Explore the Chasms of Rock Run-Loyalsock State Forest

Explore Sones Rocks-Loyalsock State F... Hike to Wolf Swamp Run Falls and Deep...

Explore the Chasms of Rock Run-Loyalsock State Forest

Chasm of Rock Run

Length: About 4.5 – 5 miles

Parking: 41.534971, -76.891889

Highlights: Waterfalls, pools, cascades, gorges, grottos, chasms, campsites.

Trail conditions: Variable. The Old Loggers Path (OLP) is well established and blazed. This hike also involves off trail hiking, creek walking, and following a forest road.

Issues: do not do this hike in high water, Rock Run becomes a deadly whitewater river.

Description: Rock Run has long been a popular destination in the Loyalsock State Forest. It is famous for its beauty with cascades, falls, and bedrock pools. Almost the entire creek has this type of scenery. Rock Run is one of the most beautiful creeks I have ever seen.

This hike is also described in Hiking the Endless Mountains.

This hike explores the upper part of Rock Run, which is much less popular. It is still very beautiful. This hike requires some navigational experience. There are many route options, and part of this hike follows the creek itself. From the parking area, cross the bridge over Rock Run and turn right on Pioneer Road, a gated forest or jeep road. Follow it to a hunting cabin. This is Hawk Run. If you want to see the gorges and cascades on Hawk Run, go up the creek. There may be a faint path. Come to some slides with a huge cliff and giant boulders. Return the way you came.

From Hawk Run, we simply creek walked up Rock Run, but you can choose to also take Pioneer Road. The creek walk is much more scenic with several cascades, pools, and grottos. Either way, you will come to the first chasm, just downstream where the North Branch of Rock Run joins Rock Run. This chasm is stunning with towering cliff walls, slides, deep pools, and cascades. Just upstream is the second chasm, with a large pool, cascade, and huge ledges. This spot is truly spectacular.

Again, you can hike out via Pioneer Road, but we did a short bushwhack up the hill to the OLP and hiked it down to Yellow Dog Run. This is another incredible spot with more deep, bedrock pools, and the famous falls of Yellow Dog Run. From here, we left the OLP and simply followed Rock Run downstream. There was an unblazed path in many places. We occasionally walked along the creek. Rock Run continued to impress with its scenery. We hiked under cliffs, through grottos and along cascades. The unblazed path became more defined and we soon reached our cars at Yellow Dog Road.

PA is so beautiful. Explore it.

This map is for general directional purposes only and is not a GPS route. Red is off trail. Brown is an old logging or jeep road. Yellow is an intermittent unblazed path. You cannot drive up Pioneer Road.