Winter Waterfall Ice Hiking at Ricketts Glen State Park
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Best Winter Adventure in Pennsylvania
Hike frozen trails, explore stunning natural icy waterfalls and discover spectacular ice formations as you hike through frozen ravines of the majestic Ricketts Glen State Park in Northeast Pennsylvania.
The Falls Trail that you hike meanders through the Glen's Natural Area, which is a National Natural Monument. The frozen landscape creates glistening ice formations and an awe-inspiring experience unmatched in both the Endless & Pocono Mountains Regions.
This trip transports you to a frozen-in-time winter waterfall wonderland. We supply the crampons, ice axe, harness + helmet. The guides set hand-lines to clip you into at certain sections of the trail as we hike on an ice-packed narrow trail system—it is an incredible experience!
UPDATE FOR FULL DAY ICE HIKE
Updates for the 2023-2024 Full Day Ice Hike Trip. 1) update regarding closed trail, 2) new parking / meeting spot and hiking route.
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UPDATE 1: The closed section of the Falls Trail is officially open and will not impact the Full Day Ice Hiking trips.
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UPDATE 2: We've outgrown the parking area where we normally meet. Full Day Ice Hiking trips will now meet at Beach Lot 2 as depicted in the below map. More in depth details are also provided in the booking confirmation email.
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As a result, this changes the hiking route. Rather than hike in a full loop and start and end at the same location, you'll hike a 4.5 mile clockwise "V" trail (down one ravine and then up another ravine) and get shuttled back to your vehicles at the end of the hike.
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The first leg of the "V" is 2.8 miles. You begin your descent from Beach Lot 2 with a gentle downhill hike. Once on the Falls Trail, you start descending the Glen Leigh ravine all the way down to Waters Meet.
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The second leg of the "V" is 1.8 miles. You hike up the Ganoga Glen ravine all the way back to the maintenance garage parking area. Since the hike ends at a different spot than where it starts, we'll provide a shuttle van to transport you back to your vehicles at Beach Lot 2 (4 minute drive).
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Half Day | Full Day | |
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Hike Time | Approx. 2.5 - 3 hrs. | Approx. 4 - 5 hrs. |
Waterfalls | 4 Waterfalls, including the 95 ft. waterfall (plus you get to see them again on your hike out) | 17 Waterfalls, including the 95 ft. waterfall |
Miles (Approximate) | 2.4 Miles | 3.7 Miles |
Trail/Hike Type | In-and-Out | Clockwise "V" hike |
Price | $75 | $94 |
Shuttle | no | yes - 4 min. shuttle at end of hike |
PRICING DETAILS
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Pricing Schedule: 5 participants required to run the trip at the listed base price per person (half day - $79, full day $94). You do not need to book as a group of 5. These trips are open enrollment to the general public and we just need at least 5 people on a trip. If there are less than 5, we can still run the trip, but with the below pricing schedule. Since we understand that the increase in price can be a barrier, refunds and rescheduling options are available for those who do not want to go on the trip with less than 5 participants. We will contact you 2 days prior to your trip date if there are less than 5 people booked to determine how you’d like to proceed. For private trip pricing, please refer to the FAQ page.
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FULL DAY:
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4 climbers - $118/hiker
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3 climbers - $157/hiker
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2 climbers - $235/hiker
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1 climber - $470
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HALF DAY:
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4 climbers - $100/hiker
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3 climbers - $135/hiker
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2 climbers - $200/hiker
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1 climber - $400
FACTORS THAT IMPACT OUR DECISION TO RUN OR CANCEL A TRIP - ICE, SNOW, TRAIL, WATERFALL & WEATHER CONDITIONS
There are a number of factors we consider in determining whether or not to run or cancel a trip. The factors include the conditions of the ice, snow, trail, waterfalls and the forecasted weather. There's a wide spectrum upon which the conditions can vary, which impacts our decision-making process.
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The waterfalls do not have to be frozen and it is impossible for us to guarantee frozen waterfalls. We market this trip as an "ice hike," not a "frozen waterfall" hike. Some may be frozen, some semi-frozen, others flowing. On some trips, all may be frozen, or most will be flowing or some mixture in between. We understand the allure of frozen waterfalls, but that's only one aspect of the trip.
As for ice, a significant portion of the trail needs to be caked in ice so we can deliver an authentic "ice hike." Additionally, we consider the amount of side ice, ice curtains, icicles and other cool ice formations on the trail system and surrounding the waterfalls. The ice conditions may be less than, and not as dramatic as, what's portrayed in pictures that you may have seen on our website and social media.
Snow certainly adds to the beauty of the landscape, but is not required. If it is cold and the trail is cake in ice and the waterfalls are icy, snow becomes less of a factor. However, when there's less ice, the presence of snow becomes more desired.
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Rain is not good and we will often cancel trips when persistent rain is forecasted. Rain adds additional risk factors that we try to avoid. Hiking in cold wet rain also takes away the fun factor for lats of people.
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