Best trails in Pennsylvania

This trail experiences weather-related closures seasonally. Falls Trail in Ricketts Glen State Park is the classic hike in the park. It's also one of the best hikes in all of Pennsylvania and is considered by many to be the single best waterfall hike in the eastern United States. The 7-mile semi-loop through both Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh visits 21 named waterfalls, the highest being 94' Ganoga Falls. Start your journey at the bottom of the glens along Highway 118, parking at either the Evergreen Parking Area on the south side of the highway, or the small picnic area and trailhead on the north side. If parking at the Evergreen Parking Area, pick up a park map at the kiosk and carefully walk across the highway to reach the start of the Falls Trail on the west bank of Kitchen Creek. If you're starting from the picnic area, a short connector trail takes you across a bridge over Kitchen Creek to join the main Falls Trail. For the first mile, Falls Trail follows an old roadbed on a mostly level course along Kitchen Creek. You'll be in a mixed hardwood forest for the entire hike. Because the steep terrain in the glens prevented logging, you'll pass through some old-growth forest along the way. Spruce trees become more common as you climb in elevation. If you're hiking in the spring, look for blossoming dogwood trees and a variety of wildflowers. You'll 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 your 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 you'll encounter further up the trail. As you 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 Falls 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 our hike, we'll climb up Ganoga Glen, then take the Highland Trail over to Glen Leigh, where we'll descend into Glen Leigh and eventually return to this spot. Starting up Ganoga Glen, the trail passes 47' Erie Falls, 47' Tuscarora Falls, and 17' Conestoga Falls. The trail gradually becomes steeper and more narrow as you 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 you are virtually guaranteed to encounter muddy, slippery conditions at any time of year. Continuing your climb up the glen, 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 your 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, you 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, you'll want to take an unmarked side path to your right that leads to the base of the falls. This is where you'll 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, you'll 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. The trail to the left connects to the Old Beaver Dam Road Trail. The Lake Rose Trail eventually leads up to the Lake Rose Trailhead, a possible alternative start if you want to do a shorter loop and still see most of the park's waterfalls. After 0.2 miles, turn right onto the Highland Trail for the traverse over to Glen Leigh. The trail here is very different than the one you've been on so far. It's mostly a level walk through the woods. Enroute to Glen Leigh, you'll pass through Midway Crevasse, a narrow passageway through a rock formation of Pocono sandstone. Show more

A great hike on portions of the Appalachian Trail. Observatory is enroute to Pinnacle with outstanding views of Lehigh Valley and Interstate 78. Lots of wildlife to watch along the way. The address for the trailhead is: 400 Reservoir Rd Hamburg, PA 19526 Show more

17 Amazing waterfalls along a steep but well-maintained trail Have good footwear for this one...It's often wet and slippery even though the trail is maintained in excellent condition. This hike is a simple loop that takes you past most of the falls in Ricketts Glen State Park. You can do this loop when camping at the park because it's an easy walk to the trailhead (about a mile each way from most of the campsites). Start at the sign and follow the trail. Turn right when the trail splits and follow the signs to the Falls Trail. You'll shortly see your first waterfall. There is a bridge at "Waters Meet" that you need to cross where the two streams merge - although it's not the halfway point, it is where you'll start heading uphill instead of downhill. Follow the trail up and, if you'd like, you can take the shortcut to the Highland Trail when you see the sign. The Highland Trail will take you back, after passing through the "Midway Crevasse", to the Lake Rose parking lot.Show more

Note: The western end of this trail from the parking lot is reportedly closed indefinitely. Please see the park page for updates and contact the park staff with any questions: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/LehighGorgeStatePark/Pages/default.aspx This is a dangerous and difficult hike requiring scrambling, but it has great views of the falls. Proper hiking shoes and gear recommended. The route can be confusing so make sure to bring the app or downloaded map. There's about 15 mins of an incline on stairs - great cardio session. You can still make the loop through the overlook trail. You can also make a short loop from parking lot to overlook to shortcut trail.Show more

If you're looking for a challenge, this beautiful route will definitely test you. There are sections requiring scrambling, that are difficult for most hikers. The difficulty pays off, however, with striking views of the area. There is a $10 entry fee.Show more

Kellys Run Nature Preserve contains a loop trail near the Susquehanna River. The trail is rocky and steep in some places but it is a beautiful hike with views of small but picturesque waterfalls. Preserve information can be found at: https://www.lancasterconservancy.org/preserves/kellys-run/Show more

Please note that there is no parking at trail head and it gets very crowded very early. A beautiful walk along a stream in a rhodedendron forest This is a personal favorite, you will walk along a stream through a beautiful forest then towards the end enter some rocky areas. The Hickory Run State Park has a National Natural Landmark in the boulder field and there are some Geocaches in the parkShow more