Freedom Falls in Fall: A Treasure in Venango County

Freedom Falls, nearly adjacent Rockland Furnace, and the Rockland Tunnel and the Allegheny River Trail, is an awesome place to explore. While it is not the largest waterfall, for northwestern PA, it is pretty substantial. Definitely wider than it is tall, and the rocks that the falls flow over add so much character. In autumn, the falls get surrounded by leaves, and the falls sometimes even freeze up completely in the winter. 

The Falls are roughly 25 feet in height. 

Coordinates: 

41.236666 N 79.7465 W

For more background information and info on finding the falls, and historical background on the adjacent pristine iron furnace, and the rail trail with its old tunnel, check out this article.  This is also located very close to the Kennerdell Overlook above the Allegheny River, and the Kennerdell Tract of Clear Creek State Forest. 

We have released our 2022 Pennsylvania Calendar! 

It features views of: 

-Independence Hall in Philadelphia 

-Sunrise in Downtown Pittsburgh 

-Knoebels Amusement Resort 

-Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway 

-Millersburg Ferry across the Susquehanna River 

-Tank Hollow Overlook above the Lehigh Gorge in the Poconos 

-The Reading Pagoda 

-Kennywood Park 

-Mercer's Mill Covered Bridge in Chester and Lancaster Counties 

-Academia-Pomeroy Covered Bridge in Juniata County

-Ohiopyle State Park 

-A holiday scene in Pittsburgh 

The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 pages) 

It makes for a great gift for someone or for yourself. It is available for purchase through the PayPal dropdown menus at the top of the page and the bottom of this article.

Thanks for your ongoing support over the years! 

2022 PA Calendar and PA Amusement Parks Book Purchase Options

2022 Pennsylvania Calendar $11.99 USD  PA Amusement Parks Book $21.95 USD  Book and Calendar Bundle $31.95 USD  2 Calendars $22.50 USD  3 Calendars $30.50 USD

 

Cascade Park and Big Run Falls: Picnic Grounds and Amusement Park Ruins: New Castle, Lawrence County

New Castle's Cascade Park has lasted as a picnic destination for more than a century. It started off as an amusement park that was built by a local streetcar company to boost weekend ridership. People would dress in their Sunday best to go and have a relaxing day at the park's groves, take a spin on the amusement rides at the park, and socialize with people. The amusement park was opened in 1897 and hung on through 1982. After the amusement park was abandoned, efforts were made to preserve many of the structures of the old amusement park. Thanks to this effort, the park sits as one of the most intact sets of amusement park ruins, while still being used for its initial purpose, as a popular picnic area. The old carousel pavilion, ballroom, coaster station, and more remain refurbished and intact, and used as picnic groves. The centerpiece of the park is a beautiful waterfall. Just beyond the drop of the waterfall, you can see the supports from the park's old roller coaster that used to drop right into the gorge. Sadly the coaster was removed when the park closed, but the old supports leave lots to the imagination. I can only imagine how neat it would be for a coaster to drop into a chilly gorge on a hot summer day in this park. As an amusement park aficionado and someone who seeks out waterfalls, this is something I really wish I had the chance to experience. Even without the roller coaster and rides though, this park is still a lovely and lively picnic area that is well worth checking out. 

For more background on when this place was an amusement park, check out this article on our other page. 

Cascade Park is a wonderful place to explore, take in a community event, and picnic. Well worth a stop if you are in the area, or to take a picnic to for a little afternoon relaxation.

Exploring Promised Land State Park in the Poconos

Today we visit beautiful Promised Land State Park. This state park in the Poconos is just lovely. It is a relaxed place with four lovely campgrounds, CCC era cabins, two beautiful little lakes, with one primarily for fishing and kayaking, and the other for fishing and kayaking, along with a beautiful sandy beach for swimming. Promised Land has many beautiful and rugged trails as well. It is mostly surrounded by Delaware State Forest and it is one of the most untouched and rugged areas within the popular Pocono region. 

Fishing at sunset on the Lower Lake. The Lower Lake Campground Area has ample camping spaces and it is adjacent to the lower lake. Fishing, taking in a sunset, and bird watching are all awesome things to do in this spot. 

If you are into fishing, or have a kayak, canoe, or small boat, both lakes are great to visit. Only electric motors are allowed, so instead of having to navigate through the wakes of speed boats on nearby Lake Wallenpaupack, you can relax and have the lakes at the state park to yourself. The beach area is also wonderful. 

These photos were taken before I had great camera gear, but that little speck is a bald eagle. There are nests in the state park area and bird watching is just fantastic here. 

To tie all of the great things of Promised Land Together, the entire area is covered in beautiful second growth forest. The Little Falls Trail is a beautiful and easy little hike that gives views of the Little Falls of Promised Land State Park. While they are only a few feet tall, they are absolutely beautiful. The trail is a 2.7 mile loop and located right near the entrance to the Lower Lake Campground. There are 50 miles of hiking trails through beautiful Promised Land State Park and Delaware State Forest. The Little Falls and Conservation Island Trails are just lovely, but there are seemingly endless hikes you can take in this area.

The beautiful forests along the Little Falls Trail. 

It is such a serene place.

I was going through my old photo collections and found this set from 14 years ago. Here is one of my long lost furry friends, Sophie, a Black and Tan Shiba Inu. I have a little tear in the corner of my eye seeing my old hiking companion. Thankfully our current doggo loves to hike just as much as she does. 

You can see lots of rhododendrons and mountain laurel at Promised Land State Park.

Little Falls!

Promised Land State Park is a lovely place to visit. On top of the natural beauty, most of the infrastructure that brings access to the state park and area dates back to the Great Depression and the CCC. The state park is home to the Masker Museum, which shows the history of the state park, and the CCC. The park's CCC cabins are absolutely lovely and they are lakefront. 

It is also within close range of many of the great attractions of the Poconos Region. It is within a 25 minute drive of the Delaware Water Gap, 15 minutes from Lake Wallenpaupack, ten minutes to the beautiful glacial lake area of Bruce Lake and hiking, and within 45 minutes of most other points within the Pocono Plateau. The state park is a great hub for seeing the beautiful stuff that the northern Poconos region has to offer. 

Seven Tubs Nature Area: Waterfalls & Hiking near Wilkes Barre

Seven Tubs Nature Area gives a nice glimpse into the rugged terrain on PA 115 between Wilkes Barre and the PA Turnpike. This rugged section of road always impressed me driving through it. We opted to check out the Seven Tubs Nature Area as a quick morning stop. It is definitely a nice little quick jaunt if you happen to be in the Wilkes Barre Area. 

The nature area consists of 500 acres across a steep gorge, with a series of small waterfalls cut through the sandstone bedrock of the area. There are well developed trails through the gorge, though I cannot imagine them being able to handle huge crowds. I have heard discussion across the web about the trails getting pretty crowded, and evidence of that could definitely be seen in the small parking area. There were about ten cars in the parking area, and this was at about 9:00 in the morning. The parking area can probably handle about 30-50 cars. Any more people than that and you would likely practically be walking in a queue line through the trails, not to mention practically unable to social distance, and while this destination is cool to see, it is not worth that kind of effort. 

The facilities and the tight gorge are just not able to handle that sort of onslaught of people. It seems like the most logical way to limit people at the gorge is to turn people away once the parking lot gets full but according to what the DCNR is saying, it seems like that is just not enough. Limit spots and direct people to other local area parks. I wonder if the answer to places with crowding issues, like here and Ricketts Glen, could be with reservation times? I don't know how the infrastructure could be put in place like that, but to preserve these places for future enjoyment and as natural habitats, something will have to change. The state and municipalities have straight up closed some great places to the public specifically because of overcrowding, major injuries/deaths with visitors, and vandalism. Places like Glen Onoko Falls, Marshalls Falls, and Swatara Falls have been wrecked due to a mix of things. These things include overzealous bloggers out to make a buck that bring outsized internet attention to places with a lack of infrastructure and facilities built to handle those crowds. Even in a place like Seven Tubs that have some infrastructure, there comes a point where those facilities quickly reach capacity simply due to the fact that the location itself has a limited amount of space. As with any outdoor destination, the best times to go to avoid crowds are early in the morning and/or on weekdays. Seven Tubs Nature Area is a great place to go to blow off some steam after a day at work to take a nice little walk through the woods and let your dog wade a little bit in the creek. 

The trailhead is easy to find, but make sure you are heading outbound from Wilkes Barre on PA 115. There is a small trailhead that leads to steps to take you down into the gorge. The gorge is pretty neat in that the weathered sandstone and limestone is smooth and there are seven distinct potholes at the base of each of the 10-15 foot waterfalls. 

A map outlining the 2.1 miles of hiking trails at Seven Tubs. The Audubon Trail is 1.8 miles long, but the most scenic points are located on a 0.3 mile stretch near the parking area. 

CeCe was beside herself when it came to wading in the water.

I think the coolest aspect of the Seven Tubs Nature Area is the smooth weathering on the rocks.

A view from the top of the bridge that crosses over the main portion of Wheelbarrow Run.

If you are in the Wilkes Barre area or Passing through, Seven Tubs Nature Area is definitely worth a stop. If we lived around Seven Tubs, you would surely find us there on a weekday after work. It is just the right kind of place to go to spend an hour or two and relax. We need to fight to preserve places like this, which greatly benefit the community.

PA Waterfalls Bucket List: Our 25+ Favorite Waterfalls in the State

Pennsylvania has a total of more than 345 waterfalls, which our guide at this link will show you how to get to. Out of these falls, this list of 25+ waterfalls covers our absolute favorites. To be clear, visiting any waterfall is probably better than whatever you or I are doing right now, so you really cannot go wrong with any waterfall, but these all should be on any Pennsylvania explorer's bucket list. If you have not visited these falls, be sure to book it on over to check them out. We have not visited every single waterfall in the state, but of the ones that we have visited, these are the ones that have really impressed us.

• Silverthread Falls is my single favorite waterfall in the state. The sheer height of this waterfall, around 80 feet, down a skinny chute, is just incredible. It does not even get top billing at its location, a few hundred feet from the spectacular Dingmans Falls in the Delaware Water Gap. I could sit and watch this waterfall all day. It is also the easiest waterfall to access on this entire list, located on a short and flat wooden boardwalk that is ADA accessible. For more information on visiting, check out the following article: Silverthread Falls

• Raymondskill Falls is in a tie with nearby Darbytown Falls as the state's tallest waterfall at 120 feet. The tallest and most eccentric waterfalls in the state are found within the Delaware Water Gap. All three of Pennsylvania's waterfalls that exceed 100 feet are located in and around the Delaware Water Gap, in addition to the bulk of the overall waterfalls that exceed 80 feet. This waterfall is also pretty easy to visit. For information visiting, check out the following article for Raymondskill Falls

• Dingmans Falls is located on the same wooden boardwalk as Silverthread Falls and measures in at just over 100 feet. The waterfall drops at an angle, which is cool to see, but does not lend itself well to photography. The sheer power of the falls are the most impressive part and make it one of the most memorable to see in the state. The boardwalk to access ends with an aggressive hike that goes up the side of the falls. For more information on visiting, check out the following article: Dingmans Falls
• Ricketts Glen State Park's Falls Trail offers more than two dozen named waterfalls, of which most of them are just spectacular. Picking favorites at Ricketts Glen is a futile effort, so I will just count all of them in my favorites list.
  
• For accessibility, the easiest to get to is Adams Falls, which is located on the same creek as the two main glens, but on the other side of the road. This is one of the finest falls in the state park, but it often gets missed since it is off the main drag of the Falls Trail. It should not be missed though because Adams Falls feels like where Mother Nature really stuck the landing on the 3rd or 4th attempt of several of the waterfalls that are up creek in the glen. I realize that last passage was quite cheesy, but I feel that it really describes Adams Falls. 
  
• Oneida Falls is one of the most photogenic of the bunch, even though it is also one of the smallest. The sheer rock face that it flows over adds an extra stunning factor to these falls. 
  
  Top of Ganoga Falls
  
  Bottom of Ganoga Falls
• Ganoga Falls is the tallest of the waterfalls at 94 feet, and you get to see it dramatically unfold before you on the hike, from both directions. Approaching it from the top, all you see is the drop off into a giant abyss, as you climb down the side of the gorge, the falls slowly appear and do not come into full view until you get to the bottom of the gorge. Hiking in the other direction, you see the falls similarly unfold as you approach. The twisted nature of the falls ensure that the only place you get a full view of them is at the immediate bottom of the falls. In addition to the several dozen named falls, there are also a bunched of unnamed falls on side tributaries into the gorge. 
• The Falls trail is one of the finest hikes in the state, though with the popularity of the falls, it is recommended that you get there first thing in the morning or on a weekday to avoid crowds. It is also critically important that you wear hiking boots, stay away from the edges of cliff and waterfalls, and practice general caution. The state park is also a great camping destination. For more information, check out the following article: Ricketts Glen State Park
  
  Sullivan Falls - State Game Lands 13
• Sullivan Falls, State Game Lands 13: State Game Lands 13 is adjacent to Ricketts Glen State Park and has some very nice waterfalls. Sullivan Falls is my favorite of the bunch, but there are lots of falls there. They require some serious physical effort to access because they are not on trails and the effort to access them is not really worth the effort in my opinion. Sullivan Falls is just spectacular though, and going over the the game lands is especially ideal in midday hours when Ricketts Glen is slammed with a bunch of visitors.  For more info and directions, check out the following article: State Game Lands 13
  
  Hector Falls
• Hector Falls near the Allegheny National Forest is unique when it comes to the state's waterfalls. The creek falls over a house sized boulder that is like a giant rectangular box. It is probably the most distinctive waterfall within the state. For more information on finding this remote waterfall, check out this article. Hector Falls, Allegheny National Forest, Ludlow, Warren County, PA
  
  Fallingwater
• Fallingwater in the Laurel Highlands is one of the world's most recognizable places thanks to the the creation of the Fallingwater House, which was designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is an awesome place to tour and it attracts visitors from all over the the planet. For more information on visiting, check out the following article.  https://www.interestingpennsylvania.com/2016/10/fallingwater-frank-lloyd-wrights-world.html
  
• Packsaddle Covered Bridge and Waterfalls: Similar to Fallingwater, this waterfall in and of itself is not spectacular because of beauty on its own, but it is noteworthy because of the covered bridge that is located right above it. It is located in a remote part of southern Somerset County and is well worth the effort to get to  PA Covered Bridge Journey: Somerset County 
• Ohiopyle State Park: Ohiopyle State Park has a bunch of nice waterfalls. None of them are particularly huge, and many feel like repeats of each other, but a few of them are really quite amazing. 
  


• Cucumber Falls is easily accessible with its own parking area. It is the tallest of the waterfalls at Ohiopyle and it is very popular to visit. We recommend visiting it early in the morning or on weekdays. 
  
• Ohiopyle Falls is the most powerful of the waterfalls at the park, for it carries the waters of the small but powerful Youghiogheny River. On days where the water is especially high, this 15-20 foot waterfall can look like little more than a large river rapid. It is quite an impressive sight

• Sugar Run Falls: This waterfall is located right off of the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail and off of the Jonathan Run Falls Trail. Jonathan Run Falls is so close to Sugar Run that you cannot help but see both, but Sugar Run is probably my favorite waterfall at the park. On busier days at the park, this is the spot that will have the least people at it. 

• Meadow Run Cascades: The Cascades are located on Meadow Run, just above the natural waterslides section. Similar to Sugar Run Falls, this section is often overlooked as well and requires more of an effort to access. The effort is well worth it though.
• To find all of these falls, and the others at this state park, check out the following article:  Ohiopyle State Park

• Buttermilk Falls, Indiana County: Pennsylvania does not have very many large waterfalls, and none of them are located in Western PA. Buttermilk Falls in Indiana County is Western Pennsylvania's only natural single plunge waterfall that exceeds 40 feet. Its notability for me stems from its importance in the formative years of one my personal heroes, Mister Fred Rogers. It is located in a public park that is easy to access. The following article has location information. Buttermilk Falls, Indiana County, PA

• Rainbow Falls at Trough Creek State Park: The trail this is located on leads through a beautiful gorge that is filled with rhododendrons, and by Balanced Rock, a cool rock outcrop formation. The short, but beautiful, journey makes seeking out these falls well worth the effort. The following article gives information on visiting:  Trough Creek State Park: Copperous Rock, Balanced Rock, and Rainbow Falls 

• Freedom Falls, Venango County: One of the most picturesque waterfalls in Western Pennsylvania is Freedom Falls. It is pretty easy to access and it has several awesome industrial remnants near it, including an old iron furnace that is incredibly intact for its age, and a rail tunnel on a rail trail along the Allegheny River. For more information on visiting, check out this article.

• Springfield Falls is located in Mercer County near Grove City. It is very pretty and very easy to access. For information on visiting, check out this article. 

• Frankfort Mineral Springs at Raccoon Creek State Park is a funky little waterfall that flows over a small cave. It was home to an old mineral springs resort, where people would go for supposed medicinal healing purposes. It is a pretty neat place to visit. For more information on visiting, check out this article

• Hells Hollow Falls at McConnells Mill State Park is a unique waterfall that flows over a rugged rock formation. Of all of the falls at McConnells Mill State Park, this is the one that I think is worth the effort of checking out. It requires a short hike to visit and we highly recommend checking it out. For more information on visiting, check out this article: Hells Hollow Falls

• Cole Run Falls is one of the most picturesque falls in the state. It is relatively small, but very nice and worth checking out in Forbes State Forest and the Laurel Highlands. For more information on visiting, check out this article. 

• Dry Run Falls is memorable to me because it is located directly on the way to the stunning High Knob Overlook near Worlds End State Park. This scenic overlook is just incredible and you cannot miss Dry Run Falls as you are heading out from the overlook. While it is not the most scenic of the falls we have talked about, it is certainly memorable and it makes our list of favorite waterfalls within the state. My shot is quite dark for I took it after viewing a tremendous sunset up at the High Knob Overlook. For more information on visiting, check out this article. 

• Big Falls at Cascade Park in New Castle, PA: Big Falls is the centerpiece of a tract of land in New Castle that has served picnickers for more than a century. This location was once home to an amusement park, but still remains as a wonderful picnic grove and community gathering place. At the bottom of the falls, you can see part of the structure that once carried the park's roller coaster across the bottom of the waterfall's gorge. For more information on visiting, check out this article from our sister website.

• Tobyhanna Falls: This waterfall in the Poconos is located in the beautiful Austin T Blakeslee Natural Area. What this waterfall does not have in waterside is more than made up for in sheer power. This is a powerful waterfall that is worth checking out if you are in the area. For more information on visiting, check out this article. 

• Fall Run Falls and Park, Shaler: This waterfall makes the list mainly for its easy accessibility for us in Pittsburgh. It is about a ten minute drive away from where we live and because of this, it is a place that we will often go to just as a quick walk in the woods after a long day at work. It is very special to us because of this and how much time we end up spending there. I am sure that all of you have a local waterfall that you like to frequent and in the end, these are the types of waterfalls that are our true favorites. The places that draw us and our communities together and closer to nature. For more information on finding this waterfall, check out this article. 

So get out there and explore!