Reviews
This place is amazing. There are about 20 different waterfalls here and the trails follow the creek which has many beautiful cascades as well. The loop to see all of them is about 7 miles and the trail is definitely not easy. A lot of the trail is Rock and you are walking down inside of a Gorge so there is a lot of water dripping down. The rocks are slippery and very steep in some places. We were quite tired at the end of the day but all the sites were very rewarding and well worth it.
World class state park. The Glen Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark. Camping and fishing at the lake are popular but the main draw is hiking the Falls Trail and trail loop. Spectacular beauty with close to twenty falls and mature forest. It's a natural cathedral. Be forewarned: the Falls Trail Loop is DIFFICULT. Steep descents on stairs and slippery rocks are hazardous even in the best weather. Wear sturdy shoes that have sticky soles. I spent 4.5 hours just on the 3.5 mile loop trail. That included a lot of gape-jawed, awe inspiring views. And the SOUNDSCAPE. If you love water this is heaven. I rolled into the Lake Rose parking lot at 7:45 AM on a Tuesday and was all alone. When I left around 12:00 PM it was crowded.
7/21/23 The camping is really nice, depending on your site. Site 32 is probably the worst one. As you'd expect, the trails are awesome. The beach is gorgeous with a little burger shack no lifeguards. You can rent a boat, kayak for around $20-$25 an hour. The park rangers patrol so it feels pretty safe. We did see a bear near the beach. The ranger scared in away with a cap gun. The waterfall trail was great, not too difficult. Restrooms: The camp restrooms were passable, but need a good scrubbing or an upgrade.
Great hiking location. Beautiful waterfalls. Be prepared for at least a 2hr hike, take snack and drink with you. This area is remote with no cell phone signal so download an offline map to navigate your way out of the area. The main 17 falls paths are challenging and do not accommodate wheel chairs. Highly recommend for crossing off your bucket list. Just loved the time spent there with family. Restrooms: Restrooms were more modern with baby changing stations and running cold water. Dog-friendliness: Please pick up after your pooch. We don't like cleaning it off of our shoes before leaving. Please Be considerate of nature and leave it how you found it. Picnic area: Basic picnic area with seating.
Ricketts Glen State Park is one hike everyone should do at least once. The waterfall trail is not for the faint of heart as it is very rocky terrain and is often wet. There are a lot of stairs and uphill/downhill climbing as well. BUT, it is well worth it for the views you get. It is simply one waterfall after another. We recommend taking your time and enjoying God's beauty, when you do it doesn't seem so bad. Beautiful place!!! They also have a nice beach for family swimming or parties. Best of all, Pennsylvania State Parks are FREE!!
If you like waterfalls and like to hike, this is one of the best in the country. This place is a photographer's dream. Park a car at the bottom and drive up in another car. Then hike all the way down back to your car at the bottom. There are 2 creeks. Less foot traffic on Kitchen Creek, most people just head strait down to the closer stream.
Such a beautiful place. The trail itself seems to be kept after pretty well. And there’s so many different waterfalls. I loved the hike from top to bottom. It can be a bit challenging but that’s mostly because of the elevation change and all the steps/ hills There are definitely some breath taking shots you could capture here
Stayed for the week in the family cabin area. Peaceful, quiet, wonderful! There is no cell reception, so be prepared for that. Also, when nightfall hits, it is extremely dark outside! The mountain is wonderful, especially when it rains and it cools down the hot day. Great place to get family together and bond over campfires, games, good laughter, trails to explore, areas to go fishing, picnic, and beach areas to take a dip in the water!
Definitely a must visit if you love waterfalls. It’s a medium level trek and a very relaxed one as we stop by for the scenic water falls views. 5 of 21 waterfalls are closed still a 4.2mile trek not a loop trail. Restrooms: Good.
This was our 2nd time visiting Ricketts Glen, and it won't be the last. We love to hike the trails there as well as seeing/photographing all of the waterfalls there. Parking was easy for us as we like to arrive early and the restrooms were very clean when we arrived. Also, the trails were maintained very well, but we still suggest good hiking boots.
