Waterfalls and Hidden Hollows: Discovering Cambria County's Secret Swimming Holes

There is something about a cold mountain creek on a July afternoon that no air conditioner can replicate. Cambria County has dozens of them: small waterfalls tucked into wooded hollows, flat limestone ledges above slow pools, creek bends where the water runs clear over dark shale and the temperature never quite warms up, even at peak summer. You just have to know where to look.

Photo by Raziella R on Pexels.

Ebensburg sits at roughly 2,200 feet in the Allegheny highlands, which means the creeks draining out of this plateau move fast and stay cold. That elevation is an asset in summer. While the valleys bake, the highlands stay a few degrees cooler, and the streams feeding down into Cambria County's river corridors carry that coolness with them.

Start with the Ghost Town Trail Corridor

Most people think of the Ghost Town Trail as a cycling and hiking path through old coal towns, and that is exactly what it is. But the trail also follows Blacklick Creek for a good stretch of its length, and that creek offers some genuinely pleasant wading spots along the way. Look for wide, shallow riffles where the current slows and the bottom is visible. These are not deep swimming holes; bring water shoes and treat them as cool-off stops rather than swimming destinations.

The best time to explore the creek access points is late June through mid-August. Flows tend to drop after the spring snowmelt, which means clearer water and easier footing. Earlier in the season, runoff can make the water murky and the current faster than it looks.

Gallitzin State Forest Hollows

Gallitzin State Forest covers a large swath of the highlands around Ebensburg, and its interior is laced with small tributary streams. Several of these feed into modest waterfall drops of five to fifteen feet, particularly where the terrain breaks sharply along ridge edges. Getting to them requires some map reading. Download the state forest's public land boundary maps from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry website before you go, and cross-reference with topographic data to find elevation drops that suggest waterfalls.

This is honest exploratory hiking. There are no trailhead signs pointing you to a named cascade. What you find is proportional to how much you are willing to scramble. Wear boots with ankle support, watch your footing on wet rock, and tell someone where you are headed. The payoff, when you do push through a hemlock grove and hear water dropping into a plunge pool below you, is real.

Prince Gallitzin State Park: Glendale Lake's Shoreline

Prince Gallitzin State Park offers the county's most established swimming area at Glendale Lake. The park maintains a designated swim beach with lifeguard coverage during the summer season, which makes it the right choice for families with young children. The lake is large enough that you can find a quiet cove away from the main beach if you prefer, though always swim where conditions are appropriate and supervision is available.

Beyond the beach, the park's stream inlets deserve a closer look. Several small runs feed the lake from the forested hillsides above, and on hot days the shade along these feeder creeks is worth seeking out even if you just sit with your feet in the water.

A Few Practical Notes Worth Keeping in Mind

Water levels vary significantly with rainfall. A swimming hole that was perfect two weeks ago may be too high and fast after a storm, or too low and warm during a dry spell. Check recent conditions if you can, and always assess the specific spot before committing to a swim.

On Pennsylvania public land, swimming in streams is generally permitted unless posted otherwise. Private land is another matter entirely. The county has a mix of public and private parcels, and the boundaries are not always obvious. Do your homework before you wade in.

Leave the spots you find in better shape than you arrived. Pack out whatever you carry in. These hidden corners stay hidden because people treat them well.

The highlands around Ebensburg reward patience. Show up in early summer when the wildflowers are finishing and the creek flows are settling into their warm-weather rhythm. Bring a lunch, a good topo map, and the willingness to walk a little farther than feels comfortable. That is usually where the good stuff is.