Stop # 5: Wildcat Falls

Rain gotta go somewhere and these waters are headin’ for the Delaware

Other than the lake, this is probably the most photographed spot in camp, especially after a hard rain when the falls are thunder-ing. Feel free to come back and spend some time here during your stay in camp. But for now, we have to move on and tell more of the Onteora story.

At some point in Earth Science class, you may recall your teacher saying something about the Continental Divide, the line through the Rocky Mountains where rain falls run either west or east.

But where does all the rain go that falls in OSR? A watershed is an area of land that drains into a specific body of water. Watersheds include networks of rivers, streams, and lakes and the land area surrounding them.

There are 17 major watersheds, or drainage basins, across New York State, with Onteora located in the Delaware River Watershed. Upstream from Wildcat Falls, as you’ll soon see, is the swamp and the brook, that flow to Wildcat Falls. That water makes its way to Orchard Lake, and then into the Sprague Brook, eventually making its way to the Delaware River, the Delaware Bay, and finally, the Atlantic Ocean.

The Delaware River Watershed covers 12,800 square miles across New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The watershed includes 4,062 miles of freshwater rivers and streams

DIRECTIONS: Continue across the brook—watch your footing--and as you climb the other side, look for a ledge that might offer some protection for wild-life...which yes, it does.