Pennsylvania Waterfalls
Pennsylvania has a good number of waterfalls, but I've only had a chance to visit a few when I had traveled here to visit my in-laws.
Bridal Veil Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.12035,-75.01489
Bridal Veil Falls is a 28-foot waterfall on Pond Run Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is about a 2-mile loop and fairly easy. You'll also get several other waterfalls in the area on the loop.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 11 miles and turn left on Bushkill Road Falls Road. In 1.7 miles, turn left and drive to the parking lot. The visitor center is at the far end of the parking lot, where tickets can be purchased. The trails start right past the visitor center.
Follow the Red Trail - it's a loop so it doesn't matter which way you go. Following the trail counterclockwise, turn right past the visitor center to hike the Yellow/Red Trail. Where these trails split, follow the Red/Blue Trail past Pennell Falls. Where the trails split again at Peters' Corner, stay on the Red Trail. Cross Pond Run Creek on a footbridge and head down the stairs. You'll pass Upper Bridesmaid's Falls and Bridal Veil Falls is the next one down. There is a wooden platform for viewing the falls.
Bridesmaid's Lower Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.12021,-75.01445
Lower Bridesmaid's Falls is an 18-foot waterfall on Pond Run Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is about a 2-mile loop and fairly easy. You'll also get several other waterfalls in the area on the loop.
To visit the falls, follow the directions for Bridal Veil Falls above. Continue on the trail past Bridal Veil and Lower Bridesmaid's Falls is the next one that you'll come to. This waterfall isn't particularly big, but I thought it had a lot of character - there is a small free-fall then the water tumbles in two cascades forming a 90° angle with the initial free fall.
Bridesmaid's Upper Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.12032,-75.01539
Upper Bridesmaid's Falls is an 15-foot waterfall on Pond Run Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is about a 2-mile loop and fairly easy. You'll also get several other waterfalls in the area on the loop.
To visit the falls, follow the directions for Bridal Veil Falls above and you'll pass Upper Bridesmaid's Falls. The waterfall is immediately upstream of Bridal Veil and there is a wooden boardwalk that leads to a viewing platform for the falls.
Bushkill Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.11734,-75.00996
Bushkill Falls is a 65-foot waterfall on Little Bushkill Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is less than a mile and easy. You can also hike the loop around the area and get several other waterfalls in the area on the loop.
To visit the falls, follow the directions for Bridal Veil Falls above and continue the loop to pass Bushkill Falls before finishing up the loop. If you don't want to do the entire loop, start off on the Red Trail and go straight to reach a bridge near the top of Bushkill Falls. Across the bridge, turn left to follow the Yellow Trail down the stairs to the base of the falls.
Deer Leap Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.23714,-74.91928 (Childs Park Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.23607,-74.91513
Factory Falls is a 25-foot waterfall on Dingmans Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in the George W. Childs Park in Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. The hike to the waterfall is less than a mile and easy and can be easily combined with the two other waterfalls in the park.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for about 23 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. Turn left on PA-739 north and drive 1.2 miles to Silver Lake Road. Turn left and drive 1.8 miles and bear left to enter the recreation site.
From the parking area, follow the trail and head downstream along Dingmans Creek. Follow the trail downstream to the end and there will be a bridge across the creek just below Deer Leap Falls. You can go out on the beach at the base of the falls for the best views.
Dingmans Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.22946,-74.88759 (Dingmans Falls Visitor Center Parking)
Waterfall GPS: 41.23064,-74.89222
Dingmans Falls is a 130-foot waterfall on its namesake creek in Pike County, the second highest waterfall in Pennsylvania. The waterfall is located in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The hike to the base of the falls is about a half-mile round trip and easy. There are also stairs to the top of the waterfall that would make the hike more difficult.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 23 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Turn left Johnny Bee Road and follow to the end at the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center.
From the parking area, follow the Dingmans Creek Trail past Silverthread Falls to the wooden overlook at the base of Dingmans Falls. The trail is a boardwalk and handicapped accessible to this point. If you want to see the top of the waterfall, climb the steps at the end of the overlook up to the top.
Factory Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.23714,-74.91928 (Childs Park Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.23765,-74.91679
Factory Falls is a 28-foot waterfall on Dingmans Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in the George W. Childs Park in Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. The hike to the waterfall is less than a mile and easy and can be easily combined with the two other waterfalls in the park.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for about 23 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. Turn left on PA-739 north and drive 1.2 miles to Silver Lake Road. Turn left and drive 1.8 miles and bear left to enter the recreation site.
From the parking area, follow the trail and head downstream along Dingmans Creek. In less than a quarter-mile, you'll come to an overlook at the top of the falls. You can't see much here, though, so continue on the trail past Fulmer Falls, cross the creek on a footbridge, and hike upstream until you reach a better view near the base of the falls.
Fulmer Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.23714,-74.91928 (Childs Park Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.23735,-74.91615
Fulmer Falls is a 38-foot waterfall on Dingmans Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in George W. Childs Park in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The hike to the waterfall is less than a mile and easy and can be easily combined with the two other waterfalls in the park.
To visit the falls, follow the directions to Factory Falls above. Fulmer Falls is just downstream of Factory Falls. It's difficult to see the entire waterfall from any one point. There is a footbridge across the creek conveniently right downstream of the falls, so you can view the waterfall easily from either side of the creek.
Hackers Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.29027,-74.84003 (Hackers Trail Parking Area)
Waterfall GPS: 41.29920,-74.83852
Hackers Falls is a fan-shaped waterfall on Raymondskill Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The hike to the falls is a little over 2 miles round trip and easy to moderate.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 28 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Turn left on Raymondskill Road and the parking area will be on the left in under a half-mile. If coming from Milford, follow US-209 south for about 3 miles and turn right on Raymondskill Road.
From the parking area, cross Raymondskill Road and pick up Hackers Trail on the other side. In about a half-mile, you'll reach an intersection. Logger Path goes right; turn left to stay on Hackers Trail. In about another half-mile, you will be able to see Hackers Falls from the trail. A side path goes to creek level for better views of the falls.
Lower Gorge Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.11699,-75.01086
Lower Gorge Falls is a waterfall on Little Bushkill Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is less than a mile and easy, but if you do the entire Red Loop Trail, about 2 miles total, you'll get several more waterfalls in the area.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 11 miles and turn left on Bushkill Road Falls Road. In 1.7 miles, turn left and drive to the parking lot. The visitor center is at the far end of the parking lot, where tickets can be purchased. The trails start right past the visitor center.
Follow the Red Trail and turn left to hike past Bushkill Falls to a bridge over Lower Gorge Falls. You can see the top of it from up close here, but you can't see the entire thing. Continue on the trail a short ways for a view of the entire waterfall, but it's partially blocked by trees.
Pennell Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.11743,-75.00786 (Bushkill Falls Parking Lot)
Waterfall GPS: 41.12387,-75.01034
Pennell Falls is a waterfall Little Bushkill Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located on the property of Bushkill Falls, a private tourist attraction. Admission to Bushkill Falls was $12.50 per person when I visited in Autumn 2014. The hike to the falls is less than a mile and easy, but if you do the entire Red Loop Trail, about 2 miles total, you'll get several more waterfalls in the area.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 11 miles and turn left on Bushkill Road Falls Road. In 1.7 miles, turn left and drive to the parking lot. The visitor center is at the far end of the parking lot, where tickets can be purchased. The trails start right past the visitor center.
Follow the Yellow/Red Trail, turn right and hike to the bridge over Little Bushkill Creek. Go straight (do not cross the bridge) to follow the Blue/Red Trail upstream along the creek. In less than a mile, the trail will cross the creek on a bridge and Pennell Falls is immediately upstream. You can view the falls from the bridge.
Raymondskill Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.29017,-74.84090 (Raymondskill Falls Parking Area)
Waterfall GPS: 41.28958,-74.84276
Raymondskill Falls is a 100-foot waterfall in multiple sections on Raymondskill Creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The hike to the viewing platform for the falls is about a quarter-mile and easy.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 28 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Turn left on Raymondskill Road and the parking area will be on the left in about a half-mile. If coming from Milford, follow US-209 south for about 3 miles and turn right on Raymondskill Road.
From the parking area, hike on the trails behind the parking lot. The trail first leads to an overlook at the top of the waterfall. There is a small cascade here and you can see the top of the main falls. Continue down the trail to the main view of the falls.
Ringing Rocks Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 40.56007,-75.12894 (Ringing Rocks County Park parking area)
Waterfall GPS: 40.56216,-75.12620
Ringing Rocks Falls is an 18-foot waterfall on High Falls Creek in Bucks County. The waterfall is located in Ringing Rocks County Park. The hike to the falls about a mile round trip and easy, though the scramble to get to the base is a little steep.
To visit the falls, head north from Doylestown on PA-611 for about 14 miles. Where 611 bears to the left, go straight and then turn left on Marienstein Road and go just under 4 miles. Turn left on Ringing Rocks Road and the parking lot will be on the right in less than a quarter-mile.
From the parking lot, hike north on the trail. In about a quarter-mile, you'll pass a trail to the left that leads out to the Ringing Rocks boulder field. Continue on the trail for about another quarter-mile and you'll come to the top of the waterfall. There's no trail to the base, but it's obvious where others have gone down. It's steep so use caution, especially if it's wet or icy. The waterfall doesn't have much water flow and I think it can completely dry up at times, but it falls over an interesting sandstone cliff. If you visit, bring a hammer and check out the Ringing Rocks while you're here!
Silverthread Falls:
Trailhead GPS: 41.22946,-74.88759 (Dingmans Falls Visitor Center Parking)
Waterfall GPS: 41.23045,-74.88688
Silverthread Falls is a 80-foot waterfall on a tributary of Dingmans creek in Pike County. The waterfall is located in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The hike to the falls is less than a quarter-mile and easy.
To visit the falls, take exit 309 from I-80 near Stroudsburg. Follow US-209 north for 23 miles, entering Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Turn left Johnny Bee Road and follow to the end at the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center.
From the parking area, follow the Dingmans Creek Trail a short ways to Silverthread Falls. The waterfall is a thin stream of water that drops in two sections.
