Ferne Clyffe State Park
A broad sandstone amphitheater, rain-fed waterfall, ferny creek corridor, cliffs, and upland trails make conditions—not mileage—the key to a successful visit.
Artwork inspired by Pauline Palmer
Big Rocky Hollow leads through an increasingly enclosed sandstone corridor to a high waterfall that may be a thread, a curtain, or completely dry. That variability is the point: seepage, runoff, shade, and protected cliff habitat support ferns and mosses while storms move sand, branches, and water through the amphitheater.
Check recent rain without visiting during dangerous flooding. The main hollow walk is family-friendly only when surfaces are stable; mud, slick rock, and creek crossings can complicate it. Longer trails reach bluff tops and remote forest, so distinguish the waterfall outing from a backcountry loop and carry the correct map.
- Signature route
- Big Rocky Hollow
- Waterfall
- Rain-dependent
- Landscape
- Sandstone amphitheater
Quick guide
- Time the water safely
- Recent moderate rain improves flow; active storms and flash flooding make the narrow hollow hazardous.
- Watch the enclosure
- Notice how light, vegetation, temperature, and sound change as the walls close in.
How to make Ferne Clyffe State Park count
- Time the water safely
- Recent moderate rain improves flow; active storms and flash flooding make the narrow hollow hazardous.
- Watch the enclosure
- Notice how light, vegetation, temperature, and sound change as the walls close in.
- Do not climb the falls
- Wet sandstone and thin soils are fragile, slick, and outside the intended route.
- Choose the right scale
- Treat the hollow as a short visit or deliberately add a mapped bluff trail with more preparation.
Good to know
The park and day-use trails are open daily from dawn to dusk. Campground facilities have separate access, and waterfall conditions depend on recent rainfall. Free parking serves the Big Rocky Hollow trail and other areas. Lots can fill during waterfall conditions and fall color; roadside parking is unsafe.
Notice these
- Big Rocky Hollow
- Seasonal waterfall
- Fern-covered sandstone