Chasing Waterfalls

I’ve gone chasing waterfalls...

With my current summer plans of 2020, which was to thru-hike 2650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, being on hold, I've made some exciting decisions for my summer. One really exciting adventurous decision is to explore as many waterfalls as I can in my local area!

This list will continue to grow as I see more and more waterfalls! If you are interested in learning about the beautiful waterfall populated area of western Pennsylvania this is the page for you!

COLE RUN FALLS | Rockwood PA

Getting to the Falls

I started with a waterfall that a friend has posted a picture of on social media. Cole Run Falls is located near my parents house in a rural area in Somerset County. I left my sisters house in the morning after making the kid pancakes, and headed to the falls. I put the address into GPS and was on the way. As I got closer the roads were now unpaved and when I was 3 minutes away I was on non-maintained dirt road. My car was not sufficient to make it up the road and I thought that I was either lost, going in the wrong way, or stupid.

I looked at my Map, and I was so close yet so far away. I backed down the washed out dirt road, and turned around. I backtracked to a road with more options and had to give up on navigation and follow some backroads on the map until I arrived at the trailhead.

GPS Coordinatea: 39.9721, -79.2842

The trail to the falls was only about 100 yards until you're standing above them. There is a little slick, rocky trail down to the falls and there I was.

The Falls

I'm not very good at judging distances but from the top of the falls to the first pool seemed to be less than 10 feet, or not much higher than 10 feet. However there is a second set of smaller falls down below, that I didn't realize until after I left and was researching for this post.

This waterfall is powerful, and very loud. I loved that, however my dog was terrified and did not enjoy the towering water and loud crashing of water. I found peace in the gentle mist that was enveloping me as I stood there taking it in! These falls are located in a serene and quiet place where it will be easy to enjoy alone with no other distractions.

Rocket’s Fall Score: 7/10

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BUTTERMILK FALLS | Homewood PA

Getting to the Falls

I did not know that there were so many waterfalls names Buttermilk Falls in the state of PA. Apparently there are around 10 others in the state/surrounding areas. I decided to hit these on a Sunday and I definitely regret it! I pulled off the busy road to a small parking area polluted with people smoking cigarettes, playing music and being very rowdy.

GPS Coordinates: 40.8136, -80.3267

After parking and making sure to lock my valuables in the trunk, I walked the quarter mile or so up a very well maintained path along the river.

The Falls

There were a lot of people out, it was Sunday and the weather was perfect. I can see why everyone else had the same idea. The falls had a lot of trash floating around the pool and along the edges where people had left snacks and drinks. There were a bunch of kids loudly swimming and splashing around in the pool, making it very hard to enjoy the serenity of the falls. The falls are right below some train tracks which also emits a certain industrial smell.

That being said, the falls were magnificent! Very large and high and the pool below was a nice clear blue.

I would recommend going to see these falls on a weekday to get the full experience. The part I enjoyed the most was on the walk to the parking area, I sat on a rock near the river away from the crowd and found serenity there (pictured below).

Rocket‘s Fall Score: 6.5/10 ____________________________________________

HINKSTOWN FALLS | Johnstown PA

Getting to the Falls

Getting to the waterfall was super easy. I simply put in the GPS coordinates and followed my navigation app. The falls were places right next to the road and I could see them in their glory as I pulled up.

GPS coordinates: 40.371175, -78.890850

As I stood on the road, I saw a small trail that went down to the pool of water as the base of the falls. I also saw posted no trespassing signs. When I researched these falls online I read on multiple pages that the falls were on private property and I wanted to respect that.

The Falls

As you can see, these falls are magnificent, and huge! The Pool below was blue and clean. The falls are man made with directed water flow from a lake above, which means there should always be water flowing! If you’re in Johnstown it’s worth the 10 minute drive to check out!

Rocket’s Fall Score: 8/10

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YODER FALLS | Davidsville PA

Getting to the Falls

The diresctons were super easy to follow, and when I got to a small parking area I parked and couldn’t find the trail. I had to research a little bit and found an amazing resource to help navigate my way there:

https://pabucketlist.com/exploring-yoder-falls-somerset-county/

The trail down towards the falls was super steep, and I knew I’d have to climb up it on my way back out! it was less than 1/2 a mile to the falls and I had to use the website above to navigate my way there. Why? Because one you get to the bottom of the river you’ll have to walk along the river up stream and I lost the trail a view times. But persistence is key and before I knew it I was looking up at Yoder Falls.

GPS Coordinates: 40.247385, -78.892312

The Falls

These waterfalls were super beautiful! Maybe it was the fact that I arrived late in the day and the warm golden hour sun was peaking through the trees, or the fact that I had to CARRY MY

DOG almost the whole way, but it was super rewarding!