ABOUT THE PARK:
Ricketts Glen State Park - PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
Ricketts Glen State Park - Wikipedia
DIRECTIONS:
Lake Rose Trailhead Parking
GPS coordinates 41.329576, -76.291308
The GPS gets a little wonky entering the park from Route 487 so follow the signs for the Lake Rose parking lot.
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TRAIL MAP:
Ricketts Glen State Park Map - Pennsylvania DCNR
For the Cherry Run Loop portion see Midatlantichikes.com
HIKE DISTANCE:
Falls Trail - Cherry Run/Hall of the Hemlocks - Evergreen Trail - 15.1 miles
Individual Hikes:
Falls Trail - 3.5 miles
Cherry Run/Hall of the Hemlocks Loop - 13.3 miles
Evergreen Loop - 1 mile
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
From the Rose Lake parking lot, pick up the trail at the information boards to begin with the Falls Loop. The trail will descend along Ganoga Glen, cross Waters Meet, then ascend along Glen Leigh for a total of 18 waterfalls.
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| Ganoga Glen Falls from top to bottom (click on picture to enlarge) |
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| Waters Meet with Ganoga Glen to the left, Glen Leigh on the right. |
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| Glen Leigh Falls from bottom to top (click on picture to enlarge) |
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| Steps going up Glen Leigh. |
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| Cherry Run Trail |
You leave the Cherry Run trail to the right at a log and cairn to access unofficial trails. This is very difficult to find. I passed by it and found a trail to the right with initials carved into trees on either side of the trail. I went farther in case that was not the right trail but found nothing else so I backtracked. Just as I was getting ready to turn on the trail with the carved initials to see where that went, a trail maintainer with a local hiking club appeared so I asked him if that was the right trail. It was not so he helped me find it. Turns out the cairn was knocked over so it is basically a log with a few larger rock lined up along the log and you really have to be looking for it to see it. The trail maintainer offered to escort me through that part of the hike since he is familiar with the maze of unofficial trails and he was kind enough to lead me through that entire part over to the Mountain Spring Lake Trail. He not only shared lots of information with me about the surrounding area but also told stores of his Appalachian Trail thru-hike and Pacific Crest Trail hike. What luck to have run into him and how nice of him to give me a tour of the unofficial trails!
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| Giant Conk |
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| Cherry Run |
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| A Cherry Run Waterfall |
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| Mountain Spring Lake Trail |
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| Intersection with Old Bulldozer Trail |
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| Rocky Section of Old Bulldozer Trail |
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| Midway Crevasse along the Highland Trail. |
Continue on the loop trail passing several very interesting interpretive signs such as:
HIKE SUMMARY:
[ 0.00] Take trail at trailhead information boards
[ 0.10] Right towards Ganoga Glen at intersection (left is return route)
[ 0.30] Cross bridge, turn left on Falls Trail when Old Beaver Dam Trail goes straight
[ 0.65] Straight on Fall Trail when Old Beaver Dam and Ganoga View Trails go right
[ 1.40] At Waters Meet turn left and cross bridge
[ 2.10] Keep right when shortcut trail to Highland Trail goes left
[ 2.30] Keep right when Highland Trail goes left (or for 3.5 mile hike turn left)
[ 2.70] Right on grassy road towards orange diamond and yellow rectangle-blazed Cherry Run Trail at info boards when gravel road goes left
[ 2.80] Follow along dam and keep straight on Cherry Run when Mountain Springs goes right (coming in from right is return route)
[ 5.50] Look for trail right - missed turn if you reach trail with initials carved in trees; follow Midatlantichikes.com instructions for directions through this section.
To continue after exiting unofficial trails:
[ 10.75] After crossing Bowman Creek, right on orange diamond-blazed Mountain Spring Trail
[ 12.00] At intersection with multiple signs, right on red diamond-blazed Old Bulldozer Trail towards Lake Leigh
[ 12.60] Turn left at dam when Cherry Run Trail goes right
[ 12.70] Turn left at intersection towards Glen Leigh
[ 13.00] At intersection right on Highland Trail when Falls Trail goes straight
[ 13.20] Keep right on Highland Trail when shortcut trail goes left
[ 13.60] Midway Crevasse
[ 14.00] At intersection turn right towards Lake Rose parking lot when trail to Ganoga Glen goes left
[ 14.10] Back at parking lot
