Ricketts Glen State Park

State park · Pennsylvania

Autumn foliage at Ricketts Glen State Park
Photo: Juliancolton / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

The Falls Trail's 7.1-mile loop threads past 22 named waterfalls, including the 94-foot Ganoga Falls, through a National Natural Landmark old-growth forest. Fall color across the 13,050-acre park peaks mid-to-late October, with the Route 118 trailhead near Benton the standard starting point.

Best for: waterfall hiking in fall color

Don’t miss

  • 7.1-mile Falls Trail loop
  • 22 named waterfalls
  • 94-ft Ganoga Falls
2026 Forecast

Peak: October 16–October 20

Color builds from October 3 · mostly bare by November 9

Color starts: October 3Peak: October 18Bare: November 9AugustDecember

Sampled at Ricketts Glen State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (414 m) rather than a regional average.

Pennsylvania is sampled at 22 weather points, then moved 3 days later so the model agrees with 2 published peak dates from almanac.com and smokymountains.com. How the forecast works

When to go to Ricketts Glen State Park

Good color holds through about October 27, giving you roughly 24 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 1 day later than Pennsylvania as a whole. It sits at 1,358 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.

Ricketts Glen State Park on the map

Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Pennsylvania, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.

More things to do in Pennsylvania

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Frequently asked

When does Ricketts Glen State Park peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 16–October 20 (best estimate October 18). Color starts around October 3 and is mostly bare by November 9.

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