With an easy boardwalk stroll through beautiful rhododendron forest to Pennsylvania’s second tallest waterfall, Dingmans Falls is a must-see!
Dingmans Falls, located in Pike County PA, within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, is Pennsylvania’s second tallest waterfall, after nearby Raymondskill Falls. Although the park is called “Dingmans Falls”, there is actually a second waterfall, Silverthread Falls, which is nothing to turn your nose up at. Both are easily accessible by a level road and boardwalks through beautiful rhododendron forest along Dingmans Creek.
Park in the lot off of Route 209, located at 41.22023, -74.87142. Make your way up the paved road through the woods. Don’t worry about traffic. Other than National Park Service business, the road is closed to motor vehicles. After about 1.2 miles you will arrive at the gingerbread style visitor’s center shown above. Bathroom facilities are available, except in the off season.
The trailhead proper is conspicuous, located just east of the visitor’s center. The rest of the trail consists of boardwalk through the woods, with several bridges crossing Dingmans Creek. The first waterfall, Silverthread Falls is waiting just beyond the first bridge.
The 80-foot tall Silverthread Falls is remarkable as an elegant sliver of a waterfall threading through a narrow through in the rock cliff. During our visit, the waterfall was encrusted in ice, but you could see the thin thread of water through some windows in the ice.
After taking in Silverthread Falls, enjoy an easy stroll on the boardwalk paralleling Dingmans Creek, through the rhododendron forest. The verdant rhododendron, hemlock, and moss were accented by white snow and glistening ice to create a magical winter landscape. After about a third of a mile, you will arrive at the 130-foot tall Dingmans Falls.
Dingman’s falls consists of a vertical drop, followed by a wide rocky slide into the splash pool. There is a long deck at the bottom of Dingmans falls across the splash pool. After enjoying the majestic beauty of the falls from below, you can take wooden stairs up the side of the ravine, affording different perspectives of the falls.
Below is a photo of the stairs and boardwalk snaking up the ravine. You can take them all the way to the top of Dingmans Falls.
It was a fun trip to the top of Dingmans falls, but unfortunately, there isn’t a significant view of the falls from the top. If the water wasn’t frozen, we might have had a partial view of the water spilling over the top of the rock cliff. But at least you can view the hemlock-robed ravine from the top of Dingmans Falls.
On this adventure you get to experience not one, but two tall waterfalls with complementary characters: the heavyweight power of Dingmans Falls and the elegant finesse of Silverthread Falls. The boardwalk along Dingmans Creek and rhododendron forest through the ravine adds to both the beauty and fun of the place. The total distance of the out-and-back adventure was approximately 3 miles on easy, level terrain, making this an excellent adventure for families. The falls are highly accessible and would be suitable even for strollers. Be advised, this is a popular destination, so expect crowds if you visit during the vacation season. Whether you are a waterfall enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer, or a general sightseer, Dingmans Falls is worthy of your Hemlock State bucket list.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
