Buttermilk Falls via Blue Hen Falls

This is a 3.5-mile out-and-back from Boston Mill Visitor Center to Blue Hen Falls and, by a rough extension along Spring Creek, Buttermilk Falls. The mapped corridor is about 1.76 miles each way; the listed distance counts the return. Expect two steep wooded ridges on the marked Buckeye Trail, then an eroded creekside path after Blue Hen. Allow about 2 to 3 hours for the walk and time at both falls.

From Boston Mill, cross Riverview Road to the Buckeye Trail. It climbs steeply, drops a long flight of steps to a footbridge, then rises over a second ridge, skirts a maintenance yard and crosses Boston Mills Road before descending to Blue Hen Falls. The marked approach is rocky and can be muddy, with about 580 feet of elevation change. Blue Hen's narrow cascades spill over a sandstone ledge into a shallow pool; framing the shelf with the water below shows the shape of the ravine.

Beyond Blue Hen, visitors follow an unsigned, worn path beside Spring Creek to Buttermilk Falls, where water runs over a shale slope. This stretch is quieter and rougher: the tread can be eroded, and several crossings require stepping over slick creek rocks. Published totals range from 3.5 to 4.3 miles; this record uses the connected mapped corridor and counts the return. The official NPS hike ends at Blue Hen and says to stay on marked trail. No authoritative public-access ruling for the extension was found, so verify access with NPS before leaving the marked Buckeye Trail and obey posted restrictions. If you cannot confirm access, turn around at Blue Hen.

Cross only when the creek is low. After rain, stronger flow can make the falls more impressive and the crossings less safe; turn back rather than stepping onto slick rocks or crossing high water. There is no water along the route.

Use the Boston Mill Visitor Center/Boston Trailhead parking area, the access for the marked Blue Hen hike. Spaces can fill on warm weekends, and roadside parking is prohibited. The visitor center has restrooms and drinking water when open. Leashed pets are permitted on marked NPS trails; the rule beyond Blue Hen is unclear.