January 16, 2021

I have heard so much about the “Giant Stairs” hike at the Palisades, but there wasn’t much info when I googled for it. Given this was our first time hiking in this region, we wanted to build up for the Giant Stairs and try something a bit easier and shorter. So here it is - whether you are ready to hike the Giant Stairs or wanted something easier and fun (Peanut Leap Cascade), the info below would get you there.

Peanut Leap Cascade (~3.5 miles roundtrip | 2.5 hrs)

We arrived at the State Line Cafe (see map at the bottom) around 10:35 am on a relatively warm January Saturday with plenty of parking. The Cafe provides clean restrooms, hot drinks, and maps.

If you want to start your journey without stopping by the Cafe, look for the paved road - Old Route 9W (by the viewpoint) to the right of the Cafe.

After a short walk, you will come upon Trail E on your right. Follow that path will take you from point 1 to 4 per the trail map above.

Here are some beautiful sceneries that you will come upon:

Point 2: Boundary Monument

Get ready to walk down tons of steps between points 2-3. Be careful as they could get quite slippery.

Once you’ve climbed down what felt like 100 steps, follow this sign to take you towards the river.

Despite the muddy path, the trail from here to the river is relatively flat. You will come upon some rocky path after crossing the bridge.

The best way to hike the rocky river path is to stay on the left side of the road…

Don’t forget to turn back and enjoy the beautiful view.

After few more steps, you will come upon the waterfall.

Once you’ve made your way down the steps, you have officially reached the Peanut Leap Cascade.

After taking some pictures by the fall with some spiked cider ;p, we decided to cross the stream and hike a bit further down to see if we can spot what the Giant Stairs are instore for us. You can choose to turn back at this point - and trust me, going back up is a lot easier!

After spotting some ducks and dead fish, we reached the gate and realized that it was time to turn back as we’ve probably reached the point of no return.

If you are one of the brave souls, you will keep going and eventually reach the Giant Stairs. For now, we are happy to just end our hike here and practice on the mini-steps instead.

And you can even brag that you hiked from New Jersey to New York in under 3 hours!