For years I've wanted to visit to visit Bushkill Falls and a few others including Fulmer Falls (my mothers maiden name) but hurricane Irene and or hurricane Lee wreaked a huge amount of havoc down there. Now years later these waterfalls are beautiful and easily accessible thanks to nice boardwalks and stairs built in to the gorges. There is an entry fee to Bushkill Falls which I would guess requires lot of maintenance, and it is impressively maintained! I felt safe bringing my our three year old with us. Personally I think all the walkways add to the beauty of this gorge. We got up early and arrived an hour and a half before opening. Even though we were way to early, being first through the gate has its perks as it didn't take long for the parking lot to completely fill. The waterfalls were gorgeous and though occasionally sprinkling the overcast sky made it perfect weather for photography. There was a sign that did make me worry hiking with my three year old. Avid hikers only, rocky long steep trail but seriously you've got to be in really bad shape to not be able to hike that section. My son did get tired and so I put him in the pack for what will most likely be the last time! I have Achilles Tendonitis and have been in intense pain since then not to mention I stupidly tried to squat to get a shot only to have him pull me backwards slamming my tailbone on a rock. Then when I finally was able to get up I saw my husband backing away from a snake eating a snake. I screamed and got a small jolt but thankfully was able to maintain some small amount of composure. That was a big snake! Chris (my husband) said it came up out the water just a few inches from him in hurry. Aside from my child melting down from hunger (no food allowed on trail) and tiredness it was a beautiful day. Despite my son's awful behavior I still allowed him to pan for gems at the end of our hike! One can't expect a three year old too be patient terribly long. You stop to shoot photos but he keeps running back and forth then of course eventually at some point when it is time to move on he is too tired. I carried him as far has I was physically able, daddy took a turn and eventually we played find the blue trail markers to make him want to keep going. He was challenging to say the least. Panning for gems was fun once he figured out how to do it and I think it helped us all to relax. It was not long til he fell sound asleep in the car. Affordable camping does not exist in this part of Pennsylvania, expect to pay about $40 for a tent site! We settled down at Promised Land State Park and wished we had brought the kayaks. Our son did his best to help set up camp and gather small sticks for the campfire. When it was bed time our son begged to go in the tent. I had been enjoying the campfire and lost track of the time. In the morning I discovered a teeny tiny deer tick feasting on me. So far so good no symptoms. Our first aid kit now includes a "tick kit." When camp was packed up we headed to George W Child's park to photograph three more awesome waterfalls. Of course it was a bright sunny day making it difficult to shoot without getting "hot spots." Again everything was laid out with beautiful boardwalks and stairs giving you easy access to the falls. The middle waterfall is named Fulmer Falls after John Fulmer who owned a tannery in the area. I have no idea if we are related or not but thought it would be a cool place to visit anyway.
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Julie MetottNature Photographer, wife, mother, lover of outdoor adventure! Archives
November 2022
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