June 7 - Ricketts Glen State Park

Benton, PA

“Everything we do is infused with the energy in which we do it. If we're frantic, life will be frantic. If we are peaceful, life will be peaceful.” - Marianne Williamson

We've wanted to hike Ricketts Glen for the past three years, but the weather or time always seemed to get in our way...until Friday. What a wonderful day to spend hiking this amazing park, the sun was out and the temperature was in the lower 70s. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic areas in Pennsylvania and is comprised of 13,050 acres, which crosses into three counties. We hiked a little over four miles on the Ganoga Glen, Glen Leigh and Highland Trails. The loop took us to 18 of the 21 named waterfalls in the park, although we saw many other falls that weren't considered special enough to be named. Each waterfall cascades through rock strewn clefts of this ancient hillside and the hike was incredible. The waterfalls ranged in height from Cayuage Falls at 11' to Ganoga Falls which is 94'...they were all spectacular.

History:

In 1868, Colonel R. Bruce Ricketts bought land in northeast Pennsylvania to timber it. Fishermen exploring the lower reaches of Kitchen Creek discovered waterfalls. Explorations revealed that two branches of Kitchen Creek cut through deep gorges in a series of waterfalls then united at Waters Meet and flowed through a glen (Ricketts Glen) among giant pines, hemlocks and oaks. Colonel Ricketts built trails to the area of the waterfalls, which came to be known as the Glens Natural Area. 

Colonel Ricketts was a member of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society and he named many of the waterfalls after American Indian tribes. The others he named for his friends and family. The Glens became a registered National Natural Landmark in 1969, and in 1993 became a State Park Natural Area and is protected and maintained in a natural state.

Here are pictures of the falls...we started in the Ganoga Glen and finished the hike on the Highland Trail.

Mohawk Falls 37'

Oneida Falls 13'

Cayuga Falls 11'

Ganoga Falls 94'

Seneca Falls 12'

Delaware Falls 37'

Mohican Falls 39'

Conestoga Falls 17'

Tuscarora Falls 47'

Erie Falls 47'

Wyandot Falls 15'

B. Reynolds Falls 40'

R.B. Ricketts Falls 36'

Ozone Falls 60'

Huron Falls 41'

Shawnee Falls 30'

F.L. Ricketts Falls 38'

Onondaga Falls 15'

The trail....

 

The Midway Crevasse on the Highland Trail

 The statics on our hike today

Here's a map of the trails we took today. The Falls Trail system is just a small portion of the park, which offers 26 miles of hiking trails.