Unearth The Voyage
Ricketts Glen State Park is home to more than 20 named waterfalls, making it one of Pennsylvania’s most popular hiking destinations. Waterfall trails, old-growth forests, and a lake with a swimming beach give visitors plenty to explore in a single trip.
Whether you want a challenging hike or a relaxing day outdoors, this 13,000-acre park offers some of the state’s most impressive scenery in one accessible destination.
A Park That Earns Its Reputation
Some parks promise a lot and deliver a little. Ricketts Glen State Park, found at 695 PA-487, Benton, PA 17814, in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, does exactly the opposite.
Spread across more than 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia counties, the park is one of the most biologically diverse and visually stunning public lands in the entire state. It holds a National Natural Landmark designation for its Glens Natural Area, which protects old-growth forest that was never clearcut, thanks largely to a 19th-century landowner who valued the trees over the timber money.
The park officially opened in 1944 and has been drawing hikers, campers, and nature lovers ever since. There is no admission fee, which makes the sheer scale of what you get here feel almost absurd.
Few places in the mid-Atlantic region pack this much natural drama into a single free visit.
The Story Behind the Name
The park carries the name of R. Bruce Ricketts, a colonel who served in the Civil War and later became one of the largest private landowners in Pennsylvania.
After the war, he accumulated thousands of acres in the Glens area and made a deliberate choice that still shapes the park today.
While logging companies were stripping forests across the region, Ricketts kept the hemlocks and hardwoods in his glens untouched. Those trees, some of which are estimated to be well over 500 years old, still stand along the Falls Trail today.
You can spot them by their massive trunks and the deep shade they cast over the creek below.
That decision to preserve rather than profit gave future generations something no amount of replanting could fully recreate. The old-growth character of the Glens Natural Area is a direct result of one man’s choice, and the forest feels ancient in a way that younger woods simply do not.
What Makes the Falls Trail Truly Unforgettable
The Falls Trail is the main event, and it earns that status completely. The full loop covers 7.2 miles and passes more than 20 named waterfalls, each one distinct in height, shape, and sound.
A shorter 3.2-mile option lets visitors see the majority of the falls without committing to the full loop, which is a smart choice for families or anyone who wants a taste without the full challenge. The trail descends into steep glens carved by Kitchen Creek, which tumbles down the Allegheny Front escarpment over sedimentary rocks formed during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods.
Stone steps, narrow ledges, and sections of wet rock make certain parts of the trail genuinely demanding. Proper footwear with solid grip is not optional here; it is the difference between a great day and a rough one.
The reward for all that effort is a trail experience that feels layered and constantly surprising, with each new waterfall arriving before the last one fades from memory.
Ganoga Falls and the 94-Foot Crown Jewel
Out of all the waterfalls in the park, Ganoga Falls commands the most attention. At 94 feet, it is the tallest waterfall in the park and one of the most dramatic in all of Pennsylvania.
The water drops in a nearly straight plunge over dark, layered rock, and the sound it produces carries well before you actually see it. Standing at its base and looking up gives you a real sense of the geological forces that shaped this landscape over hundreds of millions of years.
The rock faces surrounding the falls are streaked with mineral deposits and draped in moss, adding texture and color that photographs struggle to fully capture.
Ganoga is located along the northern section of the Falls Trail loop, so most hikers encounter it after already seeing several smaller falls. By that point, the trail has built up enough anticipation that the reveal still lands with full force.
It is the kind of waterfall that makes people stop mid-sentence and just stare.
The Other 20-Plus Falls You Cannot Skip
Ganoga gets the headlines, but the supporting cast of waterfalls along Kitchen Creek is what makes the Falls Trail feel like a continuous highlight reel. Named falls like Mohican, Oneida, Wyandot, and Adams each have their own character, ranging from wide curtain drops to narrow chutes that carve deeply into the bedrock.
Adams Falls is particularly popular because it sits close to the parking area and can be reached with a short, manageable scramble, making it accessible even for visitors who are not up for the full trail. The variety across all the falls is genuinely impressive; no two look the same, and the creek changes personality with every new drop it takes.
The spacing between falls is also part of what makes the hike so enjoyable. You rarely walk more than a few minutes before the next one comes into view, which keeps energy and excitement high even on the more physically demanding sections of the trail.
The next section reveals what happens when the trail gets icy.
Winter at the Park Is a Completely Different World
Most people think of Ricketts Glen as a warm-weather destination, and while summer and fall are spectacular, winter transforms the park into something almost otherworldly. The waterfalls freeze into towering columns of blue and white ice, and the glens go eerily quiet under a blanket of snow.
The Falls Trail is officially closed in winter unless visitors are properly equipped with crampons, an ice axe, and a rope, and have registered with the park office beforehand. That requirement exists for good reason; the stone steps and wet surfaces become genuinely treacherous when frozen.
For those who do prepare correctly, the iced-over trail is a bucket-list experience that regulars return to year after year.
Winter also brings other activities across the broader park, including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling on designated trails. Even a simple walk along the lake on a clear winter day has a stillness to it that feels rare and restorative.
Spring thaw brings an entirely new kind of energy, which the next section covers.
Lake Jean and the Calmer Side of the Park
Not everyone who visits Ricketts Glen comes for a 7-mile waterfall hike, and the park has a genuinely excellent alternative. Lake Jean offers a wide sandy beach, designated swimming area, boating access, and fishing, all within a setting that feels far removed from any crowded resort.
The beach is open for swimming during summer months and draws families who want a relaxed outdoor day without the intensity of the trail system. Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are allowed on the lake, and the calm water reflects the surrounding forested hills in a way that makes even a slow paddle feel like a nature documentary moment.
Fishing is also popular here, with the lake supporting a healthy fish population that keeps anglers coming back throughout the season. The beach trail that circles part of the lake is an easy, flat walk suitable for all fitness levels and open year-round, making it a reliable option even when the waterfall trails are closed or icy.
The campground nearby adds another layer to the experience.
Wildlife That Reminds You Who Really Lives Here
The wildlife at Ricketts Glen is not a background detail; it is an active part of the experience. Black bears are present in the park and occasionally wander through the campground, which is a reminder that this is genuinely wild land rather than a manicured nature walk.
White-tailed deer are common along the trails, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. Squirrels, porcupines, and raccoons are regular sightings, and the forest canopy supports a wide variety of bird species that reward anyone who takes a moment to listen rather than just look.
The park’s old-growth sections provide habitat that younger forests cannot offer, which is part of why the biodiversity here is so notable.
Cell service is essentially nonexistent throughout most of the park, which means wildlife encounters happen without the distraction of a buzzing phone. That forced disconnection turns out to be one of the more unexpectedly enjoyable parts of a visit here, and the forest feels more alive for it.
Fall Foliage Turns the Park Into a Color Spectacle
Autumn at Ricketts Glen is the season that makes repeat visitors out of first-timers. The combination of old-growth hardwoods, steep glens, and flowing water creates a fall foliage display that feels almost theatrical in its intensity.
The red maples and yellow birches that line the creek corridors reflect in the water below the falls, doubling the color impact in a way that is particularly satisfying for photographers. Peak foliage typically falls in mid to late October in this part of Pennsylvania, though the elevation and microclimate of the glens can shift the timing slightly compared to lower elevations nearby.
Trail traffic increases significantly during fall weekends, so arriving early on a weekday gives you a noticeably more peaceful experience. The parking areas fill up fast on busy autumn days, and the trailhead can feel congested by mid-morning.
Getting there before 8 a.m. on a crisp October day, with mist rising off the creek and orange leaves catching the early light, is one of those experiences that stays with you for a long time.
Practical Tips That Will Actually Make a Difference
A few practical details can make the difference between a smooth visit and a frustrating one. Parking is free, which is a genuine perk, but the lots near the Falls Trail trailhead fill up quickly on summer and fall weekends.
Arriving before 9 a.m. is the simplest way to avoid circling for a spot.
Footwear is the most important gear decision you will make. The trail surfaces are frequently wet and uneven, and regular sneakers without grip have caused more than a few slippery moments on the stone steps near the falls.
Trekking poles add meaningful stability on the steeper descents and are worth bringing if you have them.
Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent throughout most of the park, so downloading an offline map before you arrive is a smart move. The trail is well-marked, but having a backup reference on your phone costs nothing and takes two minutes.
Pack water, snacks, and a light rain layer, because the glen microclimate can feel noticeably cooler and damper than the surrounding region.
Why This Park Keeps Pulling People Back
There are parks you visit once and feel satisfied, and then there are parks that create a quiet, persistent pull to return. Ricketts Glen clearly belongs to the second category, judging by how many people describe coming back year after year, sometimes hiking the same Falls Trail loop multiple days in a row without it feeling repetitive.
The park changes with every season, every weather pattern, and every time of day. A trail that felt dry and sunny in July becomes a completely different physical and visual experience after heavy overnight rain, when the creek runs high and every waterfall doubles in volume and sound.
That variability keeps the experience fresh in a way that few parks manage.
The combination of no admission fee, year-round access, diverse activities, and a natural environment that has been carefully preserved for generations makes Ricketts Glen one of those rare public lands that genuinely over-delivers on its promise. It is the kind of place that earns a permanent spot in your rotation rather than just a checkbox on a travel list.
