Witch’s Hole Falls Loop

This is a loop trail from Port Ben, NY leading to Witch's Hole Falls. About 80% uses old woods roads (unblazed), with the remainder (about 1 mile) along a rough trail with silver blazes (the so-called "Waterfall Trail"). Note that the Waterfall Trail is more like a game path than a hiking trail, which means you're going to want to wear long pants in beating your way through mountain laurel bushes. The waterfall that is the destination is worth the trip, as long as you time things right. If there's too much water, you will find it almost impossible to cross Beaver Creek to get a good view of the fall. Conversely, if there's not enough water, there's only a trickle to be seen. Good luck! You start at a small parking area at the end of Port Ben Rd. Follow a woods road (just to right of a private driveway). After 0.5 miles, turn right, crossing a bridge over the stream you've been following. At 1.2 and again at 1.4 miles, turn right, eventually reaching the top of a cliff (Vulture Head Ledge), which you follow, soon viewing your first silver blazes. The trail then winds its way down the ledge and crosses a multi-branched stream. Continue on the trail (keeping a close eye out for the silver blazes (which don't really show up very well, although there are quite a few of them!) Once you reach Beaver Creek, make your way across it and up to near the foot of the falls (at 2.2 miles in). On the way back, instead of climbing back up the ledge, at 2.7 miles, take a right onto the branch of the silver-blazed trail which parallels the bottom of the ledge. At 3.1 miles, turn right on one of the woods roads you used coming in. At 3.4 miles, again turn right and following the looping course of another woods road (passing the cutoff to Jacob's Ladder at 3.6 miles). At 4.3 miles you go straight, and you'll be back at your car at 4.8 miles.