Bushkill Falls
139 Bushkill Falls Trail, Bushkill, PA
Bushkill, PA
Eight waterfalls threaded together by wooden bridges and cliffside boardwalks in a mossy Pocono gorge, a family landmark that has drawn walkers for more than a century.
Bushkill Falls is a chain of eight waterfalls tucked into a forested gorge in the eastern Pocono Mountains, stitched together by a system of wooden bridges, stairways, and cliff-hugging boardwalks. The centerpiece is the Main Falls, a tall cascade that plunges through the ravine and gives the place its old nickname, the Niagara of Pennsylvania.
It is one of Pennsylvania's oldest privately run natural attractions, opened to the public in the early twentieth century and cared for by the same family line ever since. That long stewardship is part of the appeal: a walk here is a walk into a piece of Pocono tourism history as much as into a beautiful gorge.
What Guests Love
- The Main Falls, a tall, dramatic drop viewed from bridges above and below
- A network of boardwalks and footbridges that lace through the whole gorge
- The cool, green, fern-hung feel of the ravine even on a hot summer day
- Choosing a shorter or longer loop to match your time and energy
Worth Knowing
- This is a privately owned attraction, so it welcomes visitors during its posted open season
- The trails include many stairs and can be wet, so wear sturdy, non-slip shoes
- The longer loops involve real climbing, while shorter routes reach the Main Falls with less effort
- Flows run highest in spring and after rain, and can thin during a dry late summer
Details
Bushkill, PA
Learn about Bushkill Falls
A walk built for the falls
What sets Bushkill apart is how thoroughly it is built for walking. Generations of trail-building have laced the gorge with boardwalks, bridges, and stairways that carry visitors right up beside the water, across the streams, and out to viewpoints that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Several looping routes let you choose a quick visit to the Main Falls or a longer circuit past all eight cascades.
The falls form where Little Bushkill Creek and its tributaries drop through layers of hard and soft rock, cutting the deep, mossy ravine. Ferns, hemlocks, and rhododendron crowd the walls, and the constant spray keeps the whole gorge cool and green even in the heat of summer, which is a large part of why it has drawn walkers for so long.
A family attraction, a century on
Bushkill Falls opened to the public in 1904, when a local family built the first trails and bridges to share the gorge with travelers. It grew into one of the Poconos' signature stops in the golden age of the region's resorts, when railroads and highways brought city families up into the mountains for cool air and scenery.
The site has stayed in private hands and has been maintained and improved across the decades, with the walkways rebuilt and extended over time. Alongside the falls the grounds have gathered the familiar trappings of an old-style roadside attraction, from gift shops to paddle boats and gem panning, but the waterfalls and the gorge remain the reason to come.
The Pocono country and its first peoples
This corner of the Poconos lies within the ancestral homeland of the Lenape, also known as the Delaware, who lived along the Delaware River and its tributaries for countless generations before European settlement pushed them west. Their descendant communities continue elsewhere today, and the region's place names still carry echoes of the Lenape language.
The Poconos rose in the modern era as a resort landscape, first for the grand mountain hotels of the railroad age and later for the honeymoon lodges and family resorts of the mid-twentieth century. Bushkill Falls fits into that story as one of the natural landmarks that gave the region its reputation for scenery, alongside the nearby Delaware Water Gap.
Wildlife, water, and the seasons
The gorge is a pocket of eastern hardwood and hemlock forest, and quiet walkers may spot white-tailed deer, chipmunks, and a range of woodland songbirds, while the streams support salamanders and other creatures of cool, wet places. The dense rhododendron and fern give the ravine a lush, almost rainforest feel in the warm months.
Spring is when the falls run fullest, fed by snowmelt and rain, and the gorge greens up fast. Summer is the busiest season and the coolest place to be on a hot day. Autumn brings a blaze of color to the surrounding forest and is many visitors' favorite time. The site closes for the coldest part of winter, so plan a visit for the open season.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Bushkill
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
A short drive south and east
A long stretch of protected river valley on the Delaware, with trails, waterfalls, swimming, and river paddling along the New Jersey line.
Village of Bushkill
Just outside the gorge
A small Pocono community that makes a quiet base, near lakes, resorts, and other cascades.
Pocono resort country
Throughout the surrounding region
The wider Poconos of lakes, forests, ski hills, and family resorts spreading across the mountains around the falls.