Ricketts Glen State Park: Hiking Past 21 Wild Waterfalls

Ricketts Glen State Park, in northeastern Pennsylvania, is a hiker’s heaven and a nature lovers paradise. The park features, without doubt, one of the best hiking trails in the Keystone State and arguably one the best in the United States. I’m talking about the Falls Loop Trail in Ricketts Glen.  I’ve hiked this trail quite a few times, and it seems like it gets even more impressive each time. 

The Falls Loop is a breathtaking trail that rewards hikers with 21 stunning waterfalls as it winds through an old-growth forest. This trail is a must-do for anyone looking to experience some of Pennsylvania’s best scenery. The waterfalls range from 11 to 94 feet within the Glens Natural Area, which has been a registered National Natural Landmark since 1969.

Hiking the Falls Loop Trail in Ricketts Glen State Park

There are two different ways to do the hike. If you want to do the 7.2-mile lollipop loop, park at the lot along Route 118. This is a tough hike and has about 1,100 feet of elevation gain. Expect to spend at least 4 hours on the trail.  This is the traditional way to see all 21 waterfalls and Adams Falls which is just a few hundred feet from the park lot. 

In this article, I will describe the shorter version of the hike moving forward. You still see all 21 main waterfalls but miss Adams Falls. You can always take a short walk to see it later, anyhow. Remember this is still a tough hike with quite a bit of descending and then climbing.  The total length is just over 3.5 miles. 

A few things. This trail is popular. It gets very busy; no matter where you start, the parking lots will fill up fast. That said, if you arrive early, and I mean very early, you are in for a treat. 

Heads-up photos in this article use pictures from several different times hiking the Falls Loop Trai.   The last time we hiked the Falls Loop was in the third week of October, the traditional peak fall foliage in Pennslyvania.  We’d camped the night before and had a blast. 

We woke up well before dawn. It’d been raining for the past few days and had stopped sometime in the middle of the night. After breaking camp, we drove over to the Lake Rose Trailhead Parking. This is the closest access to the Falls Trails System. Getting there early immediately paid dividends; we were the only car in the small parking lot. After making some coffee and having a quick breakfast, we hit the trail as the sun started warming the sky. 

It was cold, wet, and smelled of water-logged fallen leaves. It was a fine morning for one of my wife and I’s favorite hikes. Typically, the best time for the most water in the falls is spring, but it had been relentlessly raining recently, and I was expecting a show. 

Mohawk Falls 

The first part of the hike is along a forested section of the Highland Trail. Then, before too long, you veer right onto the Ganoga Glen side of the Falls Trail. It’s about 0.4 miles from the parking lot until waterfall number one along Kitchen Creek, the 37-foot tall Mohawk Falls. Mohawk Falls plunges over a rock ledge, then fans out into a broad cascade.

Oneida and Cayuga Falls

Another tenth of a mile down the trail is Oneida Falls, which is 13 feet tall. After that, we quickly arrived at the 11-foot-tall Cayuga Falls, which drops in side-by-side segments. One half plunges over a sheer part of a ledge, and the other half cascades down two or three separate ledges.

Ganoga Falls

Next was the park’s 4th waterfall and crown jewel, Ganoga Falls. Standing at 94 feet, it is the tallest waterfall in the park and one of the tallest waterfalls in Pennsylvania. The view of Ganoga Falls is nothing short of spectacular. The trail here is rocky, often wet with some dropoffs; be careful. 

Seneca, Delaware, and Mohican Falls

The 5th, 6th, and 7th waterfalls are all close together. It can be difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts. Seneca Falls (12 Feet) is first, followed by the 37-foot-tall Delaware Falls, and lastly Mohican Falls, which is 39 feet. 

Conestoga and Tuscarora Falls

Conestoga Falls (17 Feet) is next and easy to miss if you are not looking for it. At 47 feet, Tuscarora Falls is the second-tallest waterfall along the Ganoga Glen branch of Kitchen Creek. The beautiful falls drop in two steps. Erie Falls is next and is particularly scenic, with a single drop of more than 45 feet. 

Harrison Wright, Sheldon Reynolds, and Murray Reynolds Falls

From here, continue hiking until the waters meet. There is a nice bench here to sit back and relax for a bit. From here, if you want to hit all 21 waterfalls, you need to take a right head down the Falls Trail a bit. After a stretch, you come to Harrison Wright Falls (27 Feet), Sheldon Reynolds Falls (36 Feet), and Murray Reynolds Falls (16 Feet), all a short distance from each other. If you are hiking during peak hours, this stretch is also much quieter, with fewer people than the loop sections. That said, during our last hike, we still had not seen another soul by this time, but it was still early.

After checking out those three falls, turn around and head back to where Kitchen Creek merges. From here, cross a bridge and begin looping back. The view from the bridge is quite lovely; I recommend stopping and enjoying the view.  

Wyandot, B. Reynolds, and R.B. Rickett’s Falls 

From there, the trail begins on a relatively steep and drawn-out incline. Pretty quickly, Wyandot Falls (15 Feet), B. Reynolds Falls (40 Feet), and R.B. Rickett’s Falls (36 Feet) come along. All three are very pretty. 

Ozone Falls

Ozone Falls is next. At 60 feet, it’s the second tallest on the hike and the tallest waterfall along the Glen Leigh branch of Kitchen Creek. It’s also stunning! The falls have a large single plunge through a narrow cleft in the caprock and then fans outward slightly. There is a footbridge immediately above the falls. 

Huron and Shawnee Falls

After this, Huron (41 Feet) and Shawnee (30 Feet) are practically on top of each other. It was right around here, that the skies opened up on us for a while. It went from a little sprinkle to an absolute gusher of a storm. We hid under a rock overhang from the water for 20 minutes while it dumped rain, making an already slick hike even slipperier. 

F.L. Ricketts and Onondaga Falls

After the rain stopped, we marched up the trail to the 20th and 21st waterfalls. First was F.L. Ricketts Falls at 38 feet, followed closely upstream by the 15-foot Onondaga Falls

After enjoying the view of the last two falls, our day of waterfall chasing was successful but over. We looped back along the Highland Trail. Getting poured on one more time for good measure. 

The pictures and video in this article help paint a picture of how beautiful this hike it, but honestly still doesn’t do it justice. The Falls Loop Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park is one of Pennsylvania’s premier hikes that I can’t recommend enough. 

Tips for a Great Hike

• Wear proper footwear: The trail can be slippery, especially near waterfalls. Hiking boots with good traction are highly recommended.
• Consider trekking poles: These provide extra stability on the steep, rocky sections.
• Bring plenty of water: No water stations are along the trail.
• Start early: The trail can get crowded, especially on weekends.
• Check weather conditions: The trail can be dangerous when wet or icy. Winter hiking is not recommended without proper gear.