Schalks Falls

Take Interstate 87 to Saugerties and exit to west Route 212. After 2 1/4 miles bear right onto Blue Mountain Road and continue for 3.4 miles (after 1.5 miles the road bears hard left and becomes West Saugerties Road) to the bridge spanning Plattekill Creek in West Saugerties, encountered immediately before Manorkill Road bears right, and a large sign is seen warning about winter closures of Platte Clove Road. The falls will be visible from the left (south) side of the bridge.Schalks Falls is a small waterfall in the village of West Saugerties where Plattekill Creek spreads out over a broad "L" shaped ledge and spills 17 feet into a trench carved into the bedrock just below a bridge, which marks the beginning of a short gorge along Plattekill Creek as it flows through West Saugerties. While there appear to be two or three more small falls downstream of Schalks Falls in the immediate vicinity, they all likely occur on private land and will be inaccessible (and some reports the locals may be less than friendly, so all the more reason to keep to the public roads). As the Plattekill is a smaller stream, the nature of the falls will vary considerably as the season progresses. During the snow melt season the falls will spread out evenly over the rock, creating a solid sheet of water, however during the summer and autumn months the stream splits into several fountain-like channels and takes on a much more delicate appearance.