Trailhead Adventures

Located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Big Run Falls can be found within an area known as Cascade park, a former amusement park owned by Penn Power Company that operated the park starting in the late 1890s and ran until the early 1980s.  The park was home to a zoo, carousels, coasters and bumper car attractions to name just a few.  Walking around the park today, visitors can still see the remnants from these former attractions, including steel support structures that remain in the gorge.  

You can still find structures at the park that have been preserved and updated throughout the years, and there are signs the city uses the park for community events throughout the year.  A portion of the park is home to a military memorial that honors war veterans and victims of Agent Orange poisoning. That said, the park is home to numerous abandoned buildings and the gorge area leading up to Big Run Falls is littered with trash and broken glass from bottles.  

Big Run Falls is viewable from the road above with a clearing that offers a clear shot of the falls.  Access to the lower falls viewing area will require a fair amount of effort as there is no maintained trail or path.  The trip will require climbing over moss-covered boulders and avoiding broken glass when placing your hands for balance.  I found the effort worth it as I managed to get some beautiful photos of this hidden gem of a waterfall.  

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