Shickshinny Falls in Luzerne County is just a few minutes’ walk in the woods, and is a great excursion to see a beautiful double drop waterfall without a hike.
Shickshinny Falls in State Game Lands 260, Luzerne County, PA is remarkable as very easy to get to waterfall with decent height and volume. Shickshinny Falls consists of an upper falls with a drop of approximate 10 feet and a lower falls with a drop of approximately 25 feet. Park at the State Game Lands 260 lot at 41.14790, -76.16980, off of Shickshinny Valley Rd.
Follow the wide unmarked trail heading northwest. You will hear the falls before you see them. In less than a thousand feet, you’ve arrived! The trail splits in the area of the falls. If you head northwest you will arrive at what looks like the remains of a dam where the Little Shickshinny Creek makes an abrupt turn around the rocky hillside shown above.
Return up the path from which you came and loop around the rock on your side of the creek. Head down another path to a concrete foundation and retaining wall. Note how the creek flows through the gap in the rock. From here you get a head-on view of the falls. A torrential storm pounded the area just before our visit, so the water was raging.
Here’s a view of the tumultuous chute from the upper concrete retaining wall before it drops over the larger lower Shickshinny Falls.
Return up the trail that led you to the creek and head east over a hump. Make your way down the ravine. Be careful because it is steep and eroded in some places. At the time we visited there was a rope to assist. At the bottom, you will see this. This isn’t a waterfall; it’s a water eruption!
There is a trail that parallels the creek upstream and downstream from the falls. The trail upstream of the falls fizzles out in a few hundred feet. The trail downstream of the falls passes by some cascades before ascending the ravine. The trail downstream ends abruptly a little past the power line cut at approximately 41.14932, -76.16917. Along the way you may find artifacts such as the pipe below. From the area of the powerline cut you can tramp up something more than a game path but certainly not a trail at 41.14909, -76.16951. This will lead you back to the trailhead. Or you can backtrack the way you came.
Here’s a bonus. What’s going on in Shickshinny?
Parking in the State Game Lands 260 lot is at 41.14790, -76.16980.
Shickshinny Falls is at approximately 41.14875, -76.17268.
Here is an excerpt of the Pennsylvania Game Commission State Game Lands 260 map
With spacious parking and a short pleasant woodland walk to a double waterfall, Shickshinny Falls is an excellent excursion for waterfall lovers, even if you don’t love hiking. The trails were easy, except to get to the bottom of the lower falls.
While you’re here, joins us as we explore Paddy Run Falls, just across the road.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
