PA Waterfalls

Exploring Tobyhanna Falls in Monroe County

A collage of four images from the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County, Pennsylvania features hikers exploring rocky terrain near Tobyhanna Falls, a view of Tobyhanna Creek lined with evergreens and bare trees, a well-defined trail through a dense forest of tall pines, and a scenic cascade of Tobyhanna Falls surrounded by lush summer foliage.

If you’re looking for information about visiting Tobyhanna Falls in Monroe County, you’re in the right place!

Visitors walk along large, flat rock slabs beside the rushing waters of Tobyhanna Creek at the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, with a small waterfall visible in the distance and tall evergreens lining both sides of the creek under a blue sky.

Tobyhanna Falls lies along Tobyhanna Creek in the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area, just off Interstate 80.

A scenic view of Tobyhanna Creek flowing swiftly through the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, with a mix of bare and evergreen trees lining the far bank under a bright blue sky.

A relatively easy 0.4 mile hike (one way) along the Tobyhanna Creek leads to the falls, making it a popular spot for both locals and travelers along the highway.

Directions & Hours

The entrance to the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area is right along Route 115, just north of the Blakeslee exit off of Interstate 80.

A large parking area is locate at the entrance, along with a picnic pavilion and several porta potties.

A view of the parking area at the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County, Pennsylvania shows several parked vehicles, a covered pavilion, and informational signs near the trailhead, with a backdrop of leafless trees, evergreens, and a clear blue sky.

The natural area is open from dawn until dusk year-round.

Hiking to Tobyhanna Falls

The hike to the falls is generally flat and passes through a mix of evergreen and hardwood forests, all while following along the edge of Tobyhanna Creek.

The trail to Tobyhanna Falls in Monroe County Pennsylvania — The trail to Tobyhanna Falls in Monroe County

There area few spots where the trail crosses wet areas or small tributaries of Tobyhanna Creek, but there are bridges and/or stepping stones at these points.

A wooden footbridge crosses a small stream along a forested trail at the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, with leafless trees, evergreens, and the scenic Tobyhanna Creek flowing in the background on a partly cloudy day.

Tobyhanna Falls is certainly not one of the tallest waterfalls you’ll see in the Poconos!

Tobyhanna Falls in the PA Pocono Mountains

But it makes for a relaxing, kid-friendly hike along a fairly level trail.

Several people explore the rocky terrain surrounding Tobyhanna Falls in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, as water cascades over a rugged drop into a swirling pool below, with one child crouched near the edge touching the stream and others watching nearby amid a backdrop of dense forest.

Folks travelling with dogs like to stop here to allow their four-legged friends stretch their legs.

A man walks his dog on a leash across large rock slabs near the edge of Tobyhanna Falls, where whitewater cascades down a rugged drop surrounded by dense evergreen and deciduous forest in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Its close proximity to Route 80 also makes it a great pitstop on your way to and from some of the other waterfalls in the region, such as Rattlesnake Falls, also located in Monroe County.

A hiker in an orange jacket and blue cap stands ankle-deep in the stream below the upper tier of Rattlesnake Falls in Monroe County, PA, using a walking stick while admiring the wide, multi-tiered cascade flowing over mossy rock ledges in a forested ravine on State Game Lands 221. — The author at Rattlesnake Falls.

So if your travels along Interstate 80 take you through eastern PA, check out Tobyhanna Falls and the rest of the Austin T. Blakeslee Natural Area in Monroe County.