Ricketts Glen State Park

Ricketts Glen State Park, in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, is one of the most spectacular waterfall destinations in the eastern United States — a pair of deep, forested glens where Kitchen Creek tumbles over 22 named waterfalls in a few miles, from delicate cascades to the towering 94-foot Ganoga Falls. The famous Falls Trail loops past them all through a magnificent old-growth forest.

Carved through the rock and shaded by towering hemlocks and hardwoods (some of the trees are centuries old), the glens stay cool and misty even in summer. The roughly seven-mile Falls Trail, with its stone steps clinging to the gorge beside the rushing water, is considered one of the great waterfall hikes in the country. Surrounded by lake, forest and mountain, Ricketts Glen is a treasured natural icon of Pennsylvania.

Ricketts Glen is famous for the Falls Trail — a roughly seven-mile loop (or shorter variations) past all 22 named waterfalls, on stone steps and paths through the misty old-growth glens — the signature hike of the park. Beyond it, the park offers swimming and boating on Lake Jean, fishing, camping, more hiking, and in winter ice climbing on the frozen falls. Hiking the Falls Trail past the 22 waterfalls is the essential experience. The combination of so many waterfalls, old-growth forest and a classic trail makes Ricketts Glen a premier waterfall destination.

Spring brings the fullest, most thunderous flow as snowmelt and rain swell the creek, while fall brings spectacular foliage framing the falls (one of the great autumn hikes), and summer offers cool, misty shade in the glens (and swimming in Lake Jean). Winter turns the falls to dramatic ice (for experienced ice climbers; the Falls Trail itself closes or is hazardous). The falls are fullest in spring; foliage peaks in fall. Spring for the fullest falls and fall for the color are the highlights — wear good footwear for the often-wet trail, and start early on busy weekends.

The glens and forests were the land of the region’s Native peoples and later named for R. Bruce Ricketts, a Civil War colonel who owned the vast surrounding lands, protected the old-growth forest from logging, and had the trails to the falls built (and named many of the falls for Native peoples and family). The state acquired the land, creating Ricketts Glen State Park, and the falls area is a National Natural Landmark. Ricketts Glen preserves these spectacular waterfalls and rare old-growth forest, a treasured icon of Pennsylvania.

Ricketts Glen’s waterfalls were created where Kitchen Creek, draining the Allegheny Plateau, drops steeply off the edge of the highlands through two glens, cutting down through layers of sedimentary rock — sandstone, shale and conglomerate — that erode at different rates, forming the staircase of 22 waterfalls. The Ice Age glaciers and the steep gradient set the stage, and the creek continues to carve the gorges. The layered rock, the steep drop off the plateau and the down-cutting creek created this remarkable concentration of waterfalls.

The old-growth forest and glens of Ricketts Glen host white-tailed deer, black bears, porcupines, and a rich birdlife including the warblers and woodpeckers of the deep forest, owls, and the birds of Lake Jean, while the cool glens shelter salamanders and the creek holds trout. The rare old-growth hemlock and hardwood forest supports varied wildlife. While visited mainly for its waterfalls, the park’s ancient forest and lake offer wildlife watching and birding in a cool, green setting amid the cascades.

Ricketts Glen protects a rare old-growth forest — towering hemlocks, white pines and hardwoods, some centuries old, that escaped logging — along with the cool, moist glen microclimate that nourishes mosses, ferns and shade-loving plants beside the 22 waterfalls, plus Lake Jean and surrounding forest. The old-growth stand and the glen ecosystem are ecologically significant and sensitive (hemlocks are threatened by an invasive insect). Protecting the old-growth forest, the creek’s water, the glens and the falls sustains both the ecology and the spectacular beauty of Ricketts Glen.

Ricketts Glen State Park holds a treasured place among the icons of Pennsylvania — a waterfall wonderland of 22 named falls cascading through rare old-growth forest, home to one of the great waterfall hikes in the East and a National Natural Landmark. Its towering Ganoga Falls, misty glens and ancient trees embody the wild beauty of the Pennsylvania highlands. Ricketts Glen is a cherished natural icon of Pennsylvania.

Ricketts Glen State Park is in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, near the towns of Benton and Red Rock, at the meeting of Luzerne, Columbia and Sullivan counties, reached via State Routes 487 and 118, about an hour from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. There is no entrance fee. The park has the Falls Trail, Lake Jean (with a beach and boat launch), campgrounds, cabins and other trails. Parking at the Falls Trail fills on busy weekends — arrive early. The Falls Trail is steep and closes/becomes hazardous in winter. Check PA DCNR for trail status, parking and conditions before visiting.

Pennsylvania DCNR protects Ricketts Glen’s waterfalls and old-growth forest. Visitors help by staying on the trail and stone steps (never climbing on the slippery falls or off-trail, which is dangerous and damages the fragile glen), protecting the old-growth trees and the creek, packing out everything, wearing proper footwear, and following all rules. The old-growth forest, the glens and the falls are sensitive (and the trail’s heavy use causes wear). Protecting the forest, the creek and the falls sustains both the ecology and the spectacular beauty of Ricketts Glen.

The Falls Trail is steep, rocky and often wet and slippery, with stone steps beside the falls and drop-offs — wear sturdy, non-slip footwear (traction is essential), watch your footing, hold children’s hands, and never climb on or near the slippery falls (people have fallen to their deaths). The full loop is strenuous (about seven miles). In winter, the trail is icy and closed/hazardous (ice climbing is for experts only). Carry water and start early. Respect the slippery rock, the steep steps, the drop-offs and the strenuous length of the trail.

There is no entrance fee. Stay on the Falls Trail and stone steps; do not climb on the falls or go off-trail. Proper footwear is required/strongly urged (the trail is dangerously slippery). The Falls Trail is closed or hazardous in winter (ice climbing requires registration). Camp only in designated campgrounds/cabins. Pets must be leashed. Swim only at the designated Lake Jean beach. Drones are restricted. Pack out all trash. Check PA DCNR for trail status, footwear rules, winter closures and conditions before visiting.

The towns of Benton and Bloomsburg, the Endless Mountains region of northeastern Pennsylvania, Lake Jean within the park, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, and the surrounding state forests lie near the park. The Endless Mountains and the Allegheny Plateau define the region. Ricketts Glen anchors the waterfall country of northeastern Pennsylvania, a centerpiece of a Pennsylvania outdoor adventure, easily combined with the Endless Mountains, the state forests and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area.

Hike the Falls Trail to see all 22 waterfalls (the full loop is about seven miles and strenuous; shorter options exist) — and absolutely wear sturdy, non-slip footwear, because the stone steps beside the falls are steep and dangerously slippery (never climb on the falls). Come in spring for the fullest flow or fall for spectacular foliage, start early on weekends for parking, carry water, and cool off afterward at Lake Jean’s beach. Avoid the trail in winter unless you’re an experienced, equipped ice climber.