This was one of those plans that came together almost by accident. We got a call around 1:10, said yes immediately, and by the afternoon we were driving toward a trail we had not really mapped out in advance.
We started around 2:00 PM and drove for about 45 minutes. The idea came from another family, and that made the outing feel different from the usual weekend plan. It was spontaneous, a little uncertain, and exactly the kind of afternoon that can turn into a good memory before you have even finished the first stretch of the trail.
The first complication came before we even reached the actual trailhead. Google Maps sent us toward a road that was blocked, and the parking lot we expected did not appear. We went a little farther and found another one, which gave us a different start than the one we had imagined. That small uncertainty stayed with us for a while. We were not fully sure how to join the trail from there, and that made the beginning feel like a little puzzle.
Following the trail as it unfolded
We started on the Yellow/Black trail, but we soon drifted onto the White/Black trail after following a group of people coming from that direction. At that point the trail felt less like a plan and more like something we were discovering together. We kept following the path toward the falls, then continued along the red dot on the White trail. The route moved along the river, and for a while it felt like we were climbing upstream, step by step.
There were many steps at the start, and the water level was very low. The trail itself was not difficult in the sense of being long, but the mix of the incline, the slippery rock sections, and the stream crossings made it feel more serious than the casual afternoon plan had suggested.
The first real highlight came when we reached the waterfall itself. That was the moment when the trail stopped feeling like a question and started feeling like a reward. My younger daughter, her friend, and I went to the right at the bottom of the falls and played with the water while the others stayed back and watched from a distance. That small choice mattered. It felt like the full version of the waterfall rather than just seeing it from above or from far away.
We touched the water, played in it, and I put my head under the cold stream for a moment. It felt sharp and refreshing. It was one of those ordinary little pleasures that make a trail feel more alive than a simple walk through the woods. We also got some good photos from that moment, the kind that later turn into memory instead of just another picture in the phone.
The part I would rather not repeat
That was not the dangerous part. The dangerous part came a little later, when we were crossing the slippery rocks near the stream. I stepped on one of them, lost my footing, and fell flat on my back in the middle of the wet, uneven stones while holding my daughter in front of me. It was a very lucky escape. The fall could have been much worse, and I came away with no scratches. I still cannot quite explain how that happened, except that the rocks were slick and the footing was worse than it looked.
What made the whole thing less severe was a small set of good decisions. I had nothing in my hands, no phone, no water bottle, no gear to catch or twist in the fall. I was also wearing my small backpack with both straps on my shoulders, and that likely absorbed a good part of the impact. In the past I usually keep only one strap on, which would not have helped nearly as much. I was careful with each step, but the rock still betrayed me.
That moment changed how I felt about the whole afternoon. It was not a dramatic disaster, but it was a clear reminder that a fun outing can turn ugly very quickly. It also made the quieter parts of the day feel more valuable. A normal, boring day without scratches or surprises is not such a bad thing after all.
The rest of the trail was enjoyable, but it also carried a moment that felt much less lighthearted. We were following the red dot on the White trail and then, at some point, stopped seeing it. We started seeing yellow trail markers instead and had to stop and think. Using the trail guide as a reference, we realized we had reached the end of the trail and confirmed it with a few people coming from the other side. After a short walk, the path looked familiar again because it was the one we had come from.
Before we finished the trail, we stopped for one more rest beside the river. We found a nice spot on the rocks, sat down, and ate some fruit, chips, and fruit bars from the snacks we had packed. It was a good pause. We talked more with the other family and got to know them a little better since it was our first outing with them. That part of the afternoon mattered as much as the waterfall itself.
After that, we made our way back to the parking lot, went for an early dinner instead of heading straight home, and called it a successful afternoon. It was a new place, a new trail, and a day that felt more memorable because it did not go exactly as planned.
Hike Directions
Overview: YELLOW (Lenape) – RED DOT on WHITE (Hemlock Falls Loop) – YELLOW (Lenape).
Trails We Used
| Trail / section | What it was like | What worked for us |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow/Black trail | The starting approach to the falls | We began here, then shifted onto the White/Black trail after following another group of hikers |
| White/Black trail and White trail red-dot section | The main path toward the waterfall and back along the river — Approx. 2 miles (round trip). | This was the section that felt most like following the route as it unfolded rather than following a rigid plan |
| Hemlock Falls access area | The final approach to the waterfall and the slick rocks near the stream | The falls were the reward, but the wet footing near the water was the part we had to treat carefully |
Community Thoughts
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