Kaaterskill Falls and Dog Bayard (17 photos + 3 videos)

This stunning two-tiered waterfall is celebrated by poets, artists, and the legend of a ghost dog.





These legendary waterfalls in New York State are so beautiful they've been compared to the Garden of Eden. They inspired America's first artist colony and made the place one of the country's oldest tourist destinations.



In the early 1800s, New York's Kaaterskill Mountains were still considered a scary, wild place, but as the frontier shifted west after the War of 1812, tourists were increasingly drawn to the natural beauty of the area.





"Rip Van Winkle" - a short story by Washington Irving

Although the Kaaterskill Falls had already been the subject of romanticized literature, it was Washington Irving's depiction of the cascades in his 1819 work "Rip Van Winkle" that began to attract other artists to the area.



Painting by Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole was inspired to first visit the falls in 1825, and his subsequent paintings celebrated Kaaterskill Falls as a wilderness ideal for landscape art. Thus the first generation of American artists developed an aesthetic that was heavily influenced by the picturesque beauty of the surrounding area.



By the mid-19th century, the Kaaterskill Falls and the many works of art depicting their majesty had made the area a major tourist destination for tourists from around the world. In its heyday, the Kaaterskill Falls were such a tourist magnet that a dam was built on its crest to regulate the flow of water during scheduled "shows" where spectators would pay a fee to see the falls in action and at their full power.



Today, Kaaterskill Falls flows of its own accord once again, attracting tourists with its still legendary beauty. With 75 meters of cascading water, divided into two segments by a large clear pool, the falls are an impressive sight.



Remnants of its heyday can be found in the crumbling foundations of long-gone luxury hotels in the nearby woods, and a strange sign halfway up the upper tier of the falls adds a ghostly element to the mystique of the place.



An Engraving Honoring a Dog

Dated June 1868, the engraving honors Vite, the "dog Bayard," who fell to his death after jumping from the top of the falls while trying to reach his beloved master below. People have died climbing the slippery rocks, too, even in recent years, but Vite's story of reckless devotion and the bond that exists between man and beast seems to have struck a chord.

The canine ghost is said to still haunt the falls, especially on June 19, the anniversary of his death. Local legend claims that you can hear barking and howling, and even see a furry apparition flying through the air, when Vite repeats his fateful leap from the top of Kaaterskill Falls into the abyss below.



It must be said that these falls can be very dangerous. Almost every year at least one person who ignores the signs warning about the need to climb to the upper pool falls and dies.

Interesting Facts



The falls are surrounded by dense forests and rocky outcrops, creating a fairytale-like atmosphere.

There is a nearby observation deck that offers stunning views of the falls.

Kaaterskill was an inspiration for many 19th-century artists, especially the Hudson River School movement.

Artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church often depicted the falls in their works.

It is mentioned in the works of such authors as Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper.

The name "Kaaterskill" comes from the Dutch word Kaaters, which means "wild cat". This is due to legends that wild cats used to live in these woods.