Shawnee Falls is a 25-foot veiling horsetail waterfall on Glen Leigh Branch of Kitchen Creek, part of the Falls Trail System in Ricketts Glen State Park, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
The falls
An in-person measurement and a one-meter lidar survey taken in May 2018 put the drop at 25 feet; older park maps give the height as 30 feet. A stone staircase descends alongside the falls.
Getting there
The falls are mapped along the Falls Trail System, with shorter approaches from Lake Rose; the full loop covers 7.2 miles and is rated the park's most difficult hike. Pennsylvania state parks charge no entrance or day-use fee, and the park is open sunrise to sunset. No closure notice for this section appears on the park's alerts page.
When to go
The creek runs year-round but is generally lowest from late July through September. Winter travel here requires technical equipment and experience.
On site
The Falls Trail is rocky, steep and slippery in this stretch. Pets must be leashed, caged or crated, and are not allowed in swimming areas. Wheelchair accessibility and a swimming policy specific to this waterfall are not documented.
History and name
Ricketts Glen became a state park in 1944. Robert Bruce Ricketts likely gave Shawnee Falls its name.
Nearby
Huron Falls is about 0.1 mile away. F L Ricketts Falls and Ozone Falls are each about 0.2 mile, and R B Ricketts Falls about 0.3 mile.
Distances are straight-line.