Ricketts Glen State Park, a Pennsylvania State Park near Hanover Township, Nanticoke, Shavertown

USA

Pennsylvania

Ricketts Glen State Park

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State Park Link:
Ricketts Glen State Park

Nearby Parks:
Worlds End State Park

State Park Contact Information:
	Ricketts Glen State Park 695 State Route 487 Benton, Pennsylvania 17814 Phone: 570-477-5675 Toll Free: 888-727-2757 Reservations: 888-727-2757 Email: rickettsglensp@state.pa.us	Area Accommodations
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State Park Overview:

Ricketts Glen harbors Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. Take the Falls Trail and explore the Glens, which boasts a series of wild, free-flowing waterfalls, each cascading through rock-strewn clefts in this ancient hillside. The 94-foot Ganoga Falls is the highest of 22 named waterfalls. Old growth timber and diverse wildlife add to the scenic area. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic areas in Pennsylvania. This large park is comprised of 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan and Columbia counties.

Reviews By Park Visitors:

visitor rating:

(3 votes) |Post Your Own Review

Awe inspiring

A natural wonder in its own right.....you can always see something new and different, no matter how many times you see it. And once is never enough.

Written by Dsl1717 1-May-2008

I go every year to hike the falls

7 miles round trip - 2 dozen falls - gorgeous

Written by jsm 25-Aug-2009

Awesome falls views

Our visit was confined to hiking the loop around the falls, strenuous for our age (80), but well worth the effort. Spectacular views. A few more directional signs may have helped us find our way. We will go back some day.

Written by John Slike 8-Sep-2009

Camping:

Camping: modern sites

There are 120 tent and trailer campsites, some available year-round. The campground features hot showers, flush toilets, shaded sites, gravel parking spurs and a sanitary dump station. Six campsites are ADA accessible.

Organized Group Tenting:

Qualified adult and youth groups may use this 150-person capacity area that is equipped with picnic tables, water and flush toilets. The area is open from the third Monday in April to the third Monday in October. Advance reservations are recommended.

Picnicking:

Picnic facilities are located in the Lake Jean area and in the lower area off of PA 118. A limited number of charcoal grills are located in the areas. Feel free to bring your own (hot charcoal disposals are in each area).

Boating:

Boating: electric motors only

The 245-acre Lake Jean has dry mooring and one boat launch. A boat rental concession operates during the summer season and offers rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks and canoes.

Motorboats must display a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration from any state; launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks that are available at most state park offices; launch use permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Swimming:

The 600-foot beach is open from late-May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Swim at your own risk. A food and refreshment concession, boat rental and picnic facilities are nearby.

Fishing and Hunting:

Fishing:

The 245-acre Lake Jean has warm-water game fish and panfish. Please follow all Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission rules and regulations. Fishing is prohibited in the Glens Natural Area.

Hunting and Firearms:

About 9,000 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, grouse, bear, rabbit, pheasant and squirrel. About 83,000 acres of state game lands lie to the west and north of the park.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. The park is used by other visitors during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or camp.

History of the Area:

At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Robert Bruce Ricketts enlisted as a private in the U. S. Army. Fighting for the Army of the Potomac, Ricketts led Battery F during the Battle of Gettysburg. Ricketts swiftly moved up in the ranks and when the war ended, was discharged a colonel.

Colonel Ricketts at one time owned outright or controlled over 80,000 acres of land in this area. His heirs, through the Central Penn Lumber Company, sold 48,000 acres to the Pennsylvania Game Commission from 1920-24. This left them with over 12,000 acres surrounding the Ganoga Lake, Lake Jean and Glens area.

Although the area was approved as a national park site in the 1930s, World War II brought an end to this plan for development and in 1942 the heirs sold 1,261 acres, the Falls and Glens area, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a state park. Additional purchases from Colonel Ricketts? son, William Ricketts, in 1943 and 1949, resulted in a park nucleus of approximately 10,000 acres of former Ricketts holdings. Additional purchases from other individuals have brought the park to its present size.

Recreational facilities first opened in 1944. In 1950, the former Department of Forests and Waters replaced Lake Jean Dam with a larger, earthern dam, which combined Lake Jean with Mud Pond, creating the current 245-acre lake. Other facility improvements and constructions have been done over the years, like the beach house, restrooms and cabins.

Area Accommodations

Eagles Mere Inn - Eagles Mere, PA
Mountain top Inn offering ultimate stress relief 400 paces from a pristine lake and thousands of acres of forest. Guests enjoy warm hospitality, gourmet meals, outstanding wine & peaceful relaxation.
Price Range: $159 - $265
Web Site: http://www.eaglesmereinn.com

B&Bs / Inns

The Crestmont Inn - Eagles Mere, PA
This romantic country inn sits atop the area's highest point, a 2,200-foot peak, just outside the unique Victorian village of Eagles Mere - sometimes called "the town that time forgot."
Web Site: http://www.crestmont-inn.com

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