Waterfalls in Pennsylvania

Overview of waterfalls in Pennsylvania

Raymondskill Falls and Dingmans Falls are in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, run by the National Park Service. NPS calls Raymondskill Falls the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania, and it is free to visit. Dingmans Falls has been closed to all visitors, pedestrians included, since May 12, 2025, for a bridge replacement.

Cucumber Falls is in Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County, run by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). It drops about 30 feet on Cucumber Run, per a USGS photo caption. Its status is unconfirmed. The park closed the Cucumber Falls area after an August 2025 storm, the Herald-Standard reported, and we found no reopening notice.

Ricketts Glen State Park, run by DCNR, is a different kind of trip. The Falls Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park passes many of the park's 22 named waterfalls, and like every Pennsylvania state park it charges no entrance fee. We don't have a full Ricketts Glen page yet, but the key rules from the state are below.

Which fee or pass applies where

Bushkill Falls is the only Pennsylvania falls on this site that charges admission. The NPS falls and Ricketts Glen State Park charge no entrance fee, and no fee is listed for Cucumber Falls.

Bushkill Falls charges admission: $24 general, $22 for seniors 62+ and active military, $12 for children 4-10, and free for kids 3 and under. Parking is included, and ticket windows take cards only. The official admission page shows no year, so confirm prices before you go.

Delaware Water Gap charges no entrance fee. Its 2026 Expanded Amenity Fee, $10 per vehicle per day, applied only at Milford Beach, Dingmans Access, Bushkill Access, Smithfield Beach and Turtle Beach. NPS collected it through October 13, 2026. Neither falls trailhead is on that list.

The America the Beautiful pass does not cover the amenity fee, NPS says, though Access, Senior and Military pass holders get 50% off. Note that 'Dingmans Access' is a river access area, not Dingmans Falls.

Pennsylvania state parks, including Ricketts Glen, do not charge an entrance fee. DCNR describes 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest open year-round with no entrance fees. Camping and lodging cost extra.

Waterfalls in the Poconos and Delaware Water Gap

Three of the four Pennsylvania falls on this site are in Pike County, in the Poconos and the Delaware Water Gap. Bushkill Falls is a private park with eight waterfalls on a network of trails and bridges. The Green Trail reaches the Main Falls in about 15 minutes, and the Red Trail runs about 2 miles past all eight.

NPS says Raymondskill Falls drops in three tiers and is 'only a few feet shorter than Niagara Falls,' but it gives no height in feet. Wikipedia lists about 150 feet. A 2017 Pike County Courier report, which we saw only in a search excerpt, put it at 165 feet. A 0.3-mile loop with a spur, with 178 feet of elevation change, leads to upper and lower viewing platforms.

Dingmans Falls is closed as of Oct 2026. When open, it is a 0.8-mile round trip: a flat, accessible boardwalk past Silverthread Falls to the base, then steep stairs to a fenced overlook. NPS gives no reopening date. Its Dingmans Falls place page does not mention the closure, so go by the park's alerts and conditions pages.

At both NPS falls, only service dogs are allowed. At Raymondskill, NPS bans swimming and wading in the falls and within 50 feet upstream. From May 1 to September 30, it also closes the creek from the base of the lower falls to the Delaware River.

At Dingmans, NPS closes the creek to swimming, wading and fishing from 100 feet above the top of the falls to the end of the parking lot.

Ricketts Glen State Park waterfalls

DCNR says Ricketts Glen State Park has 22 named waterfalls, and the tallest is the 94-foot Ganoga Falls. The full Falls Trail loop is 7.2 miles. A shorter 3.2-mile loop, using the Highland Trail and the Glen Leigh and Ganoga Glen sides, passes most of the falls. The park is open every day from sunrise to sunset, and like every Pennsylvania state park it charges no entrance fee.

Cucumber Falls at Ohiopyle State Park

Cucumber Falls is on Cucumber Run, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River, in Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County. A USGS photo caption says it is about 30 feet high. A 2015 DCNR park brochure calls it a 30-foot bridal veil waterfall.

Status, unconfirmed: in August 2025, the park closed the Cucumber Falls area after a storm downed trees, the Herald-Standard reported. We found no reopening notice. The DCNR trail page we read on Nov 11, 2026 lists the trail with no closure, but that does not confirm it. Call the park at 724-329-8591 before you go.

Trail: DCNR lists the Cucumber Falls Trail at 0.4 mile, out and back, rated more difficult. It does not say if that is one way or round trip. The trail runs from Ohiopyle along the Youghiogheny River and can flood in high water, per DCNR. A 2015 DCNR park brochure says the falls also have parking on SR 2019.

Fees, dogs and swimming: no fee is listed on the DCNR Ohiopyle pages we read. A 2015 DCNR park brochure says pets must be physically controlled and attended at all times, on a leash, caged or crated. We found no official swimming rule for Cucumber Falls. DCNR says the park is open every day, sunrise to sunset.

Pennsylvania waterfalls without a long hike

Three of the Pennsylvania falls on this site can be seen with a short walk, though none has a listed accessible route.

• Raymondskill Falls: a 0.3-mile loop plus a spur to the viewing platforms. NPS says the path is steep and uneven, and it lists no accessible route.
• Bushkill Falls: the Green Trail reaches the Main Falls in about 15 minutes. The park says its trails are not handicapped accessible or stroller friendly, with rocks, roots and many stairs.
• Cucumber Falls: DCNR lists a 0.4-mile trail from Ohiopyle, rated more difficult. Its status is unconfirmed.

Dingmans Falls has an accessible boardwalk to its base, but it has been closed since May 12, 2025.

Pennsylvania waterfall closures and conditions (Oct and Nov 2026)

Dingmans Falls is closed. The access road, visitor center and trail have been closed to all traffic, pedestrians included, since May 12, 2025. The NPS alerts feed still listed the closure on October 29, 2026. On the same date, the feed listed nothing for Raymondskill Falls. For winter 2025-26, NPS closed Raymondskill's upper lot from January 2, or the first significant snow, through April 15, and kept the lower lot open as conditions allowed.

Bushkill Falls is seasonal: the official site lists Wednesday, November 25 as its last 2026 open day. In November 2026 it runs 10am to 4pm, weather permitting, with last trail entry at 3pm. It stays closed from November 26, Thanksgiving, through March. The 2026 schedule is posted on the official site only as an image or PDF.

At Ricketts Glen, the Falls Trail closes in winter except to properly equipped ice climbers and hikers. DCNR's minimum is crampons, ice axes and rope, and you must sign in and out at the park office.

Cucumber Falls is unconfirmed. In August 2025, the park closed the Cucumber Falls area after a storm, the Herald-Standard reported. We found no reopening notice. On Nov 11, 2026, the DCNR trail page listed the trail with no closure, but that does not confirm it.

Choosing a trail at Bushkill and Raymondskill

At Bushkill, pick a trail by time. The Green Trail reaches the Main Falls in about 15 minutes, while the Red Trail runs almost 2 miles past all eight falls and takes over 2 hours. Leashed pets are allowed. Cell service is sporadic on the property, and public Wi-Fi is available.

At Raymondskill, the earthen trail is steep and uneven, with roots and rocks, and NPS bans food, picnics and alcohol on it. Only service dogs are allowed at either NPS falls. Our waterfall safety guide covers slick rock and cold water.

Pennsylvania waterfalls FAQ