There are a few waterfalls that I honestly don’t remember a whole lot about, and Old Mill Falls seems to be one of them. There are at least two waterfalls named Old Mill Falls. One of them, which I previously visited and posted about here, is found in Ithaca. The other Old Mill Falls is further east south of Albany.

Looking at photos of the falls, it is a pretty waterfall, but it isn’t very tall, and it is near the more interesting Plattekill Falls. There are a few other waterfalls along the Plattekill Creek, but they aren’t as easy to access. Looking back at my post, Plattekill Falls wasn’t particularly easy to get to either, but Old Mill Falls is the easier to get to. There is a bridge that leads over the creek near the start of the trail head, and just downstream from that is the falls.

Directions:

1. In West Saugerties, head west (somewhat northwest) along West Saugerties Road. You’ll pass Manorville Road on your right as you start heading uphill. At some point this road will turn into Platte Clove Road. The one book I used said it was about 2.5 miles from West Saugerties. (You’ll know you’re headed in the right direction if you see a sign for “This is a seasonal road.”)
2. As you’re heading along this road, look for a “long” dirt parking area on your left (at about the 2.5 mile mark, though I can’t guarantee the mileage). Right near the end of this parking area is a bridge that crosses over Plattekill Creek. If you start seeing houses to the right and left, then you’ve gone just a bit too far. If you reach Platte Cove Community (which has a very nice sign), turn around when possible, pass the houses, cross over the bridge, and pull over in the gravel parking area.
3. The confusing piece of the directions that I had was the red cabin. The red cabin is not obvious from the road. You may see a sign for a number of trails and “parking” in a 100 yards, which means you’re in the right place.
4. To get to the trail to the falls, look for a trail near the creek with a wood bridge over the creek. Cross the bridge and then turn left to get easy access to the base of the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 9′ (maybe up to 16′, but only a portion is easily visible)
Hike: 0.1 miles round-trip

Old Mill Falls in July 2014

Where in the World is Old Mill Falls?