls is a tight double falls about 15-20 feet high. It very much resembles Fawns Leap in the Kaaterskill Clove. There is some semblance of a herd path to that falls, initially on the west side of the Kill and then the east side. At that time the area was still quite charred from the 2000 and May 2001 fires.

The Lundy Estate was purchased by the OSI and later transferred to the state. The DEC notice is here. It is the site of the planned the Shawangunk-Catskill Long Path reroute which will rejoin the current LP at the Vernooy Kill Falls. The mountain laurel is fairly thick along the stream. It might be a slow hike currently from Lundy Road, however, I have heard there are a number of old roads in the Lundy estate which might help.

Back the late 1970s I made a loop hike from the Vernooy Falls on the LP and the snowmobile trail through the Balsam Swamp. It was a nice hike with interesting vegetation. It is rather flat terrain.

[Jay H]

I'v only done Vernooy Falls from Upper Cherrytown road from the south going north on the long path for a short hike. I'm thinking of hiking south from Peekamoose road this saturday to explore Spencer's Ledge and hike over Bangle and Samson Mtn... I might go the 8 miles to the falls though too..

Jay

[Deb]

Hi Jay, sounds like a nice hike. Off the beaten track is a good place to be for the holiday.

Thanks for the link, Mark. The gristmill is two miles up a mountain, yet "farmers used to come from all around."

Also, the plant list by Dr. Cooney from his 2004 visit (further down on that link) was amazing. Next time I'm bringing my field guide.

[Mark Schaefer]

Originally Posted by Deb

The gristmill is two miles up a mountain, yet "farmers used to come from all around."

The area around the falls and along the old roads above the falls was well settled in the 19th century. As late as the 1905 USGS map a few houses were still present. Some old stone walls near the old roads also exist currently.

[AlpineSummit]

Sounds really nice........

[mountainmeijin]

Where do you learn all this Mark? Your knowledge of the Catskills consistently amazes me. Ever thought about writing trail guides?

Incidentally, I thought the Lundy estate was still privately owned. Last time I was there the No Trespassing signs were still up at the gate. I wonder what it means for Lundy Road. It's one of the great 4X4 drives in the area.

[Jay H]

When I first did the falls, I saw a bunch of marked snowmobile trails and wondered if there was a map somewhere which showed where they all go... I remember hearing about the fire too there...

Mark doesn't need to write a trail guide, he is a trail guide.

Jay

[Mark Schaefer]

I own and read a lot of Catskill books. I have given some thought to writing a book someday. Finding time though....

I have been hiking the area for a very long time. I like to look for new hiking locales, and whack through spots that look promising on the map. Sometimes it is pure luck finding things. On my 2002 visit to Vernooy Falls I had my camera on a tripod and was busily photographing when a DEC ranger just happen to pass by. He told me about the waterfall downstream, and I shortly packed up and headed downstream to find the new photo op.

As the above links describe, the Lundy estate was about 5400 acres. The state was interested in obtaining 4930 acres. I do not know who ended up buying the remaining 400 acres which perhaps contain old estate buildings. That might be the source of the private signs you saw. I have not been up Lundy Road yet to see where the state land access begins.

Nor have I yet heard of any definitive schedule for relocating the Long Path through the state owned land from the Lundy Estate. There will also be considerable trail work to do in the Shawangunks from the Smiley Road (via the restored blue trail north from High Point) down to Berme Road (near Port Ben Road). That proposed portion is shown on the NY/NJ TC Shawangunk Trails map, 2005 edition.

[mudhook]

American Chestnut? Wow. There are a few remaining stump saplings around the Gilboa Reservoir that survived the NYC sanctioned t******g logging operation of the 80's. I would love to see these.

[mountainmeijin]

As I recall there is a state land marker near the intersection of Lundy Road and Rogues Harbor Road on northeast corner of the intersection. Lundy Road itself is maintained as far as the Lundy Estate and from that point north it seems to be private land to the west, state land to the east until you begin nearing the former site of Potterville.

All maps I've seen show Lundy Road ending at the Potterville site, but it definitely continues north from there for a good distance. Might make a nice hike to the falls on an autumn day.

[Deb]

Originally Posted by mudhook

American Chestnut? Wow. There are a few remaining stump saplings around the Gilboa Reservoir that survived the NYC sanctioned t******g logging operation of the 80's. I would love to see these.

Mudhook, the chestnut trees I saw were also saplings, about 10 feet tall. They had either survived or come up right after the fire.

Chestnut saplings attaining heights of 15-25 feet, having an age of approximately 5-10 years, are actually pretty common in our area of New York, also CT and MA.
I can't speak for elsewhere, though there are documented reports and photos of 60-foot tall specimens in the South.
Though the leaf is distinctive the giveaway is the multiple trunks. Most chestnut trees look like bushes, and that's as far as they get.

In his book "The Catskill Forest, A History," Michael Kudish has a photo on page 34 of a multiple trunk chestnut tree taken in 1990. It was large then and is larger now, and still in good health. These trees are right near the Sundown Primitive campsites, on Peekamoose Rd. The first time I saw them (in 2006) I had no knowledge of Kudish and couldn't believe my eyes.

[mudhook]

Deb,there are also several trees with dbh of 18"+ located in a secret spot near the slopes of Roundtop (Bearpen area). I have a small,3' sapling grown from a nut from these trees. Most of the nuts are barren from the Gilboa trees. I will look for the Peekamoose trees. I have never seen a large mature tree.

[Deb]

Originally Posted by mudhook

Deb,there are also several trees with dbh of 18"+ located in a secret spot near the slopes of Roundtop (Bearpen area). I have a small,3' sapling grown from a nut from these trees. Most of the nuts are barren from the Gilboa trees. I will look for the Peekamoose trees. I have never seen a large mature tree.

Good luck with your chestnut tree. I would love to grow one.

The Peekamoose trees are located just east of the driveway into the trailer area (eastern-most) of the Sundown sites. They are on the north side of Peekamoose Rd. and are not hard to spot.

[mudhook]

Originally Posted by Deb

Good luck with your chestnut tree. I would love to grow one.

The Peekamoose trees are located just east of the driveway into the trailer area (eastern-most) of the Sundown sites. They are on the north side of Peekamoose Rd. and are not hard to spot.

Thanks, I spotted them in a drive by this afternoon , too many cars buzzing around to stop. I also saw a small one in a cage on the Olive side of 42. According to the Ast. ranger I met this morning up on Peekamoose, there are lots of 3" or less saplings in the Vernoykill and surrounding areas.