Brandywine Falls Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The wooden boardwalk and stairs get slick when wet or frosty. Take your time on the descent, especially in late fall and winter when ice can form on shaded sections.
Stay behind the railings at the observation deck. The sandstone ledges near the falls are undercut and unstable — people have been injured climbing off-trail to get closer.
Trail Details
- 1
Arrive before 9 AM on weekends or you'll be circling the small parking lot — it fills fast, especially during fall color season in mid-October. The overflow lot on Stanford Road adds a quarter-mile walk.
- 2
Visit two to three days after heavy rain for the most dramatic water volume. During dry summer stretches, the falls can thin to a disappointing trickle, so check recent precipitation before making the drive.
- 3
After seeing the main falls, take the lower loop trail that continues past the observation deck. Most visitors turn around at the platform, but the loop drops to the creek below and gives you a completely different angle looking up at the falls — far better for photography and practically empty.
