Lower Indian Ladder Falls via Lower Hornbecks Trail
Trail name(s): Hornbecks Creek Trail and Lower Hornbecks Trail
Location: Route 209, Dingmans Ferry PA
Permitted uses: Hiking, Nature study
Prohibited uses: No bikes and no Horses are allowed on the trail. Camping and ground fires, grills or cooking are not allowed. No digging, collecting or removing of artifacts or plants. No alcohol is allowed and not glass bottles. Swimming and wading is not permitted in the water within 50 feet upstream of the waterfalls or the waterfalls themselves. Climbing, jumping or diving into the water is not allowed.
Hours: Open Sunrise to Sunset
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. There are two parking lots to access this hike. The first lot is at the trailhead and it has limited parking for about 10 cars depending on how well each one is parked. The lot is off of Route 209, down a narrow dirt road. Go slowly and use caution as you enter or exit because the road is narrow and it will be difficult to pass oncoming traffic. The second lot is bigger, but it is across the street, beside Route 209. Use caution when parking here as hikers will need to cross 209 which has a lot of traffic.
Pets: Pets are allowed and must be on a leash at all times.
Accessibility: This trail is not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities: There is an information kiosk at the trailhead with a posted map. There are no restrooms or trash bins.
Length and Trail information: This hike was done as an out and back hike that was easy to moderate and was approximately 2.3 miles in length. The trail did not have any blazes, but the trail is obvious thanks to it being wide and used often. The trail meanders along and across Hornbecks Creek as it makes its way up to the Lower Indian Ladders Waterfall. When we reached the falls, they were flowing, but just a trickle. The pool below the falls was small but still pretty and the lower water level allowed us to access sections that are most likely submerged when the water level is high and fast. According to the National Park Service website (NPS.gov), the trail used to continue to a second waterfall, but that section of trail runs along a very steep hillside. Sadly, major storms have caused significant damage to the trail making it too dangerous to hike safely. We did venture up the old trail a short distance to observe the falls from above, but the view was limited and obscured by trees. We headed back to the base of the falls and started our return trip.
An enjoyable feature of this hike was being able to stop and identify some of the many different plants that grow alongside the trail. We were delighted to find large healthy patches of Wood nettle as well as Wild Canadian Ginger growing in large beautiful clusters.
Another enjoyable aspect of the hike were the multiple crossings over the Creek. Each bridge was a little different in style and structure. If we could rename this trail, we would call it “The trail of many cool bridges”. This is a great easy hike that offers visitors lots of interesting habitats to observe and appreciate.
