Login
Create group
Ricketts Glen Falls Loop - 7.5 miles
past
Sat, Oct 18, 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM GMT
Rt. 118 Trailhead Parking, Fairmount Township, PA 18656, USA
Hosts
About
The event will be capped at 20!!
Ricketts Glen Falls Loop is considered by many to be the single best waterfall hike in the eastern United States. The semi-loop through both Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh visits 21 named waterfalls, the highest being 94' Ganoga Falls.
Bring good shoes since the trail is often very slippery.
We will meet at the bottom of the glens along Highway 118, in the parking lot at the small picnic area and trailhead on the north side of the road. The coordinates of the parking lot are: 41.3006, -76.27261
For the first mile, the Falls Trail follows an old roadbed on a mostly level course along Kitchen Creek. we will be in a mixed hardwood forest for the entire hike. Because the steep terrain in the glens prevented logging, we will pass through some old-growth forest along the way. Spruce trees become more common as we climb in elevation.
We will cross two sturdy wooden bridges over Kitchen Creek before reaching a split in the trail. Here, the Lower Trail to the right descends to follow very closely along the bank of Kitchen Creek. This trail is occasionally quite exposed and can also be flooded if Kitchen Creek is running high. To our left, the alternate Upper Trail climbs briefly, then contours along the hillside on a wide path.
Both the Lower and Upper Trails reunite at the first waterfall in the Glens: 16' Murray Reynolds Falls. While not particularly high, this waterfall is quite beautiful and provides a taste of what we will encounter further up the trail. As we pass each waterfall, look for small wooden signs identifying the name of the fall. These signs are attached directly to the rock on the opposite side of the creek, usually near the crest of the waterfall. Continue on a gradual climb along Kitchen Creek, passing 36' Sheldon Reynolds and 27' Harrison Wright Falls before reaching a major trail junction at Waters Meet.
Here, the trails split, with the Ganoga Glen Trail continuing straight up the west bank of Kitchen Creek while the Glen Leigh Trail crosses a bridge to your right to climb up into Glen Leigh. Waters Meet is an idyllic spot, with waterfalls visible up both of the glens. For this hike, we will climb up Ganoga Glen, then take the Highland Trail over to Glen Leigh, where we will descend into Glen Leigh and eventually return to this spot. Starting up Ganoga Glen, the trail passes 47' Erie, 47' Tuscarora, and 17' Conestoga Falls. At Glen Leigh we will take a short detour to a Dam to the south side of lake Leigh. This dam was completed but never used. It is like a lost city in the middle of the forest.
The trail gradually becomes steeper and more narrow as we climb up the glen. Staircases assembled from natural stone help with the ascent of the steeper sections, but lack guardrails of any kind. Water seeps down onto the trail from above, meaning that we are virtually guaranteed to encounter muddy, slippery conditions at any time of year. Continuing our climb up the glen, we cross a side stream on a wooden bridge and come to 39' Mohican Falls. Pass 37' Delaware Falls and 12' Seneca Falls before passing a trail junction on our left. This signed trail connects to the Ganoga View Trail and the Old Beaver Dam Road Trail to the west of Ganoga Glen.
Looking up the glen, we will shortly see Ganoga Falls. At 94', it's the highest waterfall in the park, and twice as high as any of the other waterfalls. Before climbing to the top of the falls, we will want to take an unmarked side path to our right that leads to the base of the falls. This is where we will find the best view of the entire waterfall. At the top of the falls, views are limited as the trail has to climb above a steep embankment rather than follow along the bank of the stream. Resist the temptation to wander off-trail down the embankment, as this is where many accidents occur.
Continuing uphill, we will pass 11' Cayuga Falls, 13' Oneida Falls, and 37' Mohawk Falls before reaching a major trail junction. Here, turn right on the Lake Rose Trail and continue uphill. After 0.2 miles, turn right onto the Highland Trail for the traverse over to Glen Leigh. On our way to Glen Leigh, we will pass through Midway Crevasse, a narrow passageway through a rock formation of Pocono sandstone.
After the hike we will drink and eat something
Going
Register to see all event details
Where your group belongs
Register
Login
Create group
Ricketts Glen Falls Loop - 7.5 miles
past
Sat, Oct 18, 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM GMT
Rt. 118 Trailhead Parking, Fairmount Township, PA 18656, USA
Hosts
About
The event will be capped at 20!!
Ricketts Glen Falls Loop is considered by many to be the single best waterfall hike in the eastern United States. The semi-loop through both Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh visits 21 named waterfalls, the highest being 94' Ganoga Falls.
Bring good shoes since the trail is often very slippery.
We will meet at the bottom of the glens along Highway 118, in the parking lot at the small picnic area and trailhead on the north side of the road. The coordinates of the parking lot are: 41.3006, -76.27261
For the first mile, the Falls Trail follows an old roadbed on a mostly level course along Kitchen Creek. we will be in a mixed hardwood forest for the entire hike. Because the steep terrain in the glens prevented logging, we will pass through some old-growth forest along the way. Spruce trees become more common as we climb in elevation.
We will cross two sturdy wooden bridges over Kitchen Creek before reaching a split in the trail. Here, the Lower Trail to the right descends to follow very closely along the bank of Kitchen Creek. This trail is occasionally quite exposed and can also be flooded if Kitchen Creek is running high. To our left, the alternate Upper Trail climbs briefly, then contours along the hillside on a wide path.
Both the Lower and Upper Trails reunite at the first waterfall in the Glens: 16' Murray Reynolds Falls. While not particularly high, this waterfall is quite beautiful and provides a taste of what we will encounter further up the trail. As we pass each waterfall, look for small wooden signs identifying the name of the fall. These signs are attached directly to the rock on the opposite side of the creek, usually near the crest of the waterfall. Continue on a gradual climb along Kitchen Creek, passing 36' Sheldon Reynolds and 27' Harrison Wright Falls before reaching a major trail junction at Waters Meet.
Here, the trails split, with the Ganoga Glen Trail continuing straight up the west bank of Kitchen Creek while the Glen Leigh Trail crosses a bridge to your right to climb up into Glen Leigh. Waters Meet is an idyllic spot, with waterfalls visible up both of the glens. For this hike, we will climb up Ganoga Glen, then take the Highland Trail over to Glen Leigh, where we will descend into Glen Leigh and eventually return to this spot. Starting up Ganoga Glen, the trail passes 47' Erie, 47' Tuscarora, and 17' Conestoga Falls. At Glen Leigh we will take a short detour to a Dam to the south side of lake Leigh. This dam was completed but never used. It is like a lost city in the middle of the forest.
The trail gradually becomes steeper and more narrow as we climb up the glen. Staircases assembled from natural stone help with the ascent of the steeper sections, but lack guardrails of any kind. Water seeps down onto the trail from above, meaning that we are virtually guaranteed to encounter muddy, slippery conditions at any time of year. Continuing our climb up the glen, we cross a side stream on a wooden bridge and come to 39' Mohican Falls. Pass 37' Delaware Falls and 12' Seneca Falls before passing a trail junction on our left. This signed trail connects to the Ganoga View Trail and the Old Beaver Dam Road Trail to the west of Ganoga Glen.
Looking up the glen, we will shortly see Ganoga Falls. At 94', it's the highest waterfall in the park, and twice as high as any of the other waterfalls. Before climbing to the top of the falls, we will want to take an unmarked side path to our right that leads to the base of the falls. This is where we will find the best view of the entire waterfall. At the top of the falls, views are limited as the trail has to climb above a steep embankment rather than follow along the bank of the stream. Resist the temptation to wander off-trail down the embankment, as this is where many accidents occur.
Continuing uphill, we will pass 11' Cayuga Falls, 13' Oneida Falls, and 37' Mohawk Falls before reaching a major trail junction. Here, turn right on the Lake Rose Trail and continue uphill. After 0.2 miles, turn right onto the Highland Trail for the traverse over to Glen Leigh. On our way to Glen Leigh, we will pass through Midway Crevasse, a narrow passageway through a rock formation of Pocono sandstone.
After the hike we will drink and eat something
Going
Register to see all event details
Where your group belongs
Register