Six Stunning Pennsylvania Nature Hikes Most Travelers Miss
Most visitors to the U.S. East Coast rush through New York, Philadelphia or other major stops and never discover Pennsylvania’s wild side, but the writer argues the state is one of America’s most surprising nature destinations. He describes it as a place of deep canyons, waterfalls, giant cliffs and dramatic viewpoints, and says it deserves a spot on any hiking itinerary.
He highlights six routes. At Ralph Stover State Park in Bucks County, near New Hope, the High Rocks overlook steep cliffs above Tohickon Creek, with especially vivid fall colors and occasional water releases from a nearby dam in October and March that turn the creek into a rafting and kayaking spot. Leonard Harrison State Park, near Wellsboro in northwestern Pennsylvania, overlooks Pine Creek Gorge, called the state’s own “Grand Canyon,” and the Turkey Path Trail drops about 1.5 kilometers to the canyon floor and hidden falls.
Ricketts Glen State Park in the Poconos is presented as one of the East Coast’s best hikes, with about 21 waterfalls along roughly 11 kilometers, and the writer says he celebrated his 60th birthday there. Hickory Run State Park’s Shades of Death Trail runs beside Sand Spring Run through pine forest, old mill-era dams, pools and small falls, ending near the prehistoric Boulder Field, with a suggested stop in Jim Thorpe nearby. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1.5 hours from Philadelphia, was the world’s first sanctuary created to protect birds of prey and offers sweeping views during the autumn raptor migration.
He also recommends Ohiopyle State Park near Pittsburgh and Fallingwater, where the Great Gorge Trail follows an old railroad line beside the Youghiogheny River and Cucumber Falls can be walked behind. The article closes by urging travelers to leave the highway, follow marked trails, avoid hunting areas, check weather conditions, and use maps and trail apps because reception can be unreliable.
