Buttermilk Falls is a tiered waterfall in Lehigh Gorge State Park, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, with a current lidar-based height of about 130 feet across seven drops, though hikers usually see only its lower section.
The falls
The falls come down Lehigh Gorge in a series of steep, tiered cascades. Current lidar readings put the total drop at about 130 feet across seven tiers, well above the 40 feet in two drops once recorded. The flow is probably intermittent, and the upper half is hidden from the trail at the base, so estimates made from below, where only the lower section is visible, have ranged from 50 to 70 feet.
Getting there
The falls sit along the Lehigh Gorge Trail, a shared hiking-and-biking rail-trail, about a quarter mile north of the Rockport access point; the trail climbs gently, at roughly a 2 percent grade heading north, with restrooms and seasonal drinking water at Rockport. From a separate parking area, reaching the base is a 0.7-mile round trip with 22 feet of elevation gain, rated easy. Pennsylvania state parks charge no entrance fee, and the park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
On site
The falls are visible directly from the rail trail. A rocky descent leads to a lower viewpoint, though it isn't clear whether that route is maintained or safe underfoot. Hikers should watch for fast water, steep terrain and bicycle traffic sharing the trail.
Nearby
Indian Run Falls is about 0.3 mile away, Minisink Falls about 2.9 miles, and Black Run Falls about 5.1 miles.
Distances are straight-line.