Ferncliff Trail

Buggy, but beautiful.

Gorgeous! Leave the path and find the water. This trail will not disappoint!

I may be biased but it's because I love Ohiopyle in general... This is a great trail to circle the peninsula by the falls. You can hear the rush of the river rapids on one side and feel the cool forest breeze coming down off the hill on the other side.
At several points you can go down to the river's edge and put your feet in as you watch panicked first-time rafters go screaming by~

This trail is great for kids! It is well maintained and has many side trails for the kids to lead the hike and choose which way to go and explore a little on their own.
This is also a great trail for those starting out to hike, the incline and declines are light and the blazes are clearly marked.

This trail is very well maintained and enjoyable to walk. You have a great view of the river from various locations along the trail... The trail is not busy, but you will see other hikers on your walk. I missed the changing leaves this year but this would be a spectacular color display in the early fall!

I also kayaked this 8 mile stretch of the river in the early spring. The waters were higher than normal but still "doable" if you have kayaking experience. There are a few white water Rapids that require maneuvering around boulders...I have quite a bit of kayaking experience and still somehow managed to dump my kayak twice on this trip down the river??://

Great place to visit!!

I've been hiking this trail for years on every visit to Ohiopyle in every season. It has become a family tradition. Ferncliff is a peninsula created by a horseshoe turn in the river and the trail runs the perimeter of the peninsula providing river views and access otherwise only experienced by raft or kayak. Unless you are ready to board a white water craft you will never see more of the river gorge than by hiking this trail making it is a “must do.” It has everything, spectacular views of the Falls, river and gorge, riverside access, embedded fossils in the rocks you walk upon, rhododendron tunnels, old growth forests of oak, white pine, hemlock, and it is a loop. Although the trail is easy, sections along the river are very rocky, uneven and at times slippery, so wear appropriate footwear. River access is abundant and precipitous at points as are the rocks so keep a close eye on the kiddos and hold little hands. There are several steep steps down to optional overlooks but the views are well worth the climb. It begins at one end alongside the river tempting you to tarry, wade into the river or sun bath on one of the many large rocks. The trail then moves along to an incline and river overlooks, and eventually a forested area, where you can again wander off path down to other points on the river. The river drops over 100 feet as it courses around the peninsula so make sure you visit both low and high bridges, both near the beginning and the end of the trail.