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.Directions
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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. |
Recreational Opportunities
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).
Swimming: The 600-foot beach is open from late-May
to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Swim at your own risk. A food and
refreshment concession, boat rental and picnic facilities are nearby.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Free Camping for Campground Hosts: one host
position in the modern campground
The modern campground host site has amenities that include 200-amp electric
service and water hookup (septic is not on site, but a dump station is
available). A long-term stay from April through October is preferred, but not
required. The host is required to assist park personnel inspect buildings, light
cleanup, greet people, litter pick-up, light maintenance and fire ring cleaning.
Contact the park office for additional information and availability.
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.
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 third Monday in April
to the third Monday in October. Advance reservations are recommended.
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.
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.
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
| The Glens Natural Area, a registered National Natural Landmark since
October 12, 1969, and a Pennsylvania State Park Natural Area, is the
main scenic attraction in the park. Two branches of Kitchen Creek cut
through the deep gorges of Ganoga Glen and Glen Leigh and unite at
“Waters Meet” and then flow through Ricketts Glen, among giant pines,
hemlocks and oaks. |
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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.
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.
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