Ricketts Glen State Park

Ricketts Glen harbors Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. Take the Falls Trail and explore the Glens, which boasts a series of wild, free-flowing waterfalls, each cascading through rock-strewn clefts in this ancient hillside. The 94-foot Ganoga Falls is the highest of 22 named waterfalls. Old growth timber and diverse wildlife add to the scenic area. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic areas in Pennsylvania. This large park is comprised of 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan and Columbia counties.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Waterfalls  - Stay the Night  - Winter Activities  - Winter Report  - Environmental Education  - Accessibility  - History  - Calendar of Events  - Wildlife  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

The park is 30 miles north of Bloomsburg on PA 487. The section of PA 487 from the town of Red Rock to the Lake Jean area of the park is a very steep road. Heavy trailer units should avoid this hill and enter the park by taking PA 487 south from Dushore. DMS: 41o20’7.588” N 76o18’5.148” W DD: 41.335 N 76.301 W On the Downloadables and Maps page is a directions map.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Horseback Riding  - Picnicking  - Swimming  - Boating  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Waterfalls  - Winter Activities  - Organized Group Tenting  - Cabins  - Camping

Picnicking: Picnic facilities are located in the Lake Jean area and in the lower area off of PA 118. A limited number of charcoal grills are located in the areas. Feel free to bring your own (hot charcoal disposals are in each area).

Make a reservation

Swimming: The 600-foot beach is open from late-May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset, unless otherwise posted. Swim at your own risk. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming. A food and refreshment concession, boat rental and picnic facilities are nearby.

Swimming is permitted inside of the designated area only.

Food and Refreshment Concession: The snackbar is in the park's Beach Area. The concession can be accessed by Parking Lot 1 or Parking Lot 2 off of Main Park Road off of PA 487, 3.7-miles north of the town of Red Rock. The concession serves a variety of hot sandwiches along with cold and hot beverages and ice cream. Other items include candy, snack food, and ice. The concession is open (weather permitting) from Memorial Day through Labor day, 7-days per week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fishing: The 245-acre Lake Jean has warm-water game fish, panfish and trout. Please follow all Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission rules and regulations. Fishing is prohibited in the Glens Natural Area.

For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Horseback Riding: Horse riders may enjoy taking a 9-mile loop by riding the Cherry Run Trail, Fish Commission Road, and Mountain Springs Trail. Sights to see include; old railroad grades, Mountain Springs Lake (formerly used to make ice), and an old concrete dam once used to hold back Lake Leigh (now a dry lake). Riders must bring their own mounts. Horses cannot be rented.

Boating: electric motors only
The 245-acre Lake Jean has dry mooring and two boat launches. A boat rental concession operates during the summer season and offers rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks and canoes.

Motorboats must display a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration from any state; launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks that are available at most state park offices; launch use permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

For complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Boat Rental: The Boat Rental offers pedal and rowboats along with canoes and kayaks Campers at the Park may arrange for overnight rentals. Hour of operations are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The concession season is from mid-May through mid-October. The concession is open (weather permitting) seven days a week during June, July, and August, while weekends only at other times. The concession is near the Beach Area and can be accessed by driving to the end of Main Park Road off of PA 487, 3.7-miles North of the town of Red Rock, and parking in the Eastern Boat Launch Area just past Parking Lot 2. For additional information, call 570-477-2837.

Hunting and Firearms: About 10,144 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, grouse, bear, coyote, pheasant and squirrel. Common furbearers are raccoon, mink, muskrat, beaver, coyote and bobcat. About 83,000 acres of state game lands lie to the west and north of the park.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or camp.

For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

Hiking: Trails vary from fairly level to very steep hills. The 26 miles of trails are a prime attraction of the park. Explore Hiking for complete trail descriptions.

Stay the Night

Camping: flush toilets and showers
There are 120 tent and trailer campsites, some available year-round. The campground features hot showers, flush toilets, shaded sites, gravel parking spurs and a sanitary dump station. Six campsites are ADA accessible.

Explore the campground map.

Explore camping for more information.

Make a reservation

Cabins: Ten modern rental cabins are available year-round. Cabins are furnished and have a living area, kitchen/dining area, toilet/shower room and two or three bedrooms. Cabin F is ADA accessible. Linens and dishes are not provided.

Explore the cabin map.

Explore cabins for more information.

Make a reservation

Organized Group Tenting: Qualified adult and youth groups may use this 150-person capacity area that is equipped with picnic tables, water and flush toilets. The area is open from the second Friday in April through the third Monday in October. Advance reservations are recommended.

Explore organized group tenting for more information.

Winter Activities

The park offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing on Lake Jean, snowmobile trails, ice climbing and winter camping. Visit the Web site for ice and snow depths. Please check with the park office for additional information on winter sports. Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.

Environmental Education

Natural wetlands, old growth forests and majestic geological formations, which helped, produce our 21 beautiful waterfalls, make Ricketts Glen an excellent choice for outdoor studies. From March to November, the environmental education specialist conducts hands-on activities, guided walks and presentations on the natural and historical resources for school groups, scouts, civic organizations and the general public. Call in advance to set up a program that will enhance your classroom or group studies. Campers and visitors may check the bulletin boards and at the park office for listings of weekend programs and nature hikes.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Access for People with Disabilities

This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are accessible.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)

Glens Natural Area

Many of the magnificent trees in this area are over 500 years old and ring counts on fallen trees have revealed ages as high as 900 years. Diameters of almost four feet are common and many trees tower to 100 feet in height. The area is the meeting ground of the southern and northern hardwood types, creating an extensive variety of trees. In 1993, the Glens Natural Area became a State Park Natural Area and will be protected and maintained in a natural state.

A series of trails, covering a total of five miles, parallel the streams as they course down the Glens. A shorter hike of ½ mile, the Evergreen Trail, offers an excellent view of the final series of falls as it meanders through a majestic stand of giant hemlocks and white pine. For more information on hiking, explore the Hiking section.

How to Access the Waterfalls

Twenty-one waterfalls are along the Falls Trail within the Glens Natural Area, while one (Adams) is only a few hundred feet from the Evergreen Parking Lot off of PA 118.

There are three parking lots that provide access to Falls Trail. Lake Rose is at the end of the dirt road across from the campground and provides the closest access (5-10 minutes), but fills up quickly during peak times. An alternative is to park in Beach Parking Lot #2, leave the lot and walk down the Cabin Road (first road just outside of the lot), past a park gate, and onto a section of trail to the first intersection where you go right (15-20 minute access). The parking lots on PA 118 are 1.3 miles from the first waterfall upstream on the Falls Trail, but allow a good view of old growth trees.

There are two main types of waterfalls. One is a bridal veil waterfall, like F. L. Ricketts Falls.

The other main type of waterfall is a wedding cake waterfall, like Ganoga Falls.

Birding

Ricketts Glen is famous for its exceptional diversity of bird life, from 23 varieties of warblers to bald eagles, which is to why the park has been included in the official Audubon Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail across Pennsylvania. This series of trails connects some of Pennsylvania’s finest birding and wildlife viewing sites, as well as important historical and natural areas.

The Bear Truths

Many Pennsylvania state parks are habitat for black bears. Although they appear cute and cuddly like a teddy bear, black bears are wild animals. A black bear can scramble up a tree like a raccoon and sprint as fast as a racehorse. Bears use their claws to tear apart rotting logs to find food, and those claws also work well to open garbage cans and coolers. The size and strength of a black bear is astonishing.

Black bears have poor eyesight and fair hearing, but an excellent sense of smell. Aromatic scents coming from your food can attract a curious and hungry bear from a great distance.

Store all food items inside a car trunk. If a car trunk is not available, suspend food between two trees, ten feet in the air and three feet from either tree.

Black bears normally avoid people, but bears dependent on eating human food can become slightly aggressive when people get between them and food.

If you come in contact with a black bear, try chasing it away by making loud noises like yelling, honking a car horn or banging a pot. Notify a park employee if you have difficulties with bears.

Never approach a bear and be especially wary of mother bears and cubs.

Plant Guide

Hiker's Guide to the Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of Ricketts Glen State Park, by George P. Chamuris, Ph. D., Bloomsburg University. departments.bloomu.edu/biology/ricketts/

History

At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Robert Bruce Ricketts enlisted as a private in the U. S. Army. Fighting for the Army of the Potomac, Ricketts led Battery F during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Ricketts swiftly moved up in the ranks and when the war ended, was discharged a colonel.

Colonel Ricketts at one time owned outright or controlled over 80,000 acres of land in this area.

His heirs, through the Central Penn Lumber Company, sold 48,000 acres to the Pennsylvania Game Commission from 1920-24. This left them with over 12,000 acres surrounding the Ganoga Lake, Lake Jean and Glens area.

Although the area was approved as a national park site in the 1930s, World War II brought an end to this plan for development and in 1942 the heirs sold 1,261 acres, the Falls and Glens area, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a state park.

Additional purchases from Colonel Ricketts’ son, William Ricketts, in 1943 and 1949, resulted in a park nucleus of approximately 10,000 acres of former Ricketts holdings. Additional purchases from other individuals have brought the park to its present size.

Recreational facilities first opened in 1944. In 1950, the former Department of Forests and Waters replaced Lake Jean Dam with a larger, earthern dam, which combined Lake Jean with Mud Pond, creating the current 245-acre lake.

Other facility improvements and constructions have been done over the years, like the beach house, restrooms and cabins.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, contact:

Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau 800poconos.com
Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau www.tournepa.com
Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau www.endlessmountains.org
Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau www.iTourColumbiaMontour.com

In an Emergency

Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.

Nearest Hospital:
Bloomsburg Hospital
549 Fair Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570-387-2100

For More Information Contact

Ricketts Glen State Park
695 State Route 487
Benton, PA 17814
570-477-5675
Manager: Terence Daltroff

E-mail: rickettsglensp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.

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