Pennsylvania Waterfalls

[michael_shake]

There are lots of waterfalls in Pennsylvania. I have only seen a fraction of them and my favorite spot so far was a trail called Ricketts Glen. Nineteen waterfalls along a 3.2 mile trail.
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/ ... rails.aspx

[tjconheady]

anything on the way down to Philly from here?

I'll be going at least once (this May)

heading 81 south, to the pike, etc etc

[michael_shake]

Try Googling these waterfalls that are somewhat along the way down towards Philly off 81.

I am referencing a great guide book called Pennsylvania waterfalls by Scott E. Brown.

Starting with the closest one to NY.

Fall Brook in Salt Springs state park. theres three of them here but tallest one is 9 feet. Considered an easy hike of .6 miles and takes about 45 minutes.
GPS 41,54.703N, 75, 51.901 W

Seven Tubs, state game lands. Seven shoots and pools to see here. Nothing very tall but its supposed to be scenic. Only a .4 mile hike, moderate and about 45 minutes.
GPS 41, 10.093N, 75, 48.670W

Hawk Falls. a nice 12 foot waterfall in a scenic location. Considered an easy hike of .6 miles and about 45 minutes long.
GPS 41,0.638N, 75,38.038W

Glen Onoko, Three waterfalls here to see. Chameleon Falls- 25 feet, Onoko Falls- 64 feet, and Hidden Sweet- 15 feet. This is considered a difficult hike of 1.7 miles and will take about two hours.
GPS 40,53.204N, 75,45.945W

If you want to see Ricketts Glen 21 waterfalls its not to far out of your way. Its about 30 miles west of Wilkes Barre and well worth the trip to see. You should plan on a full day to see them though. The entire falls trail is 8.2 miles long. You can break it up into smaller hike though of 3.2 miles and see 19 of them.
GPS 41,17.965N 76,16.490W.

[ki0eh]

Just across the line into PA from the Corning area there are several rustic falls along the developing Mid State Trail http://www.hike-mst.org (MST), PA's answer to the FLT as the longest volunteer-marked footpath in the state.

Nelson Falls - Naturally created in 1936 cutting off a long oxbow of Cowanesque River. Height is variable as it plunges into the head of Cowanesque Lake flood-control reservoir (dammed in 1980). On south side of PA Route 49, trailhead on west side of the 1st Cowanesque River bridge coming west from US Route 15 at Lawrenceville. Located on public property, US Army Corps of Engineers. Less than a quarter mile from the trailhead and partially visible from the PA 49 bridge. Perennial flow. Not in any book I've seen.

Sand Run Falls - Located in Tioga State Forest at the end of a 6 mile loop marked trail from a paved road (Arnot Road) or a 1 mile mostly unmarked trail from a very long seasonal gravel road, Landrus Road, between Arnot (near Blossburg) and Morris. About 30' high. Mid State Trail will approach this from yet a 3rd direction (scheduled opening July 2007) and also visit a flume on nearby Babb Creek and a 12' falls on a nearby unt of Babb Creek locally called Rattlesnake Run. Sand Run is perennial but fairly low in summer when it's possible to walk across the top like Ebenezer's Crossing on the FLT west of Watkins Glen (don't sue me if you trip and fall directly over the falls). Not a walk in the park. This one makes it into the books.

Nickel Run Falls - Also located in Tioga State Forest this 30' falls is unknown even to most locals, will be accessed by a spur path from MST after July 2007. The shortest way in from the long gravel Landrus Road will involve fording Babb Creek in the middle of the ghost town of Landrus (only possible in summer low) and heading back on to-be-marked MST which is on the other side from the road, 2 miles one way to reach the branch trail. Not in any book I've seen but you can see a view of part of it at http://landrus.blogspot.com click on Nickel Run on right hand side of page.

Stony Fork - A relatively well known series of local swimming holes in Tioga State Forest. MST (marked for two years now, here) is on one side of the creek and a gravel road is on the other side. The gravel road intersects PA Route 414 between Blackwell and Morris, about 12 miles from the US 15 expressway, but the Babb Creek bridge is no more, if you obey the warning sign at the ford it's a long way around driving nearly to Wellsboro and back out. This is in some of the books.

Mossy Run - MST climbs wildly (no CCC stonework here!) and steeply through this ravine on the west/roadless side of Stony Fork Creek in Tioga State Forest passing 3 - 10'+ waterfalls on a small unnamed tributary that gets pretty low in summer. Not in any book I've seen.

I could try to generate coordinates if there's interest.

Not on the MST there are a number of falls in the Pennsylvania "Grand Canyon" in Tioga State Forest. A book by Chuck Dillon Short Hikes in Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon is a gateway to many of these, he's not afraid to leave the blazed trails for old log skids or plain bushwhacking, again not treks for fans of CCC stonework.

Hopefully some of you GOOD photographers will make it down there someday!

[Mark J]

It is hard to imagine a more fabulous waterfall destination than Ricketts Glen, west of Scranton, PA. It's featured on the cover of the current issue of the Luzerne Co. tourism guide which I picked up at a PA rest area a couple weeks ago. You will feel like a kid in a candy store at Ricketts Glen. Go on a weekday, a rainy day or at daybreak to beat the crowds. I was there on a Saturday in early May, 2007, there were hundreds of people. Plan at least half a day.

I was a Seven Tubs the same weekend. It is a wonderful series of potholes, even though the overall height is not that great. And it's a very short distance off of I-81.

Other falls well worth visiting in northeast PA ("NEPA") are Raymondskill Falls and Dingman's Falls on Route 209 in the Delaware Water Gap. I visited these in November, 2007 on the day after Thanksgiving and had them nearly to myself.

Another fasciniating natural area nearby is Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/STATEPARKS/ ... ryrun.aspx. There's not a waterfall in sight, but you'll remember this place forever. Very unusual.

[hoohaa]

The Scranton area isn't too far from me. I might have to plan a day to a couple of these places come spring/summer. Seems like it could be a nice mid-week day trip.

[Mark J]

Hoohaa, midweek makes a lot of sense for NEPA waterfalls. The Scranton area is much more populated than the Finger Lakes, so the falls tend to have a lot more visitors.

[hoohaa]

I always try and avoid any place that could be "tourist" on the weekends. I never understood some others I know who always insist on going somewhere on a weekend. I understand some can't as it doesn't mesh with the schedule... but other (teachers etc.) should be able to in the summer!