Waterfall hikes are some of the most photographed and most family-friendly trails in any state — the destination delivers a clear visual reward, and many are short enough to do before lunch. We pulled every Pennsylvania trail in our database whose name explicitly references falls, cascade, chute, or plunge, then ranked them by accessibility so the easiest and shortest waterfall hikes surface first. The result is ten hikes that pay off without punishing the people you're hiking with.
Pennsylvania's ridge-and-valley Appalachians dominate the state — the "Rocksylvania" reputation along the AT comes from genuine geology. Spring and fall are best; summer is humid and rattlesnake-active in the mountains; winter ice is common on shaded ridges. Waterfalls run hardest in spring snowmelt and after sustained rain — the same windows when trail surfaces are slipperiest.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 19,247 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Pennsylvania — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We identify waterfall hikes by scanning trail names for terms like "falls," "cascade," "chute," and "plunge." That misses unnamed seasonal cascades and trails whose primary feature is a waterfall not mentioned in the route name. Treat the list as a confident sample, not a complete catalog.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. 3 Falls Trail
3 Falls Trail near Westport in Clinton County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #1 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the 3 Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Adam Falls Trail
Adam Falls Trail near Rector in Westmoreland County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #2 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Adam Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Adam Falls Trail
Adam Falls Trail near Rector in Westmoreland County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #3 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Adam Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Alpha Falls Trail
Alpha Falls Trail near Portersville in Lawrence County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #4 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Pennsylvania, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Alpha Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Bent Run Waterfall Trail
Bent Run Waterfall Trail near Tiona in Warren County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #5 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bent Run Waterfall Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Bohen Run Falls - West Rim Loop Trail
Bohen Run Falls - West Rim Loop Trail near Morris in Tioga County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #6 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bohen Run Falls - West Rim Loop Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Breakneck Falls Trail
Breakneck Falls Trail near Portersville in Lawrence County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #7 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Breakneck Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Bunny (orange) & Fall Brook (red) Trails
Bunny (orange) & Fall Brook (red) Trails near Montrose in Susquehanna County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #8 slot for accessibility. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bunny (orange) & Fall Brook (red) Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Buttermilk Falls Trail
Buttermilk Falls Trail near Wallpack Center in Sussex County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #9 slot for accessibility. Tagged easy in OpenStreetMap. Compared to similar trails in Pennsylvania, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Buttermilk Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Buttermilk Falls Trail
Buttermilk Falls Trail near Fairview in Erie County leads to a named waterfall and earns the #10 slot for accessibility. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Time the visit to spring snowmelt or the days after a storm for the most volume; wear shoes with real grip — wet rock near falls is no joke. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Buttermilk Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Pennsylvania trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Pennsylvania. Spring and fall are best; summer is humid and rattlesnake-active in the mountains; winter ice is common on shaded ridges. Timber rattlesnakes in the rocky ridges, ticks (Lyme endemic), and ankle-rolling rock fields on the AT.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Pennsylvania hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Pennsylvania coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Pennsylvania — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Pennsylvania — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Pennsylvania — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Pennsylvania — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Pennsylvania — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Pennsylvania — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Pennsylvania — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Pennsylvania last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
