Quietly tucked away in Pennsylvania's Loyalsock State Forest is a creek named Rock Run. Rock Run creates beautiful waterfalls and very deep swimming holes, making it a popular spot to cool off in the summertime. The little town named Ralston neighbors the State Forest, making it the best location to put in your GPS to find it. A word of warning though: If you're using your cellphone as a GPS, be prepared for it to lose all reception about 20 minutes before you even get to Ralston. Once you get into the town, just find Rock Run Road, and if it turns into a narrow, windy, dirt road, you're in the right place.
I typically go to three spots, the first being the safest and farthest down the road. You'll almost always run into a few locals here, and I've never met anyone who wasn't friendly. They'll give you good advice like where not to jump if you want to keep living. The first spot is kind of an oval, the top being where the waterfall enters it, the bottom where it turns back into a creek. That being said, it's safest to jump into the upper half of the hole. It's massive and completely safe. However, it's always best to use your judgement when deciding where to jump in, but it won't be hard to tell what's deep and what's not deep; the water is crystal clear. I've dived down to the bottom with a mask and the closer you get to the waterfall the deeper it gets. By the waterfall, it's about 15-20 feet deep; the waterfall itself is about eight feet tall. From one side of the oval, it's about an eight-foot jump, and from the other side it's about a 15-foot jump.
The second spot is a little farther down the creek and even more popular. There are no large waterfalls here, but it's no less beautiful than the first spot. It's a great spot for taking pictures. It has two main jumping spots, and the one on the same side as the path is the safer. The one on the other side of the creek is a little higher, and the water is a little bit more shallow. Fortunately, there is a rope swing to help you get out a little further! The rope swing is what actually makes this a bit more dangerous because you have to release at the very end of the of the swing, otherwise you may drop into the shallow water. This spot also has an area where you can safely walk into a waterfall, so that's pretty cool.
The third spot is definitely the least popular, and some of the locals don't even know where it is. We were fortunate enough to meet some old woodsmen who knew the area like the back their hand. This is probably because it's about a 15-minute hike to get there, and you really have to aim when you jump in. Without a doubt, this is the most dangerous spot to jump in; the hole has both deep and shallow pools, some with not-so-large openings. Wherever you jump from, it's at least a 15-foot jump. It's also very secluded, adding an instinctive feeling of danger. It's seclusion makes it the most beautiful spot; it looks as if it had been left untouched by civilization. When you were a kid did you ever go exploring in the woods, and then find something you were sure you were the first to discover? If you did, and you remember the feeling that it gave you, then you know what I'm talking about.
