Less than an hour from Pittsburgh this really nifty little gem called Robinson Falls is almost hidden to the naked eye, but stunning to see up close.
Robinson falls is one of those places that I doubt too many people know exist. If you do your either a local, or a huge waterfall junkie. Anyway…
A friend of mine and I recently decided that we wanted to do more outdoorsy day trips. Nature has always been a place we enjoy being in. In the summertime, hiking and kayaking are usually on our agenda. Exploring new places has also been something we both love doing.
While trying to decide where to start our adventure for the day, we both came across Robinson Falls in Connellsville, Pa. Once we chose this destination as our first we were on our way. Everything else we would figure out as we went. The falls are hidden down over a cliff, in a what seems to be a little stream that runs along the road. Here is the location.
448-498 Falls Ave, Connellsville, PA 15425 – or –
Coordinates: Latitude 40.017756, Longitude -79.610804
From the top of the road, you can see the top of the falls somewhat well. Climbing down the hillside from the top of the road is the quickest way to the falls. In my opinion, a better experience comes hiking upstream to the base of the waterfall. We parked at a little pull-off spot at the bottom of the hill and hiked upstream through the water. I also did get pretty wet walking throught the stream. It was really astonishing that such an awesome waterfall is tucked in an area you would least expect it.
A little history to add about Robinson falls.
Apparently, the falls were named after James Robinson who operated a mill and distillery in the area in the early 19th century. There are also other stories of how the falls may have been a campsite for George Washington and Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War. They also apparently sit along a former Catawba Indian Warpath, that once ran from New York to North Carolina. I have read a few other stories about this area as well but who knows for sure, still pretty interesting in my opinion.
At first glance, you wonder how such a small stream can house such a big waterfall. The waterfall is 20 feet high, so while hiking upstream you will wonder how such a beautiful waterfall could come from such a small amount of water. If you are anything like us you may start to second guess the falls. Once you actually stumble upon the fall though, you will be surprised. We even went behind the falls, surprisingly there is more water than you think.
Just a few tips if you decide to go.
- Bring your camera, or make sure you have your phone. You are going to want to make sure to catch some good pics of these falls.
- If you plan on hiking through the creek, wear your water shoes, you will end up wet. I wore my hiking boots, not realizing I would end up drenched by the end of the day.
- There is only one pull-off spot, it is at the bottom of the hill, I recommend parking there and walking to the falls. (It’s not far.)
All in all another amazing trip! For more info on the falls, the uncovering PA website is a great place to find cool stuff in the area. We also went to a few other amazing places along the way. Who knew Connellsville had so much to offer. I can’t wait to get the chance to tell you about all the other fun places we got to see. Hope ya all have a great day!!