Emerald Falls
Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- 15 ft (4.5 m)
- Location
- Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
- Access status
- Partial guide: route includes an unmarked off-trail section
- The walk
- About 0.8 mile each way, including about 0.25 mile off trail
- Ground & access
- Old road grade, then an unmarked off-trail descent through woods, a small wet crossing, and an uphill return of about 525 feet.
Emerald Falls, also called Carolyn's Falls locally, is a 15-foot falls on Swamp Run in the Sullivan County part of Loyalsock State Forest. From the parking area, follow the yellow-blazed Browns Trail, an old road grade, for 0.3 mile until it bears right (southwest), near 41.48963, -76.73248. Leave the trail and head left (northeast) downhill off trail past a large mossy boulder to an old road grade above Swamp Run. Turn right and follow the grade downstream for 0.25 mile, with one small wet crossing, to the falls at 41.48983, -76.72446. Return the same way.
Plan your visit
Browns Trail parking at Bear Wallow Road and Slab Run Road, Browns Trail, an off-trail descent, then an old road grade down Swamp Run to Emerald Falls
PA Bucket List gives 0.8 mile one way with 525 feet of elevation change: 0.3 mile on Browns Trail, a 0.25-mile off-trail section, then 0.25 mile on an old road grade.
Old road grade, then an unmarked off-trail descent through woods, a small wet crossing, and an uphill return of about 525 feet.
Where to start
Parking area near the intersection of Bear Wallow Road and Slab Run Road, 4 miles northwest of Hillsgrove, published at 41.49071, -76.73801.
Timing & water
No seasonal closure is mentioned. Flow is best after rain; Swamp Run crossings are harder in high water.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Triple FallsPartial guide: about a quarter mile of the approach is off trail25 ft (7.5 m) · Sullivan County, PA0.4 miNW
- East Branch FallsPartial guide: unmarked pull-off and footpath on state forest land25 ft (7.5 m) · Sullivan County, PA1.4 miW
- Mill Creek FallsShort blazed trail from a forest road pull-off13 ft (4 m) · Sullivan County, PA2.3 miS
- Lower Middle Branch FallsPartial guide: a short streamside walk with no named or marked trail described20 ft (6 m) · Sullivan County, PA2.4 miW
- Upper Middle Branch FallsPartial guide: short creekside approach with no described trail12 ft (3.6 m) · Sullivan County, PA2.4 miW
- Andrea FallsSullivan County, PA4.8 miSE
- Old Bark FallsPartial guide: falls are off trail and not named in the sourcesSullivan County, PA4.9 miSE
- Dry Run FallsRoadside falls with a parking lot and picnic areaSullivan County, PA5.0 miSE
- Armstrong-Rode FallsPartial guide: source route uses an off-trail creek section; listing name differs from the source name10 ft (3 m) · Sullivan County, PA5.3 miSE