Blue Hen Falls Trail

Blue Hen Falls Trail is a Boston Mill out-and-back on the Buckeye Trail to a 15-foot cascade on Spring Creek. The park lists 3 miles round trip; the mapped corridor measures about 2.5 miles out and back, so treat the listed figure as rounded. Allow 1–2 hours, with 1.5 hours a useful plan if you stop at the falls. This is not a short boardwalk: the park calls it steep for most people and lists about 580 feet of elevation change. Go for a wooded walk with a waterfall payoff, and skip it if steep dirt trail and stairs are a deal breaker.

Begin at the large park sign outside Boston Mill Visitor Center. Follow the curved path toward Riverview Road, cross carefully, then pick up the blue blazes at the stone staircase. The first climb gains about 200 feet before steps drop roughly 100 feet into a ravine and a footbridge over the creek. Those changes happen quickly, so take a breather before the next uphill stretch.

After the bridge, the trail climbs again, skirts a maintenance yard, and reaches Boston Mills Road; cross carefully and stay on the marked path. The Buckeye Trail then zigzags down through the woods to the falls. Expect unpaved, uneven and sometimes rocky tread, with several stair sections. The route is not wheelchair accessible. You return the same way, so the final descent to the waterfall becomes an uphill climb on the way back.

The waterfall drops about 15 feet over a layered rock ledge into a shallow pool. It is a smaller, tucked-in scene than nearby Brandywine Falls, and its flow can be subdued after dry weather. The signed scenic overlook is the route’s payoff; a few visitors explore beyond it toward the creek, but that is not part of the marked walk, and wet rocks near the water can be slippery. From the overlook, frame the ledge, pool and trees together so the waterfall’s setting stays in the picture.

Use the designated Boston Mill Visitor Center or Boston Trailhead lots. The oversize-vehicle lot across the road has only limited spaces; the lots often fill on warm weekends, and roadside parking is prohibited. Restrooms and a bottle refill are in the gray building beside the visitor center. There is no drinking water at the falls, so fill up before you leave. Leashed pets are allowed on park trails, with a maximum leash length of six feet; no reservation is required for this hike.