Cucumber Falls in Ohiopyle

Ohiopyle State Park, about sixty miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The Ferncliff to Cucumber Falls trail is short, merciful, and ends with a waterfall dropping over mossy ledges into a shallow emerald pool. The whole thing takes maybe forty-five minutes.

The walk threads through ferns, birch, and rhododendron. The Youghiogheny River flashes through the trees. A boardwalk crosses a damp, fern-lit section where the mist clings to everything. Then Cucumber Falls appears — not a thundering cascade but a slender veil of water over mossy rock. The pool at the bottom is green enough to justify the drive.

Late spring for volume. Autumn for color in the gorge. Weekday for quiet. Parking lot is small and fills on sunny weekends — arrive early. Sturdy shoes for the slick spots.