Hackers Falls and Cliff Trail Loop

This is a relatively good trail. kind of confusing so make sure you are using the app or have a map! only 3 stars because of the amount of people and the amount of garbage along the trail at the falls.

Drove 2.5 hours to get here and they had all the roads blocked off because they were “over capacity”. Park rangers waiving you on instead of providing assistance on where to go instead.

Arrived early-ish (8:30 am) on a weekday and there were only a few people around. Interesting trail that gives you a lot of different things (waterfalls, cliff views, etc). I would rate the hiking easy-moderate as there are some sections of incline but for the most part, this is a pleasant walk on level ground. Bug spray kept insects away and didn’t see any wildlife. When the crowds thin out in the fall, it might be worth starting this hike at the Milford Knob trailhead and walking southwest to make the falls the reward halfway through. As is, the falls are over within a quarter of the way through the hike. The views from the Cliff Trail are spectacular and the best I’ve seen in the DWG.

we went on a weekday and it wasn't crowded... we really enjoyed this loop. started out along Cliff Trail side... fabulous views! we were ready for a swim by the time we got to Hacker's Falls... kids really enjoyed jumping from the waterfall and the cliff above. Very glad we went ona weekday though... drove by on Saturday and the lot was packed with cars...

I really enjoyed this hike. Two beautiful waterfalls to see: Raymondskill Falls (are across the road near the beginning of this trail) and Hackers Falls. Plus, a wonderful overlook on Cliff Trail which enables you to see the beautiful valley. I was glad I had downloaded the map bc the markers can sometimes be a bit confusing. As everyone else suggested, get there early for parking. Of course, the weekdays are when you should try and go to experience lesser crowds.

Meg is right. Large groups absolutely trashed this place over the weekend. Infuriating. LEAVE NO TRACE!!!

This would be an amazing spot but there are so many out of staters that were here. The piles and pikes of trash the loud music over crowded and people having dogs off leash, atvs and open fires. There was no respect for this beautiful site just a dumping ground for people to leave behind beer bottle caps, bags full of bad food and empty bottles of beer. I have a feeling this place would be amazing but they need to regulate it better and fine those who just trash such an amazing place. My husband went in and the deepest part was about 8feet, there were teens jumping from the highest rock and this water is definitley not deep enough for that so its only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Eventually all these people are going to ruin it for everyone. Clean up after yourself respect the rules and be safe!

Just did the fall walk with kids not bad about 1 mile one way next time will be back to do the loop on the future

The walk was beautiful. The trails are nice and clean to walk. The waterfall is gorgeous. People swim there. The water looks clean. It wasn’t crowded which was nice. It has very limited parking.

This is an amazing loop! My wife and I drug are 12 year-old twin daughters through the whole thing ha ha Ha. The first leg is excellent very easy and you get to the falls. Beautiful swimming there but like others have said get there early because it fills up quickly. By 11 it was getting full. After Quick swimming we continued on for the rest of the loop beautiful vistas some hard uphill’s 12-year-old unhappy then they were happy at ice cream. This app was a godsend. The GPS saved us from many confusing intersections of many trails. Thank you AllTrails!

Thug jig

I started by doing the short Raymondskill Falls loop, which you really should do as long as you’re in the area. I then did the Cliff Trail out to the Milford Knob Overlook, came back and did the pond loop to Buchanan and then Hackers Trail to Hackers Falls and back to the Raymondskill Falls parking lot. And then did the Raymondskill Falls loop again, because it's that cool. Overall, a little over 9 miles Raymondskill Falls is awesome, but there’s not much to do but view the waterfall. Hackers Falls is a more inviting place as it is an attractive waterfall but also there is an open area below it where one can relax, eat or go into the water. Or watercolor, as I saw one guy doing. Realize you will not be alone - on a summer day the pool below the waterfall can attract a lot of people. In between the waterfalls was the highly enjoyable Cliff Trail. Once on top of the ridge, it’s an easy forest hike with several overlooks offering splendid views of the Delaware River valley and beyond. If the two small parking lots at Raymondskill Falls are full (they fill up early on a weekend!), use the Cliff Park or Milford Knob parking areas, which are less busy. A note of caution - the trail markings at the intersection of Buchanan and Hackers had me confused. It’s as if someone had rotated the guidepost, or so it seemed to me. I trusted the map and proceeded on the correct trail (Hackers).

I completed this loop last week. The view overlooking the Delaware River is INCREDIBLE and way more impressive than the waterfall. I give this trail only 4 stars, because it is NOT clearly marked and kind of confusing to follow. Ended up being more like 4 miles and the loop brings you back out onto the road and not where you started. (But close to it). Worth it to start the opposite way if you are looking for the overlook!

Had to cut the hike short because the kids were fading so we didn’t do the Cliff Trail portion, but the Hacker’s Falls portion was awesome. It only takes 1 mile of mild/moderate covered woods path uphill until you get to the falls. There are a few intersecting trails so GPS is recommended. The falls are impressive but the swimming hole is what makes this place special. It is big enough for lots of people. There are multiple areas to spread out around the falls. It is easy to enter the swimming hole (although very slippery). You can go under the falls, jump from the falls and even dive in some areas. The rest of the hike after the falls and before the cliff trail is okay. This trailhead is directly opposite the Raymondskill Falls which is only 0.6 miles from the trailhead but harder to get to and more difficult to swim in. Do yourself a favor and go the extra 1/2 mile to Hacker’s. This is a must do if you are within 90 minutes.

Great Trail and super awesome views !!

First hike with my 9 and 10 year old. Unreal. First steep climb to rock overhang was well worth it. Swimming in the falls and pond was a nice reward for decent hike for first timers. Total blast. Will definitely be back.

Went at 12 on a Wednesday and the parking was pretty full, but I guess most people went to Raymondskill only, because almost nobody was on the Hackers and cliff trails. Beautiful views on the cliff trail and the falls were amazing to swim in.

There are two lots. If you can’t park at one of the lots, there is parking on the main road below. It requires an extra 15 minutes of walking to find the trail head if you park on the main road, but was doable. The main thing to know is that the AllTrails app doesn’t take you past Raymondskill Falls. It had us cross the street and immediately start hiking toward Hackers Falls (where many people were swimming). The more famous Raymondskill Falls is practically right next to the first parking lot. You can hear it when you get out of the car. It is a quick 5 minute walk to those falls. Check that out and, if you are up for a longer (more on that in a minute) hike, head across the street and follow the app on the loop. We loved hanging out at Hackers Falls. The pond area further along the hike was nice, but the cliff views toward the end were incredible. The coolest thing about this hike is that there are multiple points where you can shave off time (but miss cool sights) if you are getting tired. I recorded the hike, and it was a couple miles longer than what it says on the landing page for the hike on the app. Keep that in mind.

Considering the amount of foot traffic this place gets, I thought it was remarkably clean...very little litter. The YELLOW Hacker trail is well marked. Just make sure you follow the arrows for the YELLOW full circle when the markers appear...as there are some white/yellow circles that veer off elsewhere in the network. The trail is quite wide in most areas...so no major worries about ticks. The last 1/4 mile of trail leading to Hacker Falls is a really nice mix of evergreen and hardwood trees. The falls themselves were perfect....exactly what I had hoped for. Hard smooth rock surrounds the falls and pools...so no worry about soggy entry or silty water. The water temp was perfect, and the pools are deep enough to jump into off the first ledge of the falls. Some folks went up top and jumped in...but that looked risky to me. I'll definitely come back here again soon. P.S. Parking was tight on a weekday. Might have to wait for someone to pull out. I think weekends would be too crowded.

Absolutely beautiful!! I loved the park, rangers were helpful, traffic was a bit of a pain but it was a great hike for all ages

Nice trail. Lots of up and down (can get strenuous at times). There is also an off trail path that takes you to the bottom of the falls. Lots of people in the water when I went. The bottom of the falls could be a nice spot for a picnic. Also, the first pull off where cars are parked is not the only parking. There’s is a larger lot right past the first one.

I took my 8 and 5 year old to the Raymondskill Falls. We liked the area, we took the small loop from the parking lot. It was fenced and safe for kids. There was a side trail to go down to the river, which we also took. Good place to put your feet in (kids, it’s like a reward for them). The climb up is straining, but my kids are good hikers so it wasn’t a problem. But mind, whatever you go down, you’ll need to make it up the hill. We will be back to do the bigger loop to the other falls.