The distinctive ridgeline of Kaaterskill High Peak and its shorter neighbor, Round Top Mountain, appear just east of the hamlet along with the dramatic drop into Kaaterskill Clove, a view that inspired many Hudson River School paintings. In the next two miles (3.2 km), NY 23A drops in elevation through this gap in the Catskill Escarpment. It passes the trailhead for Kaaterskill Falls, from where pedestrians must use the narrow shoulder of NY 23A for a considerable distance to reach the falls themselves. Below the falls are many swimming holes and the steep, rugged cliffs that line Kaaterskill Creek. The road levels off just west of Palenville, where it crosses the Long Path hiking trail and leaves the Catskill Park.