About this spot
Sullivan Falls is a documented swimming hole in State Game Lands 13, off Route 487 near the Ricketts Glen entrance. Park at the large pull-off marked by a boulder reading "Sullivan Falls" (free, no permit) and follow a short, well-worn path about 375 feet to the top of the 30-35 foot falls, which drops into a plunge pool inside a wooded, circular hollow. The real hazard is the descent: the slope to the pool is steep and notoriously slick, with ropes strung along it to help hikers climb down and back up safely. Multiple trip reports note a posted "No Swimming" sign at the site, so treat swimming or jumping here as legally gray, not sanctioned. It gets busy on summer weekends, and as public game land, hunters may be present in season - wear blaze orange outside summer.