Date: 05/01/2021 – Distance: 2.6 mi – Elapsed Time: 1.75 hr – Ascent: 633 ft – Descent: 587 ft – Difficulty: Medium
I’ve been wanting to visit this place for awhile now. Nelson-Kennedy Ledges is a State Park over 100 acres with dramatic cliffs, a few trails, wildflowers, and many trees including maple, beech, hemlock pines, and huge yellow birches. There are a couple caves, a couple waterfalls, and the Red Trail meanders between the slump blocks and the cliff face for an interesting hike.
Sign at the entrance.
Parking lot.
They have restrooms too.
Trailhead has history, map, other useful information.
Trail map. I started on the yellow trail but happened to miss the Cascade Falls and Gold Hunter’s Cave on the top end.
This entrance is right across from the park sign. There is another to the left.
The ledges are right near the road.
Squirrel Corn.
I wasn’t disappointed with what I immediately came across.
Numerous slump blocks have fallen away from the cliff.
I should have went right first, but I was drawn into this passage.
The trail turned left under the rocks.
There are lots of crevices like this.
The Yellow Birches tower above, clinging to the cliff faces.
I had to almost crawl through this passage.
Incredible place.
There is a small slump block cave over there.
Taken from inside the slump block cave.
The trail keeps meandering through the large rocks.
Yellow Birch flower.
Yellow Birch leaf.
See how the Yellow Birch clings to the rocks.
They’re amazingly resilient.
The trail climbs to the top of the ledges.
Looking back from where I came.
The top is equally dramatic with large crevasses. You must be careful.
The sandstone looks like asphalt. It’s called Sharon Conglomerate which is sand with quartz pebbles embedded in it.
Solomon’s Seal.
Those cracks are large enough to swallow you.
You can see the parking lot from here.
You can go into many of these passages. Look at the size of that birch on the right.
The ledges and slump blocks just keep going.
There are several options for exploring. I knew I would come back below so, I kept on top for this part.
That Red Trail blaze I would explore on the return.
These blocks are huge.
And very beautiful.
Canada Mayflowers aka False Lily of the Valley.
Canada Mayflowers.
Some of the rocks are worn almost smooth.
There is the red trail again. It actually goes through those crevasses.
It’s dark down there.
Watch your step.
You can fall into this.
There is rushing water down there.
There it is.
The trail wraps around the top of the falls.
Top of Minnehaha Falls.
Minnehaha Falls.
The moss was so green.
I continued along the top on the Blue Trail now.
Another big crevasse. The trail wraps around and turns below the ledges.
This is called Sharon Conglomerate sandstone.
You can see a little light in there.
Heading back toward the trailhead now.
Amazing weathering and colors.
Another dark cave.
See how the quartz pebbles have weathered away from this slump block.
More moss and birch roots.
I’m looking for the Red Trail which should go to the left.
Another massive Yellow Birch.
I found the Red Trail.
The Red Trail follows between the rocks and the cliff.
Yeah, the trail goes in there.
Not for the faint of heart.
Neat weathering.
I had to make sure that if I went down there I could get back up, if the trail dead ended.
I failed to get a good picture of Devil’s Hole which was to the right of this. There were too many people in there.
An exit if you wish.
The rocks above lean on each other.
I think I’m inside of Devil’s Icebox which is the downstream side of the waterfall.
Another possible exit.
The trail continues through these narrow passages.
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