If you’re looking for the best Pennsylvania waterfalls you can STAND BEHIND, you’re in the right place!
In a state blessed with thousands of waterfalls great and small, here are 8 Pennsylvania waterfalls you can stand behind and experience the thrill of a lifetime!
Simply click on the blue text link in each waterfall description to view maps, directions and additional photos of that waterfall.
1. Cucumber Falls
Cucumber Falls at Ohiopyle State Park is not only one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Laurel Highlands, but one of the easiest waterfalls to stand behind in all of Pennsylvania.
The large, cavernous area behind Cucumber Falls is most easily accessed from the left side.
Of course the view from the front is pretty outstanding as well!
2. Adam Falls
Adam Falls at Linn Run State Park is yet another Laurel Highlands waterfall you can stand behind.
The cavernous area behind Adam Falls is plenty tall for an adult to stand in with no issues.
It takes plenty of rain to make a trip to Adam Falls worthwhile, but if you do catch it under these conditions, you’re in for a treat!
3. Buttermilk Falls in Indiana County
Buttermilk Falls in Indiana County has had massive infrastructure built around it for the sole purpose of allowing you to stand behind it.
A steel staircase and walkway extends behind the veil of Buttermilk Falls, allowing for just about anyone who can make it up and down stairs to safely stand here.
The stairs and walkway are a relatively new feature (2017) – prior to that visitors wanting to go behind the veil needed a bit more skill.
4. Round Island Run Falls
Round Island Run Falls is my personal favorite of the Pennsylvania waterfalls you can stand behind.
The remoteness of the location in the Sproul State Forest, and the overall beauty of the waterfall itself make every trip to Round Island Run Falls special.
And while it’s the upper tier you can stand behind, the totality of all three tiers makes Round Island Run a magnificent specimen of Central Pennsylvania waterfalls.
5. Hippie Shower Falls
Hippie Shower Falls is located along the Great Allegheny Passage in Fayette County.
Visitors are able to stand behind Hippie Shower Falls in a 7 foot tall cavern hollowed out behind the falls.
6. Buttermilk Falls in Beaver County
Buttermilk Falls in Beaver County is an exceptional waterfall in an unexpected, urban setting.
Located just minutes from the Beaver Falls exit of the PA Turnpike, Buttermilk Falls is situated in the Buttermilk Falls Natural Area, a Beaver County park.
The cavernous area behind Buttermilk Falls is large enough for an adult to easily stand behind the veil of cascading water.
7. Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls
Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls is a 10-footer located at Raccoon Creek State Park n Beaver County.
Located just a short distance from a parking area along Route 18, Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls, gets it’s name from springs located next to the falls that were touted in the 1800s as producing mineral-ladden water with healing properties.
The waterfall plunges over the side of a horseshoe-shaped rock formation, with a cavern behind it you can easily squeeze into.
The view from behind Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls is in the direction of a staircase that once lead to a “health spa” above the aforementioned mineral springs.
8. Cave Falls near Jim Thorpe, PA
While the Glen Onoko Falls Trail near Jim Thorpe was closed by the PA Game Commission in 2019, a more circuitous trail to Cave Falls, the uppermost waterfall along that trail, is still open.
Cave Falls stands around 15 feet tall and probably twice as wide.
While the cavern behind Cave Falls isn’t very deep, it is wide and the view is great!
Related Attractions
If you love waterfalls, you MUST check out The Ultimate Pennsylvania Waterfalls Guide, with detailed directions to HUNDREDS of PA waterfalls!
20 Must-See Pennsylvania Waterfalls is a guide to what I consider the “best of the best” waterfalls in PA.
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