PA Waterfalls

Exploring Choke Creek Falls in Lackawanna County

A collage of four images showcases various views of Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest, including a hiker admiring the upper tier, a head-on view of the waterfall’s multiple cascades, a wide shot of both tiers spilling into a rocky gorge, and a close-up of the flowing water captured from stream level in Lackawanna County.

If you’re looking for information about visiting Choke Creek Falls in Lackawanna County, you’re in the right place!

A hiker in an orange jacket and blue hat stands on a rocky ledge, admiring the cascading tiers of Choke Creek Falls surrounded by evergreens in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

Choke Creek Falls is a gorgeous two-tiered, 20-foot tall waterfall in the Pinchot State Forest, located near the border between Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

A stream-level view of Choke Creek Falls captures water gracefully cascading over a wide, rocky ledge surrounded by mossy cliffs and a mix of evergreens and bare hardwoods in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

A relatively flat, 0.7 mile hike (1.4 miles round-trip) leads to this picturesque spot, which is also a popular summertime swimming hole.

A multi-tiered cascade at Choke Creek Falls spills into a deep pool surrounded by rocky cliffs, evergreen trees, and overhanging rhododendrons in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County, with ropes hanging from a tree hinting at its use as a swimming hole.

Directions to Choke Creek Falls

The parking area for this hike as I’m going to describe it is located along Phelps Road, a state forest road in good condition as of April 2025.

If navigating by GPS (which I highly recommend), use coordinates 41.1747, -75.60905 to locate this unmarked-but-obvious parking area pictured below.

A bright red pickup truck is parked at the edge of a forest road near a gated trailhead surrounded by tall, leafless trees and scattered evergreens in the Lackawanna County portion of the Pinchot State Forest, near the hike to Choke Creek Falls.

The hike covers 0.7 miles (each way), and I would rate this as an easy hike with a few rocky and potentially muddy areas.

A trail map highlights the hiking route from the parking area on Phelps Road to Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest, crossing from Lackawanna County into Luzerne County and following the yellow-blazed trail along Choke Creek.

The hike initially follows a gated forest road downhill about 1/3 of a mile to a clearing.

A yellow and black gate blocks vehicle access to a gravel forest road, which stretches straight into a leafless woodland in the Pinchot State Forest near the trail to Choke Creek Falls in Lackawanna County.

At the clearing, follow the trail to the right, past another gate.

A gravel path cuts through a grassy clearing surrounded by bare trees, with a bold directional message and arrow pointing hikers to a gated trail on the right, marking the correct route to Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest’s Lackawanna County section.

Follow this trail for 400 yards, where you’ll see an occasional blue blaze.

A rocky, leaf-covered trail winds through a quiet, early spring forest with bare trees and a blue trail blaze marking the path toward Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

When you reach the small footbridge over Butler Run (pictured below), cross the stream and then hang an immediate left, following the orange-blazed Pinchot Trail downstream.

A simple footbridge made of three weathered wooden planks spans a narrow, clear stream along the trail to Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

Continue following the orange-blazed Pinchot Trail (a bit rocky in places) for roughly 300 yards.

A red-blazed tree marks a rocky trail running alongside a mossy stream through a quiet, leaf-strewn forest in the Pinchot State Forest near Choke Creek Falls in Lackawanna County.

The Pinchot Trail will bring you out at the top of Choke Creek Falls, at the rocky outcropping pictured below (GPS coordinates 41.17144, -75.61813.)

A scenic view of Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest shows water cascading over a wide rock ledge into a rocky stream below, surrounded by moss-covered boulders and evergreen trees.

Photographing Choke Creek Falls

There are LOTS of possibilities when it comes to photographing Choke Creek Falls – above, beside, and below just to name a few.

A hiker wearing an orange jacket and holding a trekking pole stands ankle-deep in the stream, gazing at the upper tier of Choke Creek Falls as water cascades over wide rock ledges in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

The rocky outcropping above the falls was my favorite vantage point when visiting, as it allows you to get a good sense of the overall height of both tiers of Choke Creek Falls.

A wide-angle view of Choke Creek Falls reveals water cascading over the upper and lower tiers of the waterfall, surrounded by moss-covered rocks, evergreen trees, and hanging rope swings in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

The stream-level view from below is also a great spot.

A head-on view of Choke Creek Falls showcases both the upper and lower tiers of the waterfall cascading down dark rock ledges into a calm pool, surrounded by mossy cliffs, evergreens, and rope swings hanging from trees in the Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna County.

When you’ve had your fill of Choke Creek Falls, simply retrace your steps 0.7 miles back to the parking area along Phelps Road.

Water flows over the upper tier of Choke Creek Falls in the Pinchot State Forest, cascading down stepped rock ledges and framed by mossy boulders, evergreens, and leafless hardwoods in Lackawanna County.

Nearby Attractions

12 Must-See Attractions in Lackawanna County is your guide to even more attractions near Choke Creek Falls.

A collage of four photos taken in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Top left: Historic steam and diesel locomotives displayed at the Steamtown National Historic Site turntable. Top right: A Stegosaurus skeleton on exhibit inside the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science, and Art in Scranton. Bottom left: A vibrant mural of Dwight Schrute from the television show "The Office" painted on a wall in Scranton. Bottom right: A serene waterfall flowing through the rocky landscape of Nay Aug Gorge at Nay Aug Park in Scranton.

38 Must-See Waterfalls in the Poconos is your guide to even more spectacular waterfalls in the region.

4 photos showing Pennsylvania's leading travel expert Rusty Glessner at some of the best waterfalls in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania.

Find even more great spots to explore all across Pennsylvania with the interactive PA Bucket List Travel Map!

Did you enjoy this article?

If so, be sure to like and follow PA Bucket List on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest to learn more about the best things to see and do in Pennsylvania!

Click on any of the icons below to get connected to PA Bucket List on social media.