With waterfall, cascades, and swimming hole set under the cliffs of a verdant ravine, Tucquan Glen was once Lancaster County’s most popular outdoor destination.
We first visited Tucquan Glen in the mid 2000 teens. At that time, it was well known among locals as an outdoor adventure gem. With an easily accessible waterfall, swimming hole, and numerous cascades set among rhododendron-accented rocky cliffs, it was popular with everyone from the casual excursionist to the hardcore hiker. The glen’s peculiar property of having significantly cooler temperature than the surrounding area made it an ideal destination to chill on hot summer days.
As Tucquan Glen’s popularity grew, overuse, parking congestion, trail wear, and trash became issues. Then in March of 2020 with the onset of the COVID 19 lockdowns and spike in visitors, the parking areas were closed indefinitely. Although Tucquan Glen and the adjacent Pyfer Nature Preserve are technically open, the closure of the parking lot and lack of alternate parking nearby make the glen accessible only by hiking in from the Conestoga Trail. In this adventure, we assessed the state of Tucquan Glen six years later in March 2026.
We began at Clark Nature Preserve at 39.87481, -76.36366. The hike to Tucquan Glen is about 2.5 miles, depending on the route. Wanting to experience the beauty of the majestic lower Susquehanna River from the cliffs along the way we took the Conestoga Trail south. We passed by the scenic view from House Rock at 39.87105, -76.36786. However, on this visit, the view was obscured by the fog. On previous trips, we’ve enjoyed seeing the five-lined skinks that congregate here. As typical of trails along the lower Susquehanna, we dipped down then climbed up the ravine at Reed Run. At the top of the plateau just south of Reed Run we found the cool formation Anvil Rock pictured above.
At the rim of Tucquan Glen, we descended the ravine via the white blazed Pyfer Trail then the yellow blazed Lower Pfyer Trail. The trail leads to a railroad bridge over the mouth of the Tucquan Creek to the Susquehanna. However, the railroad is active and marked with posted signs. To avoid trespassing, you can make a wet crossing at a shallow part of the creek just upstream of the bridge.
We followed the rocky trial upstream, enjoying the numerous cascades and the deep rocky cliffs adorned with rhododendron. The glen was noticeably colder and even had residual snow from a storm from two weeks ago. We came to a sharp hairpin turn where the creek below flows around an imposing rock cliff. Here the ravine widens into a scenic woodland view.
The trail split into an upper and lower route at about 39.85863, -76.34544. We took the lower route to explore the creek. However, at 39.85911, -76.34595 we were disappointed to find a sign indicating the lower trail was closed. The path ahead was completely washed out just before the glen’s only true waterfall. However, the swimming hole at the base of the waterfall still appeared to be accessible.
With the change of plans, we returned to the trail split and followed the orange trail partially up the side of the ravine. Thankfully, the orange trail was just a detour around the washed-out area and returned to the creek. The detour was well constructed with a bridge and stone steps. The amount of work put into the detour indicates that it is here to stay for the long term. The character of the creek changed significantly upstream of the waterfall from roiling rock cascades to slower water.
We passed by another trail split at a rock overhang at 39.85997, -76.34600. The orange trail made a shallow wet crossing to the north side while the blue trail continued on the south side of the creek. We followed the blue trail for a short distance until we were thwarted by another closure sign. we returned to the rock overhang and made the wet crossing via the orange trail.
After a few minutes’ walk we spied the ruins of an old chimney on the other (south) side of the creek adjacent to a rock water slide. We crossed the shallow water again to investigate. The ground around the chimney was not very level and we didn’t find further evidence of a foundation, although there was an old metal pipe running out of the ground. What would this have been?
We crossed the creek again to return to the orange trail on the north side to investigate the parking area. On the way, the trail made two more wet crossings and found multiple side trails closed. There are two parking areas: a smaller one that can accommodate 2 or 3 vehicles at the trailhead and a larger one in sight just down the road. The parking areas were indeed still closed and gated. River Road is narrow and winding, and the little shoulder that exists was marked with private property and no parking signs. The trailhead also had a sign encouraging guests to visit other preserves. The map at the trailhead clearly shows the parking areas as closed.
Having completed our investigation, we departed from Tucquan Glen on the white Pyfer Trail and reconnected with the orange Conestoga Trail. We backtracked on the Conestoga Trail to Reed Run. For variety, we took the blue Goodno to the interior of the ravine then up through old farm country to the Clark Preserve trailhead to complete the loop.
Overall, the loop we took was 5.6 miles.
We parked at the Clark Nature Preserve at 39.87481, -76.36366 as shown in the first of the two maps above. We hiked south to the Pyfer and Tucquan Glen preserves shown in the second map via the orange Conestoga Trail.
Alternatively, you can park at The Pinnacle Overlook at 39.84555, -76.34232. That would be a 1.2 mile hike north to Tucquan Glen.
According to the Lancaster Conservancy which owns Tucquan Glen, the parking areas at the preserve on River Road were closed in 2020 and remain closed indefinitely.
Six years later, although technically open, there is no other parking available near the glen, so you can only access it by hiking in from Clark Nature Preserve or The Pinnacle Overlook. With several trail closures, multiple wet crossings, and access to the waterfall restricted, the adventure isn’t what it once was. Although you can still see the waterfall and can climb down to the swimming hole. The detour trail around the waterfall is well done; clearly a lot of time and money was invested to make it nice. The washout on the lower trail is significant, so it likely won’t reopen any time soon.
Although not what it once was, Tacquan Glen is a decent adventure if you are in the area. Particularly to cool off on a hot summer day. However, unless you have a burning desire to check it off your list, we wouldn’t make a special trip for it if or when fully reopens. Stay tuned for updates.
While you’re in the area, visit these nearby outdoor adventure destinations.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
