Ricketts Glen: Waterfall Heaven on Earth?

Ganoga Falls, tallest in the park at 94 feet

For quite some time, friends have been recommending that I visit Ricketts Glen State Park, roughly an hour west of Scranton, PA. And boy, was I glad I did. This place is waterfall heaven and possibly the most beautiful location in Pennsylvania.

To understand why this area has so many waterfalls, you need to understand the geology of this region. The park lies on the Allegheny Front, a long escarpment separating the Allegheny Plateau from the Ridge and Valley Province that stretches from Chattanooga, Tennessee up to Albany, New York, creating a formidable barrier to transportation and countless waterfalls. Most of the named waterfalls occur in a stretch where the creeks fall roughly 1,000 feet in about a mile. Which means, yes, in order to see all of the waterfalls in the main part of the glens, you'll have a total ascent of close to that.

Ricketts Glen is not an "easy" hike. The only thing keeping this from being a 4/5 for difficulty is that the steep sections use stairs, so no scrambling is required. If you want to hit all of the falls on the Falls Trail loop, it's no less than a 4.75-mile loop with roughly 900 feet of ascent (mostly on stairs, so it's not too bad). Add 2.5 or so miles to the round trip if hiking in from the PA Route 118 trailhead. Even with extended stops at a couple of the falls, I was able to complete a loop from the Lake Rose trailhead in slightly over 2 hours, but I'm also used to rougher terrain. Allow 3-4 hours minimum if hiking from Lake Rose, add an hour or two for a loop from SR 118. Most of the trail is on exposed rock that gets quite slick. Rails are generally nonexistent except on bridges.

I started my hike from the Lake Rose trailhead around 10:15 AM, after stopping by the park office to pick up a map. The weather was quite pleasant, low 50s and sunny.

Trailhead signs

Looking onto the trail from the signs

A few steps lead down to the trail from the parking lot. Initially, the trail winds through a forested area.

Rock formations near trailhead

After 1/10 mile, we reach a fork. To the left is the "Highland Trail", which follows the north side of the loop while remaining relatively flat. Right starts the descent into Ganoga Glen, the west leg of the gorge.

Fork in the road

I started by going left along the Highland Trail so I'd have little hiking left after I finished the long ascent up the Allegheny Front.

A short distance down the Highland Trail

The Highland Trail is very similar to the environment I'm used to seeing in the Catskills and Taconics.

At roughly the midpoint of the Highland Trail, we reach the appropriately-named Midway Crevasse, a large rock formation the trail passes through.

A side crevasse

Midway Crevasse itself. Wide enough for at least once adult to pass through.

On the far side of the crevasse are a series of small caverns, some of these still containing snow.

Ice caves?

Continuing on, there's a side trail to the right leading to the Falls Trail. This side trail cuts about 1/4 mile off the total hike, but you bypass the uppermost falls on the east side. I continued straight on the Highland Trail.

Signs at junction

Soon enough, we reach the junction with the Falls Trail, which departs to the right.

Onto the Falls Trail I went and I began my descent into Glen Leigh, the eastern fork of the gorge. The trail crosses the creek and hugs the bank.

Maybe 1/8 mile onto the Falls Trail we reach the first named waterfall, Onondaga Falls (15 feet).

Onondaga Falls. The trail uses that icy staircase.

When I got to this point, I started to understand why Ricketts Glen is so popular. Continue down the path and we reach a bridge crossing just above the top of F.L. Ricketts Falls.

Looking down F.L. Ricketts Falls

Around this point, the side trail from the Highland Trail comes in. The trail descends a steep rock staircase.

The trail crosses the creek and immediately turns right to continue downstream, but a small side trail to the left allows for a great view of F.L. Ricketts Falls (38 feet).

The next major falls is Shawnee Falls (30 feet).

Shawnee Falls

Almost immediately, we're at Huron Falls.

Down the stairs next to Huron Falls

Huron Falls, a multi-drop cascade

It's a bit of a walk to the next falls in Glen Leigh

Rock overhang above the trail 

But once we're there, it's spectacular 60-foot Ozone Falls is the highest falls on this side of the gorge. A bridge crosses the creek mere feet from the top of the falls.

From the top

Ozone Falls

From further down

Next, we have R.B. Ricketts Falls (36 feet).

R.B. Ricketts Falls

 The gorge widens down here and there's a surprising amount of sunlight.

The rapid-fire series of falls continues with B. Reynolds Falls (40 feet).

Stairs alongside the falls

B. Reynolds Falls.

There's one more named falls in Glen Leigh, the 15-foot Wyandot Falls.

Wyandot Falls

Not far downstream of Wyandot Falls lies Waters Meet, the point where the two forks of the gorge converge.

Sign indicating Glen Leigh at Waters Meet

This is also where the other branch of the Falls Trail, which we passed at the beginning of the Highland Trail, comes in.

Looking up Ganoga Glen, the other branch of the gorge

Plaque at Waters Meet

The trail crosses a bridge at Waters Meet and immediately intersects the other branch of the trail. Turning right here, one can ascend up Ganoga Glen. To the left (downstream) are the three other named falls in the main part of the glen and the trail to the SR 118 trailhead. If you want to see the other three falls, the round-trip distance is approximately 0.8 miles and it took me roughly 20 minutes to hike. I turned left and continued downstream. 1/5 mile below Waters Meet lies Harrison Wright Falls (27 feet).

Harrison Wright Falls

Not far below is Sheldon Reynolds Falls (36 feet).

Sheldon Reynolds Falls

Finally, we're at Murray Reynolds Falls.

Murray Reynolds Falls

From here, it is roughly 1.4 miles to SR 118 if you wish to continue and there are two options of varying difficulty. I decided to retrace my steps back to Waters Meet and return to my car via Ganoga Glen (the west leg of the gorge).

The trail south of Waters Meet

Once you're at Waters Meet, continue straight (don't cross the bridge) to enter Ganoga Glen.

Bridge from Glen Leigh leg of trail

Trail sign

The trail through Ganoga Glen

The first falls on the ascent up Ganoga Glen is Erie Falls (47 feet).

Erie Falls 

Climb up alongside Erie Falls and there are some gorgeous views of the gorge.

Looking into the glen from above Erie Falls

Almost immediately, we're facing Tuscarora Falls (47 feet).

Tuscarora Falls

The stairs alongside Tuscarora Falls

Continue up and the next waterfall is the 17-foot Conestoga Falls.

Conestoga Falls

Yes, this is the trail

Next major falls is Mohican Falls (39 feet), located at a sharp turn in the gorge.

 

Part of Mohican Falls

Off to the left, there's a series of smaller falls on a tributary.

 Next up is the 37-foot Delaware Falls...

Delaware Falls

followed almost immediately by the 12-foot Seneca Falls.

Seneca Falls

Beyond Seneca Falls, the trail forks. Left continues uphill, right descends further into the gorge whose walls we were just starting to climb. I strongly suggest you go right and down, as you may be able to make out something amazing up ahead.

The most spectacular waterfall at Ricketts Glen is none other than the 94-foot Ganoga Falls. Even though it was only in the low 60s, hiking had built up quite a sweat, but the mist from the falls made the lower overlook quite comfortable.

Ganoga Falls

Decent amount of ice still in this part of the gorge

Yours truly at Ganoga Falls (photo taken by a fellow hiker)

After a 5-10 minute break to admire the falls, I began the remainder of the climb to my car.

Parting shot of Ganoga Falls

Long ascent alongside Ganoga Falls...

Did I really just climb up that?

Sign denoting Ganoga Falls along the stairs...

But the view here isn't too good

Decent amount of ice above the hairpin

At the top of the stairs, a connector to the Old Beaver Dam Road Trail departs to the left.

Soon, we're at the top of Ganoga Falls.

I just had my picture taken waaaaaaaaay down there

Once I was done enjoying the view, the remainder of the trek back to the car was pretty easy.

Still 3 more sets of falls, though. First up is Cayuga Falls (11 feet)...

Cayuga Falls

followed by Oneida Falls (13 feet)

and Mohawk Falls (37 feet).

Mohawk Falls, last major falls on the hike

After Mohawk Falls, it was sadly time to say goodbye to Ricketts Glen. About 0.4 miles separates me from my car, most of it through relatively-flat forest.

Aw, darn, I have to climb that?

Out of the glen 

Only 0.3 miles left

Ascending a little more through the forest

Back at the Highland Trail fork

Just about there

Once I was back to my car, it was straight to the nearest Sheetz for me. Hiking worked up quite an appetite and I wanted a large MTO meal for the drive back home to Albany.

Without a doubt, Ricketts Glen was one of the best hikes I have ever taken, being up there with some of the large mountain hikes, and definitely my best hike that didn't involve a mountain summit. Aren't many places I would say are must-visit locations, but Ricketts Glen is one of them. And because it's Pennsylvania, the park is free! Just make sure you fill up on cheap gas before you get to PA.

Getting Here

Ricketts Glen State Park is located near the intersection of PA Routes 118 and 487 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, roughly 35 minutes from Bloomsburg, 45 minutes from Wilkes-Barre, and an hour from Scranton and Williamsport.

Lake Rose Trailhead

This is the most popular starting place and the location I started from. It supposedly fills up on summer weekends, but it was not even 15% full when I got there on a Sunday in April and a little over half full when I left. There are restrooms here and park maps are available at the park office (which you pass driving in). Entrance to this part of the park is off of SR 487 just north of the Sullivan-Luzerne county line, follow signs to trailhead. Overflow parking is available at the beach, but this adds a mile or more round-trip.

SR 118 Trailhead

This trailhead is located along SR 118 south of the glen. While it avoids having to ascent 900 feet on the return trip, the hike is over 2.5 miles longer, so pick your poison here. This trail supposedly passes though a large stand of old-growth forest (something I wasn't too drawn to, as we have a bunch of it near Albany still) and the trailhead rarely fills as it is further from the main attractions. This trailhead has no maps available to take, but there are restrooms.