OK Slip Falls

The Adirondack Mountain Club published “Peaks and Ponds: Adirondack Day Hikes” by Bobby Clark and Cat Hadlow, in April 2022. This collection of 37 classic and lesser-known day hikes celebrated ADK’s 100-year anniversary by featuring beautiful remote spots throughout the park with side trips and snippets of history. 

ADK has been working to conserve resources, advocate for preservation of wild places, and educate people on having safe, low-impact outdoor experiences. They focus on sharing information by publishing guidebooks and maps, conducting research, and affiliating with other outdoor organizations for the common goal of protecting the Adirondack Park.

The 160-page book is written by two ADK staff members and both are seasoned outdoor adventurers. It includes GPS coordinates and QR codes for trailheads and parking areas, round-trip distances, difficulty ratings, maps and photos. Sections on wilderness safety and ethics help hikers have safe low-impact outings. Peaks and Ponds follows the smaller size, easy-to-read format of ADK’s other samplers with key trip info at the beginning of each description. The guidebook is available at local retailers or online: adk.org. Here’s a book excerpt:

OK Slip Falls

Located in the Hudson Gorge Wilderness, OK Slip Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Adirondacks, plummeting more than 200 feet.

Key Trip Info – Round-trip: 6.5 miles (10.4K). Elevation change: 584 feet (178m). Difficulty: Easy+ (due to easy to moderate rolling terrain). GPS coordinates: 43.772470, -74.129670 (parking area).

Trailhead – The parking area is on the south side of NY Route 28, 7.2 miles east of the NY Routes 28/30 junction in Indian Lake, and 4.9 miles west of the Thirteenth Lake Road/NY Route 28 junction in North River. It is marked with signs reading “Access to Hudson Gorge Wilderness Area” and “OK Slip Falls Trail.” The trailhead is across Route 28 from the parking area and requires 0.2 miles of road walking. Cross Route 28 and turn left, keeping the guard rail between you and the road. Walk against traffic, following red trail markers on the utility poles. The trailhead is down an embankment to the right, where there is an information kiosk and a trail register.

Cross the low wet areas on bog bridges, following the red-marked trail toward Big Bad Luck, Ross, and Whortleberry Ponds. The trail meanders steadily downward through conifers and into a mixed forest of beech, maple, and spruce, with some hemlock. Occasional massive white pines tower above this woodland path. At 0.7 miles, the trail reaches a junction with the blue-marked OK Slip Falls Trail. Bear right and pass a “FALLS” sign on the blue-marked trail. 

From here, the trail bears northeast and makes a continuous rolling descent through an open forest. At 1.2 miles, it climbs a small hill before continuing down again. The trail reaches another low, wet area at 1.8 miles and crosses a stream with a large, open marshy area visible on the right. It continues on the level until reaching a private road at 2.4 miles. Turn left and follow the road for a short distance before turning right toward the wooden “Falls Trail” sign. 

The path now resembles a wide woods road and begins a gradual descent, before crossing OK Slip Brook on a sturdy wooden bridge. The trail soon narrows as it winds through a typical northern hardwood forest, briefly following the right side of the brook before climbing the adjacent hillside. Once atop the hill, the trail descends through switchbacks toward an overlook of the falls. At 3.2 miles, the trail reaches an unmarked junction. The path left leads down to the bank where OK Slip Brook empties into the Hudson River. Turn right to reach the two viewpoints for the magnificent falls. The first overlook provides a view across the gorge through the surrounding trees. The second overlook is just past the first. Note: Avoid an unofficial trail that appears to lead beyond the second overlook down toward the gorge; it is very unstable and extremely steep. 

Trail in Winter – Suitable for all snowshoeing ability levels; trail crampons (spikes) recommended for icy sections in early spring and late fall. 

Nearby Side Quests – Big Bad Luck Pond, 6.8 miles (10.9K) round-trip, minimal elevation change. Baldface Mountain, 2.2 miles (3.5K) round-trip, 580 feet (177m) elevation change (requires paddle across Indian Lake to reach trailhead). North Creek Mosaic Project on Main Street in North Creek: Take a look at this  beautiful piece of mosaic art highlighting the area’s outdoor recreation opportunities.

In 2015, ADK trail crews assisted with construction of the gorge trail that forks off the main OK Slip Falls trail just before the first overlook area. Part of this work included building stone staircases to ease the traverse to the base of the gorge where OK Slip Brook meets the Hudson River.