Mountain Springs and Cherry Run Loop-Ricketts Glen State Park

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With the Falls Trail closed every winter to hikers (unless they have the required gear), hiking may seem limited at Ricketts Glen during the colder months.  It isn’t.  With the new trail to Valley View, and this loop, there is still a lot to explore.  I really enjoy this loop with its isolation, deep hemlock forests, beautiful streams, cascades and waterfalls.  The highlight is the sublime Little Cherry Run Trail as it explores a gorge with cascades, rapids and small waterfalls.  Large rocks, ledges, moss, ferns, and hemlocks complete the beauty of this gorge.  Besides the Falls Trail, you simply cannot miss the Little Cherry Run Trail while hiking at Ricketts Glen.

We began at the parking area and hiked a trail alongside the cabin area. Where the Falls Trail turned right, we went left to the breached Lake Leigh Dam.  I wish I knew the history of this unique dam.  We then turned right onto the trail to Mountain Springs, blazed red.  A waterfall is below the trail.  We hiked among the hemlocks and meandering streams.  In places, the trail was quite wet.  Moss covered the ground.  The forests at Ricketts Glen are so beautiful.  We veered left at the next intersection, continuing on the red Mountain Springs Trail.  We descended along an old forest road, enjoying the hemlocks and Bowmans Creek when it came into view.  We could hear some cascades off into the woods, and further down the trail a sizeable falls and slide through a unique chasm in the bedrock, just off the trail.

We then turned left onto the yellow Little Cherry Run Trail.  This beautiful trail is a pleasure to hike as we passed grottos with cascades, rapids and pools in a rugged gorge.  There are two footbridges.  As we left the creek, an obvious but unmarked trail was to the right.  This is the unofficial Hall of Hemlocks trail; an excellent hike with corridors of deep hemlocks at the tops of ledges with partial views.  This trail takes hikers out to The Meadows along Mountain Springs Road.  

We continued on the Little Cherry Run Trail as it explored the top of the plateau with more hemlocks and meandering streams.  Some sections of this trail were very wet.  We reached the red Cherry Run Trail and turned left.  This trail took us back to the Lack Leigh dam, where we retraced our steps.

This hike is 5-6 miles long, and we parked at 41.338772, -76.279693.

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Waterfalls below the Mountain Springs Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park. We hiked the Mountain Springs and Cherry Run loop.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 1:14pm PST

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Mini hiking guide of the Mountain Springs and Cherry Run loop: Pic 2: hike down from parking area to old Lake Leigh dam,turn right onto Mtn Springs Trail. 3: turn left onto Mtn Springs Trail. 4: beautiful hemlock forests. 5: turn left on yellow Little Cherry Run Trail. 6 and 7: cascades, rapids, and pools in a gorge along the Little Cherry Run Trail. 8: start of the unofficial Hall of Hemlocks Trail where it connects to Little Cherry Run Trail. 9: footbridge, several areas were wet. 10: turn left to head back. 1: beautiful hemlocks along the trail.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 1:29pm PST

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A trail of Autumn in a world of Winter.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 1:34pm PST

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A unique chasm waterfall on Bowmans Creek just off the Mountain Springs Trail.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 1:45pm PST

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The Little Cherry Run Trail is absolutely beautiful, a must hike. It features a gorge with ledges, big rocks, moss, ferns and hemlocks along a creek filled with cascades and pools.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 1:52pm PST

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Along the Little Cherry Run Trail.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 6:20pm PST

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Little Cherry Run Trail

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 6:22pm PST

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Hiking back on a snow dusted Cherry Run Trail.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 6:26pm PST

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Frozen vernal pool off the Cherry Run Trail.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Dec 15, 2019 at 6:28pm PST

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The breached dam of the former Lake Leigh dusted with snow.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Nov 24, 2019 at 11:58am PST